Spring Break
Are 31,000 skeptical scientists wrong about the global warming debate?
Ian Bezek
Issue date: 3/24/09 Section: Opinion
The orthodoxy of global warming has really suffered over the past year as numerous heretics have dared to assault the doctrine of climate change.
The most serious of these attacks was a petition organized by the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, which more than 31,000 scientists have signed, including more than 9,000 with Ph.D.s. The petition says, "There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate."
While the faithful among the media would lead you to think that there is a consensus belief in global warming among scientists, the truth is that the number of agnostics amongst the scientific community is on the rise. For instance, listen to Ivan Giaever - winner of a Nobel Prize for Physics - who was quoted in a U.S. Senate report as saying, "I am a skeptic … Global warming has become a new religion."
Or, let's look at what the first woman in the world to receive a Ph.D. in meteorology, Joanne Simpson, had to say on the subject of global warming. Dr. Simpson said, "Since I am no longer affiliated with any organization nor receiving any funding, I can speak quite frankly … As a scientist I remain skeptical."
Well, that is most interesting. Now that she no longer is receiving funding she can speak her mind. This implies that scientists who want to receive funding must not speak their mind lest they risk upsetting the applecart and cutting off precious funding.
If too many doubters come out of the woodwork, the global warming researchers, like ozone hole and acid rain researchers of yesteryear, may find their work terminated.
Like the Medieval Church, the scientific community can easily get tithes by scaring people senseless and then offering them a potion. Carbon dioxide is the new gremlin, and carbon taxes and alternative energy programs are the new holy water and magic amulets we can buy into to save ourselves from the frightening tales of doom the scientific community preaches.
The most serious of these attacks was a petition organized by the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, which more than 31,000 scientists have signed, including more than 9,000 with Ph.D.s. The petition says, "There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate."
While the faithful among the media would lead you to think that there is a consensus belief in global warming among scientists, the truth is that the number of agnostics amongst the scientific community is on the rise. For instance, listen to Ivan Giaever - winner of a Nobel Prize for Physics - who was quoted in a U.S. Senate report as saying, "I am a skeptic … Global warming has become a new religion."
Or, let's look at what the first woman in the world to receive a Ph.D. in meteorology, Joanne Simpson, had to say on the subject of global warming. Dr. Simpson said, "Since I am no longer affiliated with any organization nor receiving any funding, I can speak quite frankly … As a scientist I remain skeptical."
Well, that is most interesting. Now that she no longer is receiving funding she can speak her mind. This implies that scientists who want to receive funding must not speak their mind lest they risk upsetting the applecart and cutting off precious funding.
If too many doubters come out of the woodwork, the global warming researchers, like ozone hole and acid rain researchers of yesteryear, may find their work terminated.
Like the Medieval Church, the scientific community can easily get tithes by scaring people senseless and then offering them a potion. Carbon dioxide is the new gremlin, and carbon taxes and alternative energy programs are the new holy water and magic amulets we can buy into to save ourselves from the frightening tales of doom the scientific community preaches.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 46
Mark Settle
posted 3/24/09 @ 3:04 AM MST
Ian, you make a great climatologist. I look forward to watching you perform brain surgery next week, and land a 747 the week after.
It must be hard, standing athwart science and yelling, "Stop!" But if not you, Ian, than who? Someone'd better get the proletariat's attention! Let us remember the words of our fearless right-wing leader, Vladimir Lenin: "A lie told often enough becomes truth. (Continued…)
j_lasker_colostate
Jeff Lasker
posted 3/24/09 @ 11:58 AM MST
To Ian Bezek,
I think this was a good article it had a flare that made the article stick out apart from most of the opinions expressed in the Collegian. (Continued…)
Gerald Downs
posted 3/24/09 @ 12:25 PM MST
Awesome article!! Well written Ian!!
Adam Jokerst
posted 3/24/09 @ 7:06 PM MST
Thank sweet baby Jesus someone finally enlightened us all to the dangerous global warming hoax. I mean if over 31,000 "scientists" (qualified by having a B. (Continued…)
Craig Hawley
posted 3/24/09 @ 10:22 PM MST
Oh you are in so much trouble mister. You have just ruined my Boss's job. He has been jetting around the planet polluting like crazy while making his followers spout his ignorant rhetoric about global warming. (Continued…)
Arvensis
posted 3/25/09 @ 9:34 AM MST
Ian - good article. I'm glad that you took on this topic knowing you were going to get attacked by idiots like Adam.
I agree with 90% of your article, but in your conclusion you label global warming a hoax. (Continued…)
Registered Independent
posted 3/25/09 @ 7:43 PM MST
I think it's self-evident that the farther away we get in time from the last Ice Age; the more this planet we're sitting on is going to warm up.
Any members of the scientific community who disagree with this? On either side?
Registered Independent
posted 3/26/09 @ 7:30 PM MST
Response to Geodude,
Anyone who has ever emptied the entire contents of their ice maker into a sink, or dumped a large bag of ice into their sink, has observed that ice melts very slowly at the beginning. (Continued…)
crummy
Amanda Hugginkiss
posted 3/26/09 @ 10:29 PM MST
Ian posted this same stuff to Motley Fool, where he was mostly eviscerated. Apparently his source, Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, has made fraudulant claims in the past. (Continued…)
Shiloh
posted 3/27/09 @ 6:47 PM MST
Global warming is a farce! The planet has gone through periods of warming and cooling for billions of years. Science is always going to be for the moment and at the moment and whenever we try to come up with solutions to anything, we always find that we've created another problem. (Continued…)
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