The Consensus Delusion

To Fight Climate Change, What Would George Washington Do? | Rocky Kistner

"Today, an overwhelming consensus of scientists say man-made carbon pollution is dangerously transforming life on the planet, melting the Arctic, fueling more ferocious fires, promoting more punishing droughts and devastating floods and wreaking havoc with our global weather systems and currents. "

The only problem with that statement is that Mother Nature doesn’t agree with the scientists who include themselves in that consensus. And if you do not have Mother Nature on your side you are lost.

CO2, a trace gas essential to life on earth, is plant food and if feeding the flora is a dangerous transformation of life on this planet my fruits and veggies are in its debt. CO2 is green

Stories about the ‘melting Arctic’ raised alarm in the 1900s, 20s, 30s and 40s. We still await the ensuing deluge. Whatever goes on in the Arctic appears to be cyclical. We have seen it before. Apparently, we don’t understand it which may explain why the ‘experts’ continue to guess wrong about the Arctic ice free date.

Forest fires are down across the world even as CO2 has continued to rise unabated in the air.

Many studies on drought have found that the droughts of the past were far worse than those we experience today.

Similar results for floods can be found in the literature.

In what year was the weather not in turmoil? We live in a non-linear, chaotic atmosphere. If the weather seems unpredictable maybe that is because it is. When has it ever been nothing but fluffy white clouds and gentle summer rain?

Isn’t it normal for the weather to be weird? We hear about it all the time. Newspapers of the past reported on it all the time. There is nothing unusual in our weather patterns. We have seen it all before.

Mother Nature is elevating her finger at the consensus. And she is never wrong.

Attack on CO2

The fact that carbon dioxide (CO2) is a required input in the process of photosynthesis which allows plants to grow seems to irk the man made global warming/climate change/climate disruption crowd. How could their pollutant be so nice? Our fruits and veggies not to mention our forests love the stuff. Commercial greenhouse operators regularly pump additional CO2 into their facilities because they have found it makes plants grown faster, stronger, better. It also allows plants to use less water in the process.

Fortified By Global Warming, Crop Production Keeps Breaking Records - Forbes - a little warming seems to be good for food production. Alarmists don’t want to hear that.

So, what’s an alarmist to do?

Find studies that purport to show that CO2 is not all good for our food.

Increasing CO2 threatens human nutrition (From the Annals of Hype)

New Warmist claim: ‘How Global Warming Leaches Nutrients Out of Food’

If the quantity doesn’t decrease then the quality must be worse with higher levels of CO2 concentration and a warmer climate. It must! It just must!

Here is a list of the dastardly things of which CO2 has been accused: THE HOCKEY SCHTICK: Distinguished physicist Dr. William Happer: ‘The incredible list of supposed horrors that increasing carbon dioxide will bring the world is pure belief disguised as science’

And so we have the competing ‘more CO2 is good/bad’ studies. Is this known as the ‘settled science’?

To combat the misinformation of the above here are some studies that show CO2 in a more encouraging light.

Increased CO2 enhances the nutritional quality of food crops Oh, oh, that one contradicts the one above. Get back to us when you are on the same page guys and girls.

Studies show that increased CO2 can increase grain protein yield by 16%. That sounds good.

Higher CO2 Concentrations Will Feed A Billion More People  but will the food have enough nutrients? Inquiring minds want to know.

Even the plants in the Arctic benefit from more CO2 and a little warming. Elevated CO 2 Enhances the Berry Quality of Sub-Arctic Shrubs The polar bears are grateful to CO2 for their new summer bounty. Amen.

Fundamental Lies of The UN's IPCC: "Food Production Harmed By CO2 & Warmer Temperatures"

CO2 Is Green - More CO2 Results in a Greener Earth Who could be against that?

New study finds increased CO2 mitigates effect of drought on crops: ‘Elevated Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere Trims Wheat, Sorghum Moisture Needs’ See, CO2 good.

Deserts ‘greening’ from rising CO2 Why are we not surprised? Can we then conclude that droughts will be less severe?

New Study Indicates Low CO2 Emission Levels Could Be Cause of Extreme Climate Change & Civilization's Death So what is the correct level of CO2 concentration in the atmosphere? For that matter what is the correct Global Mean Temperature (GMT) for the Earth? Anybody know what we are shooting for while we reduce our carbon footprints?  We don’t want to starve our plants and thus ourselves. Hello?

NOAA absolves CO2. NOAA: Accelerating Global Warming Is Not Happening - CO2 Wrongly Accused  The temperature stasis renders the CO2 causes warming  hypothesis invalid.

Extreme Violent Storms On Decline In U.S. - Rapid CO2 Growth Has Minimal Climate Impact Thanks be to CO2! That must really annoy the alarmists.

But Are Humans responsible for the increase in CO2? in the atmosphere over the last 150 years since the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA)? If we are not then there can be no AGW. That seems to be an obvious point. Settled Science: New paper 'challenges consensus about what regulates atmospheric CO2 from year to year'

So what is the verdict on that one? We are burning fossil fuels so the CO2 must be going into the atmosphere? How can we not be responsible for our portion of the increase? But how much of the increase is ours and how much belongs to Mother Nature? Anybody know? Hello?

Ho hum here is Humlum THE HOCKEY SCHTICK: Single graph demonstrates man-made CO2 is not the driver of global warming There is an interesting discussion in the comments to this article. It is an important point to be resolved but the temperature stasis of the last 16+ years indicates that CO2, of whatever origin, is not the driving force of temperature. The correlation of the late 20th century between T and CO2 was accidental.T correlates better with solar influences which were at their highest level in 9000 years. This topic made it into a textbook: THE HOCKEY SCHTICK: Climate textbook explains why man-made CO2 does not control atmospheric CO2

So what should we do about increasing CO2? The Economist Mag: A ‘stiff’ carbon tax could stop global temperatures from rising — ‘The right thing in climate policy for all the big countries is a carbon tax’

Ok, maybe not. Carbon Tax Leads to Ouster of Australian Prime Minister People do not take well to being taxed to combat a problem that does not exist. If human induced CO2 is not responsible for climate change then why tax my production of it? That’s what I’m thinkin’.

Maybe we should should just get fracking! Fracking Amazing: US Carbon Emissions in 2012 Will be Lower than in 2007 Due to Fracking No government action required except to get out of the way.

Here is an interesting take on the subject: CO2 Emissions, Life Expectancy, Per Capita GDP: The Real Hockey Stick: ‘How Fossil Fuels Saved Humanity from Nature and Nature from Humanity’  - CO2 good. Fossil fuels good! That sound you hear is an alarmist gagging. It makes perfect sense. You are encouraged to read it.

And if all of the above isn’t confusing enough we have this bombshell: Global warming debunked: NASA report verifies carbon dioxide actually cools atmosphere And from NASA no less. They must be in the pay of Big Oil. Another negative climate feedback: more CO2 = more plants = more aerosols = cooling | Watts Up With That? What is up with that? Is it tough to get a consensus out of these scientists or what? CO2 warms; CO2 cools. What’s a rube like me to think if the experts can’t agree? Plants slow climate change by forming cloud sunshade, study finds - Times Of India How come the MSM didn’t pick up on this one?

Northern Hemisphere Snow Extent Up Sharply Since CO2 Hit 350 PPM Isn’t CO2 supposed to make the winters warmer? Has CO2 forgotten to trap the heat?

So while alarmists will keep up the attack on CO2 as a pollutant without redeeming features as a diversion from the AGW question we will continue to exhale the gas with every breath we take and have little to no influence on the temperature of the planet. Let the fear in you subside.

Meanwhile, the POTUS will go on issuing ‘executive orders’ oblivious to any of these scientific quandaries surrounding CO2 secure in the self imposed delusion that he knows what he is doing. Now you know better. Impersonating Little Miss Helpful he will #ActonClimate leaving behind a bigger mess than the one he intended to clean up. One or two staycations a year for the Obama clan would cut more CO2 emissions, if you care about such things, than his installation of solar panels at the WH. And, as usual, payment will be deferred to the future generations he claims to care about so much in the form a $20trillion debt. (Am I being conservative?) They will be so grateful.

For further information:

CO2science

The Carbon Sense Coalition will shed some common sense on CO2.

Plants Need CO2 - Carbon Dioxide Emissions - Global Warming Climate Change Facts

I Love CO2  Want to bet this is not a warmist site?

Watts Up With That?

C3

The Hockey Schtick

* My listing of these websites should NOT be construed as an endorsement of all of their content. However, they are excellent sources of climate data.

False Claims of the NCA

national climate assessment,

http://www.salon.com/2014/05/08/al_roker_please_save_us_from_the_idiots_why_the_future_of_earth_is_riding_on_him/

“Americans are noticing changes all around them. Summers are longer and hotter, and extended periods of unusual heat last longer than any living American has ever experienced. Winters are generally shorter and warmer. Rain comes in heavier downpours.”

Summers are longer and hotter - - which explains why the number of 100+ degree days are on the decrease.

Extended periods of unusual heat last longer than any living American has ever experienced - - but the 1930s dust bowl was the worst drought in recent memory and that was BEFORE CO2 began its meteoric rise in the atmosphere. Droughts have been of shorter duration and less severe since then.

Winters are generally shorter and warmer -- which explains why the number of State record lows have been on the increase since the 1950s. Check and verify.

Rain comes in heavier downpours -- which explains why the records for precipitation in the US were all set when CO2 was below the ‘safe’ level of 350 ppm. There is no trend in heavy precipitation events in the US.

If our contemporary CO2 laden atmosphere is so full of extra energy which is supposed to produce all manner of climate disruption then why do those records still stand?

Additional errors in the NCA report can be seen here.

Can Obama name a year in which the weather was substantially different from the present? When was it all fluffy white clouds and gentle summer rain? When was it to his liking?

How might we expect the climate to improve with whatever solution Obama has planned? Let’s have the numbers so we can track how well we are doing. What are the beginning benchmarks? Show your work. Don’t make promises without a way to check and see if those promises are being fulfilled!

The IIC

WUWT has a story about the climate alarm being manufactured at the WhiteHouse. The smoking gun is a comparison of two pictures of the snow cover in California in January 2013 and 2014. There was lots of snowpack last year(2013) but, of course, we all know about the drought that California has endured this year so there is little to no snowpack in the mountains. There is an 86% decrease year over year. This has California skiers upset and they are protesting the conference of the CO2 molecules taking place in their State. It’s global warming and they want something done about it. After all, ‘We are the World’ originated in California didn’t it? So they can be excused their Cali-centric misbeliefs that what his happening in California is happening everywhere else as well. Meanwhile, in the real world, the rest of the country was freezing. CO2 heat trapping superpowers were all in California.

If this constitutes ‘global warming’ then if we were to show them two satellite same date photos of the difference in Great Lake ice cover would they conclude that the massive increase this year is due to ‘global cooling’? Cue Donna Summer: Who do you think you’re foolin’!

Of course not. It would be an example of climate change. It is so much easier to advance the agenda when you can blame CO2 for both more snow and less snow, more ice and less ice. Our dependence on fossil fuel can be blamed for both. This is perfectly logical to the IIC* because their agenda is the goal. They see what they want to see. Their view of the world must be correct. It is unthinkable to admit error when one’s reputation has been built on policy advocacy for a reduction in CO2 emissions made necessary by its assumed effect on the climate.

Evidence to the contrary is not permitted. Should any materialize it is incorporated as more evidence for the policy initiative. More CO2 means the climate will change. Look out your window. What you see is caused by too much CO2. But,but, but.... it’s a nice day!

The IIC know they look stupid but are hoping you won’t notice if they keep talking with confidence about the climate crisis in their own minds. Pointing out to them that there was a prequel to “Years of Living Dangerously’ known as the PAST is to invite insidious invective. They will try to make you feel like the world’s biggest dork. It is defence via offense. Redirect the focus and put the inconvenient skeptic on the defensive.

Reality is what they say it is not what Mother Nature would have you believe. Mother who? They want you to doubt your own senses and minds and surrender them in good faith to the IIC. Check reason at the door. No doubters permitted inside. If we say CO2 is a demon it is a demon. If we say alternative energy is the way to go it is the way to go. Chant with us. The IIC are deathly afraid of being alone. They must have groupies who adore them. They will buy their groupies with your money. Shhh! Success is not required for payment. It is the show, the photo op and the appearance of doing something that is important.

* IIC, either, Idiots in Charge or Idiots in Collusion

The Sunday Report - May 4, 2014

Sunday, May 4, 2014.

ClimateDepot.com is a great source of daily headlines covering the current thought on climate change. The contrast is striking. On one side are the doomsters forecasting the end of the world as we know it and on the other side are those who are puzzled by a lack of anything to be alarmed about. On the May 4th collection from Climate depot we find the following.

Ban Ki-moon, the UN head honcho, thinks that “climate change is the defining issue of our time”. He is correct but not for the reasons that he gives.

Not to be outdone we are advised by Sir David King: ‘Climate change is not the biggest challenge of our time, it’s the biggest challenge of all time’. Isn’t competing hyperbole funny? Let’s see who can scare the most people about catastrophic anthropogenic global warming (CAGW) otherwise known as ‘scientists treating common weather events as unprecedented’.

Climate change is clear and present danger, says landmark US report – ‘National Climate Assessment, to be launched at White House, says effects of climate change are now being felt’

This has frightened the alarmed elite into action. ‘Backed by millions of dollars from the federal government’, scientists race to develop farm animals to survive climate change

Has anyone checked with Mother Nature? After all, hers is the only opinion that counts because she is never wrong. And what does she say?

Despite the continued rise in CO2 concentration in our atmosphere over the time period Global Temperature Update: No global warming at all for 17 years 9 months. CO2 has been remiss in its duties to trap the heat as Calgary, Alberta, Canada found out on May 4, 2014.

                Calgary a winter wonderland in May

Calgarians seem a bit peeved at the white greeting they received in the morning. May the fourth was not with them.

'Meanwhile, both GISS surface and UAH satellite datasets show the Antarctic has been much colder than usual recently.' This might explain why Antarctic Sea Ice Blows Away Records In April – Ice ‘extent in April at the highest since measurements began in 1979′ .

The CO2 heat trapper appears to be broken in Antarctica although warmists like to blame all that ice on the melting ice sheet covering the continent. Would that they would go to WeatherUnderGround.com, type ‘Antarctica’ in the search bar and monitor the resulting weather stations in the Antarctic for a year to see if they can convince themselves that the place is melting away. A little observation never hurt anyone.

Meanwhile, back in the land of reality, Sea level rise has slowed. (It must be time to correct that data!) according to a new paper published in Nature Climate Change. The post at Jo Nova’s site is worth the read.

It is difficult for rational people to be worried about the state of the climate when Sea level rise slows while satellite temperature ‘pause’ dominates measurement record

Alarmists on the other hand have no trouble ignoring reality and constructing in their own minds the world as the scary place they would like it to be so they can introduce their preferred policies which will save the day. They are replete with suggestions on how to solve the mythical crisis. To prevent global warming, a low-fat diet of house flies, earthworms & crickets is recommended – ‘For the overall health of the planet, you should be eating more insects…It’s a serious solution to the increasingly pressing problems of global warming’ Somebody has been watching too much Survivor.

Crickets? I am going to the Keg. Who’s with me?

And Bill Maher thinks deniers are nuts! Bill Maher: ‘Science Proves Climate Change Deniers Are Nuts’ More likely, Bill, it is Mother Nature who is proving that alarmists are nuts with their suggestions to solve the crisis in their own minds.

As the world rushes off to create climate friendly animals and change diets to include more delectable insects some sanity has snuck into the NYT. NY Times WALKS BACK hysteria over global warming wiping out CORALS . Perhaps there is hope that reality will emerge from the smokescreen that the NYT has poured over the issue of climate change.

In continued bad news for the climate crisis crowd claiming calamity, learned people, including the Oracle of Omaha are speaking out on the issue.

Scientist Lennart Bengtsson: ‘The whole concept behind IPCC is basically wrong’ – ‘I very much regret the politicisation that has taken place in climate research’        

Retiring Energy CEO Fights Back Against ‘Global Warming’ Activist: ‘Every single group, from Nobel laureates to others, has predicted this gloom and doom since the 1970s, and not one has come true’

Warren Buffet slams warmists: ‘Over-claim they know impact. We are agnostic…[Warmists] TALKING OUT OF THEIR HATS.’    

From UN IPCC Lead Author: The Sordid IPCC History Of The ‘Hockey Stick’ Fabrication   

New paper predicts future warming is likely to reduce the number of floods – Published in Global and Planetary Change

That last one is in direct contradiction to the ‘settled science’ we keep hearing about. The warmer it gets the more water vapor in the air and therefore precipitation will be greater causing more floods says the theory of CAGW. Reality Check: 'Every single short term rainfall record was set with CO2 below 350 PPM.'  We are told that in the modern era our atmosphere is on steroids. Does anybody wonder what the atmosphere was on back in the day when those records was set?

Rain Used To Be Caused By Global Cooling, But Now Caused By Global Warming: Time Mag. 1974: ‘During 1972 record rains in parts of the U.S., Pakistan and Japan caused some of the worst flooding in centuries’        

Hot, cold, doesn’t matter, it will rain and it is all our fault. That is all you need to know, remember and recite on cue.

Someone thinks we don’t have a problem: ‘The Global Warming Crisis Is Over’

Even the polar bears are wondering what the fuss is all about. Earth to Newsweek: Polar bear populations have not been on the decline since 2008    

Climate change is the defining issue of our time not because it is a crisis but because it is emblematic of the human ability to deceive oneself in the face of contrary evidence. Man made climate change is the greatest delusion of our time and Mother Nature is standing with hands on hips shaking her head in absolute disbelief. Whatever, she thinks as she turns her back and goes about her business as usual. Staring into a mirror alarmists have met their trickster.

Can we stop scaring the children now?

Child psychiatrists report rise in youth anxiety thanks to ‘constant exposure to doomsday talk’ about global warming

Along with large numbers of the general population there are several members of the MSM as well as some scientists who have become afflicted with AA - Apocalyptic Anxiety.

Symptoms: Sufferers seem to think that every instance of bad weather is a sign of impending environmental disaster. Bad weather sends them into a frenzy of doomsday warnings and attacks on oil companies whom they see as the devil incarnate. They demonize CO2 and berate those who will not heed their advice. They have delusions of grandeur and assume that they are at fault for bad weather. They recoil in horror at the sight of SUVs and incandescent light bulbs. Plastic bags can induce fits of rage.

Recommended treatment:

1) Hypocritical Redux - confronting the patient with the inconsistencies between their words and their actions. It is important to point out that people will be more likely to believe them if they follow their own advice and reduce their wanton consumption of goods, drive an electric car, turn down the thermostat, fly only with airlines that use biofuels and follow other patterns of behaviour to reduce their carbon footprint that they would expect others to use. As blogger Instapundit has observed: when people who tell me it is a crisis begin to act like it is a crisis I might believe it is a crisis. Step 1 should raise their awareness and make them more receptive to the data of Step 2 at the end of which they will realize that they don’t have to continue to observe Step 1.

2) Detox - people who have adopted AA must be cleaned of the drug BS - Bad Science. This drug has gotten into their minds and to the detriment of their followers and themselves it is leading them into fits of fear and guilt. This can’t be good. Many sessions with contrary evidence is recommended to undo the self inflicted brainwashing they have encouraged. They should be armed with the year that 350ppm CO2 in the atmosphere was attained so they can view stories about extreme weather that have occurred before that date. They often think that current extreme weather is somehow more extreme than in the past. History should cure that misconception. They should also be introduced to the cyclical weather patterns that have been identified and that can be shown to explain how our climate changes. An acquaintance with the HADCRUT dataset will reassure them that the planet is not overheating as CO2 increases.

This deprogramming should be continued until the fear and guilt subsides. Plastic bags can be used again guilt free.

3) AA meetings. - Can we borrow the useful methods of the very successful original AA to combat this affliction? Perhaps we need a 12 step program for people who have overdosed on the CAGW delusions in their own mind.

For those with an addiction to Apocalyptic Anxiety there are support groups for that.

Hello, my name is Al and I am an Alarmaholic. I am afraid of CO2, a trace gas essential to life on earth. Just knowing that I exist leaves me trembling in fear and riddled with guilt. My exhaled CO2 helps to feed my vegetables but at what cost? Gaia, have mercy on my soul.

Reading list: The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Emperor’s New Clothes

Perhaps they can be paired with a buddy who has conquered their AA so they will have someone to call whenever the next bad weather event should occur. They will need reassurance to assuage their fear and relieve the guilt that they are at fault.

This is no joking matter. It is a pernicious and severe mental aberration that has caused politicians to implement many costly programs to address a problem that does not exist - a phantom of the atmosphere. Delusions can be expensive and wasteful of taxpayer money.. Non-problems addressed mean real problems remain naked.

It has been a pleasure to share.

Until the next ice age we can sleep soundly.