A couple more articles

Thanks to @ScottWGraves for posting the links to these articles...

Understanding Climategate's Hidden Decline

Climategate reveals 'the most influential tree in the world'

The science behind the controversy basically shows that the "hockey stick graph" created by Michael Mann was truly created - the data they used to estimate atmospheric temperatures pre-dating modern diagnostic equipment was essentially hand-picked in order to show the image of global warming that they wanted to show.  The tree article above does a good job of explaining it in simple terms; the first article above is a little more scientific in nature.

I don't want to spend too much time on a soapbox, so I'll sum up:  while climate change is a real thing, it's a natural cycle of the planet.  The world is not going to end in a big flaming ball of doom and destruction because of it.  The 'solutions' that everybody and their dog have come up with are good solutions... to other, more pressing problems. The media is good at making a mountain out of a molehill, and ignoring the news that doesn't support their agenda.

All the news that's fit to report... er...

So has anyone else been hearing about Climategate?

[vodpod id=Groupvideo.4101412&w=425&h=350&fv=autoPlay%3Dfalse]

more about "Daily Show: Scientists Hide Global Wa...", posted with vodpod

Basically it boils down to this: Al Gore is a marketing genius, but otherwise a damn fraud.  All the "science" and "data" pointing to anthropogenic (human-caused) climate change has been a bunch of bullshit all along.  Thank god for whistleblowers.

As for media coverage... wait, what media coverage??  Oh yeah, they're all tied up with Tiger Woods.  Comedy Central Scoops Network News on Climate-Gate Scandal

Here's the background:  Climate sceptics claim leaked emails are evidence of collusion among scientists

[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/7945623]

Over 31,000 scientists have signed a petition agreeing that "There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing, or will in the foreseeable future cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate."

And where's Gore?  Climategate goes uber-viral, Gore flees leaving evil henchmen to defend crumbling citadel

Don't get me started!

The below is copied from an email this morning - my reply is at the top.  My co-worker was honestly curious and unsuspecting of my soapbox tendencies, but he told me later he really liked hearing my opinion.  Poor guy.

So just as a disclaimer, this is totally just my personal opinion based on what I've read, and also based on some good ol' common sense too.  Don't hate me.

****

“Global warming” and anything related to carbon dioxide is so incredibly controversial!  I don’t even bring it up in conversations anymore, and honestly, I was kind of annoyed to see it splashed all over our HD booth.  My personal opinion?  Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, that’s a scientific fact.  However I believe (along with countless scientists outside the UN’s reach) that climate change would occur naturally regardless of human prevention methods.  However everything that is proposed to “stop” climate change is something that should happen anyway for other, better reasons (such as renewable energy and alternative fuel vehicles = less dependence on oil/coal and less pollution).  The only way that action by the EPA and the environmental movement will have a negative impact on the economy is if big business keeps stonewalling and refusing to change the dirty, inefficient, ecologically-damaging ways that they operate.  In which case, I kind of think they deserve to collapse in a heap (a la GM).  It sometimes sucks for the everyday man, but we have to change how we live if we want future generations to have a better quality of life than we have.  Stuff like this only cares about financial prosperity, not true quality of life prosperity.

I’ll get off my soapbox now!  :-)


On 6/12/09 11:10 AM, "xxxxxxxxxxxx"  wrote:

Know anything about this? Thoughts?


------ Forwarded Message
From: xxxxxxxx
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:57:31 -0400
To: xxxxxxxx
Subject: [Fwd: Take Action: Stop EPA Overreach]

-------- Original Message --------   
 Subject:  Take Action: Stop EPA Overreach  
 Date:  Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:57:47 -0400 (EDT)  
 From:  Americans for Prosperity <info@afphq.org> <mailto:info@afphq.org>   
 Reply-To:  Americans for Prosperity <info@afphq.org> <mailto:info@afphq.org>   
 To:  xxxxxxxx

Take Action: Stop EPA Overreach   
      
 Stop EPA Overreach  Take Action! <http://capwiz.com/americansforprosperity/utr/1/NINQKQTYCI/EIYNKQTYQD/3471029041>    
 Carbon Dioxide is NOT a Pollutant  
    
   AFP is engaged in a pitched battle against environmental extremists and we need your help to stop them.  The Left has mobilized their grassroots to tell the EPA to choke off economic activity in this country.
  
 Last year we battled an EPA proposal to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, a proposal that would allow bureaucrats to control everything that emits carbon dioxide in our country, including: cars, trains, planes and even your lawnmower.
  
 Since the Obama Administration has taken hold, things have only gotten worse.  The EPA is feeling emboldened and have submitted a proposal that would find carbon dioxide "endangers the public health and welfare."
  
 That's right; the essential gas that has always been a critical component of the planet's natural life cycle will now be officially labeled by the U.S. Government as a pollutant.
  
 Click here to take action <http://capwiz.com/americansforprosperity/utr/1/NINQKQTYCI/OOFAKQTYQE/3471029041> .
  
 Once this "endangerment finding" has been reached, the EPA will be empowered to advance carbon dioxide regulations to their heart's content.  But even if they wanted to take the severe economic impact of this proposal into account, they can't.  Once the endangerment finding is final, they would be compelled to work aggressively to eliminate it across the economy.
  
 One lawsuit by a fringe environmental group could bring our economy to a standstill.
  
 But, before the EPA can pass this ridiculous rule, they are required by law to listen to the people.
  
 Click here to take action <http://capwiz.com/americansforprosperity/utr/1/NINQKQTYCI/FVZCKQTYQF/3471029041>  and tell EPA that you oppose this new regulation.
      
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