There are many reasons to be skeptical about the CAGW claims before you even look at what the climate is doing.
It is a politicized issue. When politicians are involved in a scientific issue it immediately becomes suspect because special interests will get involved that may not have the public interest at heart and may be more interested in using the government to line their own pockets with taxpayer money.
Subsidies and laws directing taxpayer money to solar, wind and biofuels can create new industries and new millionaires who may be the political contributors or friends of elected politicians. Subsidies raise suspicions about the motives of those receiving them. Subsidies are rarely recovered if the company goes bankrupt as often happens when government tries to pick winners.
Hypocrisy among the champions of the issue who do not lead by example. They expect others to "do as I say and not as I do". They preach sea level rise and the future flooding of coastal cities and then buy seaside mansions. Do they buy Chevy VOLTS that their programs subsidize? Do they engage in more electronic meetings rather than flying around the country from conference to conference?
Claims that the science is settled, the debate is over and that their is a scientific consensus should immediately activate the skeptical radar and be treated as a ploy to manipulate public opinion and stifle objections. Look closely, for someone is trying to start a gravy train with their pockets as a destination. Guardians of the sacred knowledge don't want you to see it.
"The growth of knowledge depends entirely on disagreement" -- Karl Popper
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts -- Bertrand Russell
Launching ad hominems at those who respectfully disagree with the accepted (PC) viewpoint initiates the BS radar. Robert Kennedy recently call Sen. Inhofe a Prostitute: Big Oils top call girl. Good argument, Bob. Will win over no one but will provide a chuckle for the converted. Also called Sen Inhofe a traitor who should be executed in previous years. Sen. Inhofe thinks prostitute is an improvement.
Appealing to authority as if counting heads is how science works. It took two hundred years but eventually the conventional wisdom of Newtonian physics was overturned by one guy named Albert. Science is filled with such examples. Alfred Wegener comes to mind. So what if all the National Academy of Sciences and other scientific organizations agree that CAGW is real? Not all of the scientists within those bodies will agree. And then there is this from the American NAS.
Focusing on who made a claim. Ask not who made the claim, ask whether or not the claim is true. ~Aquinas
Focusing on how many make a claim. Ask not how many make a claim, ask whether or not it is true. ~Me
Focusing on who funded a claim. Ask not who funded the claim, ask whether or not it is true. ~Me
When those responsible for reporting on the State of the Climate seek immunity from prosecution should our skeptical radar not become acticated?
Appeals to world government (global governance) as part of the solution to the problem smells of people control and nothing else. "In searching for a new enemy to unite us, we came up with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, famine and the like would fit the bill....All these dangers are caused by human intervention....and thus the “real enemy, then, is humanity itself....believe humanity requires a common motivation, namely a common adversary in order to realize world government. It does not matter if this common enemy is “a real one or….one invented for the purpose." ~Club of Rome
"The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false face for the urge to rule it." ~ H.L. Mencken
Pinky: Gee, Brain, what are we going to do tonight?
Brain: Same thing we do every night, Pinky - try to take over the world!
Predictions of disaster (PoD) if the policies for CO2 reduction are not followed. When has a disaster of global proportions ever happened as a result of human action? PoDs are used to scare up money for preferred projects and policies and to frighten people into acquiescence. Scare tactics are immediately suspect and crackle the skeptical radar. Remember weapons of mass destruction? Now we have: Earth has a fever.
"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed — and hence clamorous to be led to safety — by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." ~ H.L. Mencken
How much pain have they caused us, the evils that never happened. ~ Thomas Jefferson
Efforts of scientists to stymy the request for their data from other scientists. This suggests data manipulation and a cover up. Contrast this with the behavior of the scientists who thought they had found particles that went faster than light. They invited other scientists to look at their data. See Climategate I and II emails.
“No matter if the science is all phoney, there are collateral environmental benefits.... climate change [provides] the greatest chance to bring about justice and equality in the world.” ~ Christine Stewart, former Canadian Environment Minister
When the 'humanity is the problem' paradigm is present so is an agenda. And the humanity that is the problem is often those carrying the placard proclaiming 'humanity is the problem'. They have an agenda. If there is a real problem then technology is probably our best bet to resolve it.
"We redistribute de facto the world's wealth by climate policy...Basically it's a big mistake to discuss climate policy separately from the major themes of globalization...One has to free oneself from the illusion that international climate policy is environmental policy. This has almost nothing to do with environmental policy anymore." ~ Ottmar Edenhoffer, high level UN-IPCC official
When scientists become activists and insert themselves into a political 'cause' it can become a self-serving exercise as research funding can be manipulated to flow their way. Politicians can be swayed by their authoritative demeanors backed by data that supports a scary scenario. But just as a lie can spread around he world before the truth has a chance to tie its shoes so can preliminary data 'spark an urgent need' to do something about an issue before cooler heads prevail and all the evidence is weighed in the court of scientific peer-reviewed journals. Politicians love a good crisis for they get a chance to play savior and to demonize dissent. The mainstream media (MSM) love a good scare because it sells advertising because readership goes up.
Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we
should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that
public policy could itself become the captive of a
scientific-technological elite.
— Dwight David Eisenhower
Farewell Address as U.S. President (1961). In Diane Ravitch, The American Reader (2000), 538
These are some reasons to be skeptical of the claims of those who support the idea that human induced CO2 in our atmosphere will lead to CAGW before we even look at the science that is alleged to bolster it.
"The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible.” ~ Bertrand Russell
PS: more support for the skeptic.
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