Conjunctions

A certain Tom Russell, chief meteorologist (!) at CBS Channel 21 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, penned this op-ed at The Patriot-News.  It is not really worth commenting on, but I guess I’m up for the exercise. It is a prime example of just how lazy climate change deniers' thinking can be. Here is a list of his obvious, and by now familiar, lies:

• Mistaking weather for climate:  Mr. Russell starts off by implying that seasonal changes in weather disproves changes in climate.  A bit further on he disingenuously says: “So, when I see humans trying to blame weather cycles on something other than nature, I get incensed”.  But off course, we are not talking about weather.  It should not require this much effort to understand the difference between a local mico phenomenon, weather,  and global macro climate. This has been addressed before.

• Pretending climate is cooling: “But did you know the June-August 2009 tempera­ture for the whole U.S. was below av­erage?”, he asks.  He conveniently ignores that temperature figures even for the whole U.S.  does not tell us anything about global temperature.  Hard to believe I know, but in terms of the whole Earth, the whole U.S. is merely local.  And measurements in the rest of the planet that disproves his insinuations are comfortably ignored. Please look at the full set of figures to see the global pattern.

• Insulting his opponents:  He calls us arrogant, and implies that we are stupid.  Just appreciate this statement: “Ironically, the same people who tease me about not getting the seven-day forecast correct totally believe in the faulty science that says we can predict the weather 100 years from now.” 

• Quotes discredited experts: In this case Roy Spencer, who proves that combining right-wing fantasies (climate skepticism and intelligent design) can make you popular with Rush Limbaugh.

• Implying that climate change is natural and there is no problem: This is probably the most infuriating sleight-of-hand argument, a special favorite of Roy Spencer mentioned above.  As I’ve posted before, this is completely irrelevant:  it does not really matter who or what causes it, we still need to live with the changing conditions.  On his homepage, Spencer himself concludes that '”Climate change — it happens, with or without our help”,  so no question that we have a problem.

• Providing pseudo-scientific observations:  For example, Mr. Russell maintains that “carbon dioxide is not a pollutant”.  I suppose because we breath it? I know a little trick Mr. Russell can use to prove how benign carbon dioxide really is – it only involves a car, a hose and a running engine.

These unscientific propagandists should not be allowed outside their fantasy theme parks.

A few notable items from the weekend:

• In this hilarious mock entry to the Washington Post’s opinion-columnist contest, Jim Henley gives an explanation of the differences between counterinsurgency and counterterrorism for both the Afghans and the Americans themselves.  As is so often the case nowadays, it takes satire to really illuminate the truth.
• More signs of a possible dissolution of the United States?  Secessionist movements are getting stronger.
• Any comments from the Rabid Lockerbie Revengers about this?  And all that uproar when al-Megrahi was released …
• Times Online features an excellent interview with Gore Vidal, one of the last true American heroes.  His best quote for me:

Obama believes the Republican Party is a party when in fact it’s a mindset, like Hitler Youth, based on hatred — religious hatred, racial hatred. When you foreigners hear the word ‘conservative’ you think of kindly old men hunting foxes. They’re not, they’re fascists.

Enjoy.

The Times Online today have some more speculations about the possible future presidency of Tony Blair.  I have posted on this in disgust before, and indeed my sentiment has not changed.  Is there anything we the citizens of Europe can de to prevent this?