When it comes to pushing an agenda politicians show no shame in exploiting the misfortune of others. Some people even wish for the misfortune to occur so they can further their political goals.
Senator Boxer immediately associated the disaster with manmade climate change implying that it is nothing that a carbon tax won’t cure. Senator Whitehouse did likewise although he has now apparently apologised for his remarks. Would they like facts with that? Help is what is needed not political posturing.
And yet climate history informs us that there is nothing unusual about deadly tornadoes in Oklahoma. In fact, Oklahoma is one of the worst states for tornado activity.
The
implication of the Senators’ rants is that human emissions of CO2 are
the cause of extreme weather and that scientists have been warning to
expect this to get worse. It might be a good idea for the Senators to
hire new fact checkers because the ones that are feeding them their
information are spooning nonsense. Tornado activity was worse in the past when CO2 was at lower levels than it is now. This is a disconnect between fact and theory. Too bad for the theory and the scientists that support it.
Some activists try to blame the lack
of tornadoes on global warming as happened in 2012 which was a year in
which tornadoes were sparse.and also a very warm year. In 2013 we are
experiencing a much cooler spring and tornadoes are making a
reappearance so alarmists are blaming the cool weather for the tornadoes. Alarmists can’t keep their story straight.Their mantra appears to be: whatever the weather
it is responsible for whatever extremes we get. Hard to fault that
theory but it doesn’t tell us anything about a mechanism that might be
responsible for the extremes.
The senators do not know what they are talking about. Climate change does not predict more frequent and intense tornadoes. Tornadoes peaked in the 1970s when almost everyone was expecting a new mini ice age to begin. At that time tornadoes were blamed on global cooling.
Extreme weather like tornadoes used to be considered ‘natural’ phenomena. In the new enlightened age of AGW tornadoes are now seen as proof of manmade climate change.
This is nonsense
as there is no correlation between CO2 and tornadoes. They happen at
lower levels and at higher levels. Shouldn’t the correct conclusion be
that tornadoes and other extreme weather
have nothing to do with the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere? And
it just so happens that right now (2013) there are fewer tornadoes at
higher levels of CO2 concentration than in the past.
The
rantings, accusations and exploitation of the misfortune of others to
further your own political goals is objectionable especially when the
agenda being pursued isn’t supported by science. It foments unnecessary
fear and if successful it will divert scarce resources toward a
non-problem. Politicians raising the alarm over extreme weather as being
of human origin need to be opposed and educated. It is human hubris to
assume that we know how to control the weather.
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
We owe CO2 an apology.
CO2
is green. We need more of it not less. CO2 has been exhaled during the
creation of this post. No living thing was harmed or altered. Some even
liked it.
No comments:
Post a Comment