Quote:
Originally Posted by REASON
There is a concerted effort by right wing conservatives, many of whom are deeply religious, to perpetuate the notion that global warming is nothing but hype....They don't provide any alternate theories for the rapid increase in the mean global temperature over the last several decades. ... What is actually at stake if they were to acknowledge the validity of the science?...
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I tried to scan this (long) thread. I am not sure I succeeded. I could not find the main counterargument (although I might have missed it).
The critique of the fact base for CO2-caused warming is not right-wing conservatives. This is the "bogey-man" argument. (e.g., "we are only in Iraq because of DICK CHENEY!!!" or "This is just like ENRON!!").
The core critique is (I think) that the correlation between CO2 change and climate change is weak. It looks like (based on current data) that the correlation between solar activity and temperature change is stronger. Ergo, the argument is not whether CO2 is rising (it is) or whether we have warmed between 1960 and 1990 (we did), this issue is causality.
And I think that improved data capture is further weakening the CO2 causality argument.
I have wagered several scotch bottles (with several different folks) that we will be worrying more about global cooling than global warming by 2020.
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Few problems are so complex that they cannot be substantially clarified by one more cup of coffee
(or a nice cabernet if it is after 5:00)
Moderator in absentia. Return anticipated. Timing somewhat vague.
