I’m occasionally asked — like once a year — why BayBuzz doesn’t give ‘equal time’ to skeptics of global warming.
The answer is simple: for the same reason we wouldn’t devote paper and ink to those who fervently believe the earth is flat.
The empirical evidence — as in photography, video recordings, peer-reviewed scientific measurement — is overwhelming.
For example, take a look at this time-lapse video, which records the shrinkage of New Zealand’s own Franz Josef Glacier — about 900 metres over the past eight years.
Franz Josef Glacier retreats 900 metres from Brian Anderson on Vimeo.
At this point, there isn’t even much room for debate over how aggressively we (as in, all humans) must respond to the unfolding disaster … what Sir Jonathon Porritt calls a “civilisational issue” in his new book, Hope in Hell.
His conclusion: “The case for civil disobedience is now overwhelming.”
No one debates that the world is warming. That can and has been measured over many years by satellite and ground records.
But that is not the issue.
What is very much an open question is what is causing this warming.
How much of it is natural – the IPPC has stated temperatures today are similar to the medieval warm period.
We are in an interglacial period having left an ice age so you would expect natural warming.
We had a little ice age ending in the mid 1800’s so again you would expect warming if you start measuring from that point.
How much is due to pollution – a darker planet is a warmer planet. Coal fired power generation, steel and cement all emit massive particulates to the atmosphere.
Why do all the IPPC models assume a feedback multiplier of between plus 2.5 and 3 when there is simply no scientific basis for this assumption.
A warmer world will be wetter – basic physics – but a wetter atmosphere will be cloudier so reflecting more sunlight and potentially a cooler world.
Science is never settled and we need to continue to research with an open mind the causes of the observed warming.
This is a very complex issue and a blanket refusal to discuss it does not benefit anyone.