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Pope Attacked By Climate Change Skeptics

HughPickens.com writes: The Telegraph reports that as the Vatican forges an alliance with the UN to tackle climate change, skeptics accuse Pope Francis of being deeply ill-informed about global warming. The Pope discussed climate change with Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary-General, who then opened a one-day Vatican conference called "The Moral Dimensions of Climate Change and Sustainable Development". Organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, SDSN and Religions for Peace, the goal of the conference is to help strengthen the global consensus on the importance of climate change in the context of sustainable development.

But a group of British and American skeptics say the Pope is being fed "mistaken" advice from the UN and that he should stick to speaking out on matters of morality and theology rather than getting involved in the climate change debate. "The Pope has great moral authority but he's not an authority on climate science. He's a learned man but the IPCC has got it wrong," says Jim Lakely of the Heartland Institute, a conservative American pressure group partly funded by billionaire industrialists who question climate change. "The Pope would make a grave mistake if he put his moral authority behind scientists saying that climate change is a threat to the world. Many scientists have concluded that human activity is a minor player. The Earth has been warming since the end of the last Ice Age."

It was the first time the Heartland Institute, which is based in Chicago and has been described by the New York Times as "the primary American organization pushing climate change skepticism," has traveled to Rome to try to influence a pope. "The sideshow envisioned by these organizations will not detract from the deep concern that Pope Francis has for the truth and how it relates to the environment," says Dr. Bernard Brady, Professor and Chair of the Theology Department at the University of St. Thomas. "Pope Francis will probably follow his predecessor, Benedict XVI, recognizing the interrelatedness of climate change with other moral issues and calling for persons, organizations, communities, nations, and indeed the global community, to reconsider established patterns of behavior."

703 comments

  1. Seems he has more of a clue by gnasher719 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    than the climate skeptics like. But maybe they are right, maybe he should just give them spiritual guidance to stop lying for money.

    1. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by MickyTheIdiot · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      Why? It's made the Catholic church very rich.

    2. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by MightyMartian · · Score: 0

      All that matters is money. That is the only god, and you shall keep no other god.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    3. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Squiddie · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I think it's time to stop calling these people "skeptics". They are science denialists, just like creationists. Skeptic would imply that they have found fault with the current science and attack that line of reasoning, but they don't. Instead, they have already come up with the conclusion that climate change is no issue and it is not caused my man, which goes against all current evidence.

    4. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe the Pope should first give that guidance to his own church, because they have been lying for money for two thousand years. I'm not speaking metaphorically or abstractly. The Donation of Constatine is just one of the oldest and most egregious examples.

    5. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      All that glitters is gold :)

    6. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This, please.

    7. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's more than just lying for money, it's making money today by actively trying to prevent society from addressing a global economic and environmental catastrophe that we've known is coming for decades. It's making money for me today by forcing people in the future to pay for my actions.

    8. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by briniel · · Score: 0, Troll

      Would love to see the results and raw data of all your experiments proving climate change. Please post links.

    9. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's funny that you should mention creationists. Astute observers will note that both movements share almost identical rhetoric, and also the basic premises are derived from similar flaws in reasoning. It's as if a subset of people who share a particular set of mental defects are applying their fallacious logic to multiple societal issues.

    10. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by jeffmflanagan · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Correct. Most of these "skeptics" are right-wing cranks fed their beliefs from wingnut blogs, hate radio, and Fox News. They're not only not scientists, they don't believe in any science that runs counter to right-wing dogma. At some point the Republicans put out so much disinformation that the party became a cult, totally disconnected from reality.

    11. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by gilgongo · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I'm afraid the burden of proof is on you to show the results of all your experiments proving climate change is not happening. The overwhelming evidence we have is that *is* occurring - so any disproof of this needs presenting far more than any more corroboration.

      Which is how science works, BTW.

      --
      "And the meaning of words; when they cease to function; when will it start worrying you?"
    12. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by pastafazou · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      If you think there's any difference between the Republicans and Democrats and the amount of disinformation they spew, then you're clearly brainwashed by one of them...

    13. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by grimmjeeper · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You might want to go look at the Catholic Church's stance on evolution and creation.

    14. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by monkeyzoo · · Score: 1, Interesting

      "[The Pope]'s a learned man but the IPCC has got it wrong," says Jim Lakely of the Heartland Institute, a conservative American pressure group partly funded by billionaire industrialists who question climate change.

      Yeaaaaahhhh. I trust this guy. :/

      Anyway, we're all fucked anyway. We've frittered already for too long. This article written 10 years ago quoted scientists as saying we don't have 10 years to wait... (http://www.wesjones.com/climate1.htm).
      Our only hope now is geoengineering, which has its own attendant problems (http://science.slashdot.org/story/15/02/22/2310205/what-if-we-lost-the-sky).

    15. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      Churches of the world unite!

    16. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by kelarius · · Score: 4, Insightful

      TFS: "The Pope has great moral authority but he's not an authority on climate science" I would think that it would be a moral imperative to leave our children a world thats not a complete disaster and if 99% of the worlds learned people are saying that this is a problem, it would behoove him, morally, to make sure that the Catholic Church is doing everything in their power to make sure they have a flock to attend to in the next few generations.

      --
      Personally I'd rather have my idiots at home glued to the TV than out doing idiotic things
    17. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Dcnjoe60 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think it's time to stop calling these people "skeptics". They are science denialists, just like creationists. Skeptic would imply that they have found fault with the current science and attack that line of reasoning, but they don't. Instead, they have already come up with the conclusion that climate change is no issue and it is not caused my man, which goes against all current evidence.

      The difference is that creationists deny science because of their faith. These guys deny science because of greed.

    18. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by oodaloop · · Score: 1

      The Catholic Church has officially endorsed the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection as well as the Big Bang Theory (not the show) for at least the last 20 years. I think longer.

      --
      Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
    19. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by BCGlorfindel · · Score: 1, Troll

      I think it's time to stop calling these people "skeptics". They are science denialists, just like creationists. Skeptic would imply that they have found fault with the current science and attack that line of reasoning, but they don't. Instead, they have already come up with the conclusion that climate change is no issue and it is not caused my man, which goes against all current evidence.

      In the case of the Fox new like cranks I agree. The thing is, I feel the same about the climate change 'evangelists' that are preaching catastrophe as well.

      The problem is we are facing issues that require real discussion, and that of course means there are loud guys on the fringe of both sides making strawmen for the other side to burn in effigy.

      The instrumental record indisputably shows a linear warming trend over the last hundred years. The slightly shorter instrumental record of CO2 concentrations also shows a linear increasing concentration over the record. These are inarguable observations. Similarly, we know we are emitting a lot of CO2 and that CO2 contributes to warming.

      The discussion comes in amongst those of us who accept and agree on this. I look at this evidence, and I look at projections, and I look at energy imbalance observations and I see a serious need to plan how we will cope with linear increasing temperature and sea level rise. I do not see compelling evidence that slashing CO2 is a good course, and see the balance of evidence actually suggesting it is a waste of time. Not least of which being that technologies to replace major emission sources like automobiles are, in climate timelines, very close to being solved profitably by folks like Tesla without us hamstringing the economy to force the matter.

    20. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are you fucking serious? Who's paying whom here? Scientific institutions are raising billions from gullible governments. Individuals are making millions with their doom and gloom books, movies and TV shows. Careers and tenure are advanced by sticking to the narrative and not rocking the boat with annoying "scepticism". Very little useful science is being done. Government is wasting huge amounts of public money.

      Sceptics are about the only group of people in this whole magnificently idiotic charade with any integrity left.

    21. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by itzly · · Score: 4, Informative

      Actually, the Big Bang theory was proposed by Georges Lemaître, a Belgian priest.

    22. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      sorry, but I'm left wing, and reading the evidence makes me skeptical.

      It shouldn't ever be a left/right thing, just a what is the real truth of the matter.

      As soon as you evoke left/right it's not a science issue its political!

      eco-nuts are just as fucking idiotic as the right wing twats.

    23. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by sconeu · · Score: 4, Funny

      It will be interesting to see the Heartland Institute's reaction to someone who is immune to suitcases filled with money.

      --
      General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
    24. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by shaitand · · Score: 0

      I think it's fair to say the republicans spew more blatant disinformation, the democrats spew more subtle disinformation and so what they are spewing will always be closer to actual information.

    25. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Opportunist · · Score: 2, Interesting

      A picture is worth more than a thousand words: A brief history of gods

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    26. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by pastafazou · · Score: 1, Troll

      I know the Catholic Church's stance on evolution and creation. Francis himself has said "evolution presupposes the creation of beings that evolve". So yeah, evolution exists, but we were all created before we evolved.

    27. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      There are two different aspects to this:
      a) The climate all over the world is changing, and it is changing rapidly. That is a fact, and we as humanity need to think about how to handle the effects. Everyone denying this fact is just refusing to open his eyes to world.
      b) Is the climate change cause by humans? Personally I'd say there is overwhelming evidence that this is true, but there are some valid arguments against it that should be considered

      Now, the people that have been mentioned in the article fall in the category of "there is no climate change", and these people are completely ridiculous

    28. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Informative

      Ahhh.... nope.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    29. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Funny

      Don't worry. The invisible hand will fix it. Just like it's fixing the economy.

      The only thing I don't like about this is that the fixing is of the veterinary definition.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    30. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by briniel · · Score: 0, Troll

      I have not made any claims as to whether it is happening or not. Just looking for data, that's it. Now I have read that Greenland was once green, yet personally have seen very little if any climate change during my short stay here while being very active outdoors including farming the land. This leads me to think while climate change certainly does happen man is not accelerating the process much if at all. Your "overwhelming evidence" gets destroyed regularly so trying to figure out if it all comes from Al Gore or if anyone else is conducting any independent research. Wait until you guys get around to studying Pangaea, your heads will explode! And yes you are afraid. Afraid of being wrong. Science is never settled kiddo.

    31. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and your excuse for denying that climate change predictions aren't following what the climate scientist said is:

      1. I'm a fucking idiot!
      2. I'm too lazy to check the data

      pick one

    32. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by NostalgiaForInfinity · · Score: 1

      I think it's time to stop calling these people "skeptics". They are science denialists, just like creationists. Skeptic would imply that they have found fault with the current science and attack that line of reasoning, but they don't.

      The science agrees on the point that it has gotten warmer over the past couple of centuries and that humans likely contributed to it. Feel free to call people who "deny" that whatever you want.

      However, many people who you label "skeptics" or "denialists" have no problem with the above scientific statement. What we disagree on is the political and economic solutions that are being proposed.

      The dishonesty here is on your part by conflating science, politics, and economics and pretending that people who disagree with you on matters other than science are somehow unscientific.

    33. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by tlhIngan · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Wait...the pope is a creationist...

      Sorta.

      He believes God created the universe, yes, but not that it's 6000 years old or whatever - rather, God created the conditions to which things like science and evolution can take place. The Big Bang happened because God didn't create the universe, He created the conditions for the universe to exist. God didn't create Man, he created the environment to which evolution could take place to create Man.

      Effectively, he believes in evolution, but also in that God didn't wave a "magic wand" and Man suddenly popped out of nowhere. God created the conditions to which Man could evolve.

      It's a partial cop-out, but given science really cannot explain what happened before the Big Bang, or what's outside the universe, well, that is God's domain.

    34. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Well, then go ahead and explain it. As a European, they look quite indistinguishable. But it may be the distance that blurs it, so please, what do they differ in?

      And please, don't mention petty crap like whether gays should marry, whether people should smoke weed or whether abortion should be legal. Try to find something that actually matters, not just bullshit to get people worked up over petty, unimportant feelgood crap.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    35. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      The difference being? Both are ultimately driven by fear.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    36. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by NostalgiaForInfinity · · Score: 2

      The overwhelming evidence we have is that *is* occurring

      But that's a largely irrelevant question. The relevant questions are: what is going to happen in the future, what are the costs and benefits, can we intervene, how risky is intervention, and should we intervene. The science related to those questions is highly uncertain, and many of those questions are primarily about values, preferences, and economics, not climate.

    37. Re: Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Did AGW cause the last ice age to end?

    38. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dave420 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Instead of writing that post, you could have found all the data you could ever want. The fact you didn't indicates you either don't know how to research anything, or you don't want to research this particular topic. Neither will help you engage in a rational, honest discussion on this subject, so it would help everyone involved if you improved/reinstated your research abilities.

    39. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As long as some scientist can get research money, the day of reckoning will be X years away.

    40. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Climate has 'changed' since before humans were on this planet and will continue to change regardless of what we do with our current level of technology.

      I see logical thinking is not your strong point.

    41. Re: Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Of course the agw a as as a religion types have no monetary motives for keeping it going, right?

    42. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by harrkev · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I really do not understand the hate involved here. Let's assume that climate change is NOT happening. We still have the following facts:

      1) Fossil fuels are a limited supply. Maybe enough for another 50 years. Maybe 100. But still limited.

      2) We purchase large amounts of oil from countries that, in general, do not like us.

      3) If it were not for oil, our interest in the middle east would decline greatly, which would be a good thing. If Muslims want to kill Muslims, that sounds like their problem. There is no "right" side in a conflict like that.

      For all of these reasons, we should be decreasing our dependency on fossil fuels. More fuel efficiency and alternative fuels just simply make long term sense, even without considering climate change.

      So, what is the problem?

      --
      "-1 Troll" is the apparently the same as "-1 I disagree with you."
    43. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by neoritter · · Score: 5, Interesting

      It's a tenet of the Church actually.

      http://www.vatican.va/archive/... :

      2415 The seventh commandment enjoins respect for the integrity of creation. Animals, like plants and inanimate beings, are by nature destined for the common good of past, present, and future humanity. Use of the mineral, vegetable, and animal resources of the universe cannot be divorced from respect for moral imperatives. Man's dominion over inanimate and other living beings granted by the Creator is not absolute; it is limited by concern for the quality of life of his neighbor, including generations to come; it requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation.

    44. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by MagickalMyst · · Score: 1

      Well said! :)

      --
      Political correctness is really just herd psychology pushed by insecure people who desperately seek social conformity.
    45. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by NostalgiaForInfinity · · Score: 1

      Most of these "skeptics" are right-wing cranks fed their beliefs from wingnut blogs, hate radio, and Fox News.

      That's why only 39% of Americans say that dealing with global warming is a "top priority"?

      They're not only not scientists, they don't believe in any science that runs counter to right-wing dogma.

      In the early 20th century, scientists discovered that African Americans scored lower on IQ scores and that IQ was strongly heritable. The progressive movement declared this a grave threat to society and promoted eugenics, including forced sterilizations, to protect society from this supposedly serious threat.

      The problem isn't with "science", it's with the policies progressives derive from the science. Yes, the planet is getting warmer and humans are contributing to it, that's pretty much a scientific fact. Science is unclear on what the long term consequences are going to be; they realistically range from modestly negative to modestly positive. That is not sufficient to justify the economic policies progressives are currently proposing for dealing with climate change. In fact, those policies themselves are completely irrational: the emissions limits proposed will do nothing to prevent the threats that we supposedly face; they are political theater and superstition.

    46. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by neoritter · · Score: 2

      The key aspect of the creation of man with respect to Catholicism is that man's soul was the direct creation of God. Not something that sprung from evolution or natural phenomenon.

    47. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by garyisabusyguy · · Score: 5, Informative

      Um... Climate Change?

      Here is what the sitting Dem President has to say:
      “I refuse to condemn your generation and future generations to a planet that’s beyond fixing.” - President Barack Obama, June 25, 2013"
      https://www.whitehouse.gov/ene...

      Here is what the Dem candidate for President in 2016 says:
      "Clinton began her remarks at the National Clean Energy Summit by laying out the problems climate change is already causing today, including extreme weather and droughts. “[These are] the most consequential, urgent, sweeping collection of challenges we face,” she said. “No matter what deniers say.”"
      http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/hil...

      Here is what the last Rep President had to say:
      " In 2001, President Bush decided to pull out of the negotiations for the Kyoto Protocol, a worldwide agreement to try to keep greenhouse gases down. Environmentalists were aghast. The president said he had his reasons. "That I felt the Kyoto Treaty was unrealistic. It was not based upon science. The stated that mandates in the Kyoto Treaty would affect our economy in a negative way.""
      http://www.npr.org/templates/s...

      And here is what a Rep candidate for 2016 has to say about it:
      " Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, questions whether global warming is real, arguing that the "data are not supporting what the advocates are arguing." "The last 15 years, there has been no recorded warming. Contrary to all the theories that – that they are expounding, there should have been warming over the last 15 years. It hasn't happened," said Cruz."
      http://politicalticker.blogs.c...

      So, yeah there are real differences between US political parties, particularly on the subject of this article, Climate Change

      --
      Wherever You Go, There You Are
    48. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Opportunist · · Score: 2

      Anyone around who can find 2 denying Dems or 2 supporting Reps?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    49. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Democrats tend to favor socialist programs, whereas Republicans will go capitalist most of the time (public education being a surprising counter example).

      I have been told that Democrats also favor a smaller military force and less US military involvement in foreign affairs (with republicans being the opposite on both points), but I am not sure if evidence supports this.

    50. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Calhune · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I'm afraid the burden of proof is on you to show the results of all your experiments proving climate change is not happening. The overwhelming evidence we have is that *is* occurring - so any disproof of this needs presenting far more than any more corroboration.

      Which is how science works, BTW.

      So your saying that your position is that before AGW is supposed to have started, there was NO climate change? The argument is over how "much" AGW is affecting climate change, not whether climate change is occurring. We had about 30 years of very fast warming followed by almost 20 years of much slower, more normal warming. I think there's a lot of room on both sides of the debate to learn, and far too much animosity to enable that to happen.

    51. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Berkyjay · · Score: 4, Informative

      "personally have seen very little if any climate change during my short stay here while being very active outdoors including farming the land." Well that settles it folks! Briniel stepped outside and everything seemed alright. We can all go home now and keep burning that oil and pumping out that CO2. Oh wait, I just found this. Well nuts......sorry Briniel. It seems a few people traveled a bit further from their land and discovered that things aren't so cozy and calm. http://climate.nasa.gov/eviden...

    52. Re: Seems he has more of a clue by DigiShaman · · Score: 1

      The revolution in religion was monotheism; the idea of just one God.

      --
      Life is not for the lazy.
    53. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, these are paid spin doctors, they're the same people who claimed smoking was good for you in the 90's, and they even hire form military Psy-Ops folks.

      They don't even believe the bullshit they spew.

    54. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes and no. They accept evolutuon for everything BUT humanity, and insist that Adam and Eve are "special creations." In other words, they accept evolution the way that nice man who occasionally lets his colored friend use his toilet accepts non-racism.

    55. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by garyisabusyguy · · Score: 5, Informative

      And then Dr Banjo demanded the next missing link...

      Seriously, that is about the most dishonest attempt at raising the bar that I have seen lately, at least outside of the anti-Evolution lobby

      I demonstrate what the leaders of each party have been saying for the past 15 years, and what the likely candidates for the next four years have to say, and you just want to start a fishing expedition to attempt to dilute the results

      OK, What did the prior Dem president have to say?
      Oh, that's right President Bill Clinton, and his VP were ADAMANT supporters of climate change, and enacted regulations to control carbon emissions, which the following republican President Bush and his VP (both with careers in fossil fuels) rolled back immediately

      But heck, let's cast the net a little wider, eh?
      The prior Rep President George H W Bush, lots of talk during the campaign, little actual action:
      " Bush charted a significantly less-ambitious path on climate change than environmentalists had hoped. The United States did not host a global warming conference in 1988, despite proposals put forth by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator William. As calls mounted for Bush to keep his campaign promises on global warming, White House officials went on the offensive against critics of the president. Spokesman Marlon Fitzwater repeatedly warned of potentially drastic consequences for the U.S. economy posed by proposed solutions to global warming, such as a carbon tax or restrictions on coal-fired power plants. Fitzwater’s comments reflected a growing tendency within the Bush administration to see the economic costs of an aggressive stance on global warming as too high for comfort. "
      http://what-when-how.com/globa...

      Or any of the other rep candidates for 2016

      Rand Paul:
      "Paul said the earth goes through periods of time when the climate changes, but he’s “not sure anybody exactly knows why.” He threw in some environmentalist-bashing: “The earth’s 4.5 billion years old, and you’re going to say that we had four hurricanes and so it proves a theory?"

      Bobby Jindal:
      "has been a soloist in the “Drill, baby drill!” chorus. In a 2012 Wall Street Journal op-ed advocating for more production of fossil fuels, Jindal wrote that Obama “must put energy prices and energy independence ahead of zealous adherence to left-wing environmental theory.”"

      Chris Christie:
      "While the NJ DEP contends there is no political motivation to its silence on the potential connection between global warming and Sandy, it is clear that Christie has made a decision not to link Sandy, the signature moment of his tenure, to climate change."

      Scott Walker:
      "He signed a “no climate tax” pledge promising not to support any legislation that would raise taxes to combat climate change and has been a keynote speaker at the climate-denying Heartland Institute."

      Jeb Bush:
      "“It is not unanimous among scientists that it is disproportionately manmade. What I get a little tired of on the left is this idea that somehow science has decided all this so you can’t have a view.”"

      notice a trend Dr Banjo?

      --
      Wherever You Go, There You Are
    56. Re: Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So... God is the anthropic principle?

    57. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by guru42101 · · Score: 1

      I think I remember reading at some point that saying that God had to create everything as it is now is drastically under estimating the power of God. Although that may have been in relation to the Vatican's stance on extra-terrestrial life. Either way, I think it is relevant to their opinion on the matter.

    58. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dywolf · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Only fundies who don't comprehend science or logic believe the two to be mutually exclusive with the result that they feel their beliefs to be threatened by evolution.

      --
      The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
    59. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by ilsaloving · · Score: 1, Troll

      Actually, there have been several studies that demonstrate that republicans go out of their way to spread disinformation. For example, people who watch Fox News know *less* about current events that people who don't watch any news programs at all.

      http://www.businessinsider.com...

      Googling for 'conservative stupid study' will give you article after article

      The thing is, it's not about whether Democrats are good and Republicans are bad. Everyone seems to be under this assumption that Democrats=liberal and Republicans=conservative. In actuality, Democrats=center leaning conservatives, and Republicans=psycho theocrats that make Mahmoud Ahmadinejad look rational.

      The Democrats most closely correlate with the conservatives of the 60s-80s. They're hardly perfect, and they have their own moments of self-serving garbage. But Republicans? They actively *scare* me. They are hell bent on persecuting everything that isn't white, male, and rich, and heterosexual. And that persecution goes up exponentially as you take away more of those elements. They have not only consistently voted against *anything* that would help the average American, but they have repealed existing laws that help, especially when it comes to womens rights.

      As one example: The Democrats implemented one of the single most important pieces of legislation that helps fix the horrific mess that is the US health care system. It has been clearly demonstrated now that not only do many Americans now have access to health care that they didn't have access to before, but it has decreased overall health care costs. The Republicans have been trying, and continue to try, to repeal the ACA for no logical reason whatsoever.

      Republicans are railing against Obama for *not* being enough of a war-monger. They collectively deny basic science like evolution. The list just goes on and on. It's not that Democrats are good. It's that the Republicans are *insane*.

    60. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by ilsaloving · · Score: 1

      I gave this reply to someone else. Here's a link so that you get the slashdot reply notification.

      http://news.slashdot.org/comme...

    61. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by NatasRevol · · Score: 2

      The problem?

      People, and especially politicians, are afraid of change.

      Remember when the 'odd' kid got picked on in elementary/middle/high school, even though they were often smarter/more creative? Just like that.

      --
      There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
    62. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by RingDev · · Score: 4, Informative

      "1) Fossil fuels are a limited supply. Maybe enough for another 50 years. Maybe 100. But still limited."

      Matters on the type of fuel you're talking about. The US has coal reserves for hundreds of years. Even NG and Crude reserves to last a loooooong time, but they will continue to cost more and more to extract and refine.

      "2) We purchase large amounts of oil from countries that, in general, do not like us."

      We buy most of our oil, from ourselves. The vast majority of the rest is bought from Mexico and Canada. The largest of the insignificant provider nations is Venezuela. The amount of oil we buy from countries that, "Do not like us", is insignificant.

      "3) If it were not for oil, our interest in the middle east would decline greatly, which would be a good thing."

      Our interest in Middle Eastern oil is due to the lack of oil reserves in western Europe. Even without any US demand on Middle Eastern oil, the US will have a continued interest in the region until Western Europe transitions off of crude.

      "More fuel efficiency and alternative fuels just simply make long term sense, even without considering climate change. So, what is the problem?"

      This is really the crux of it. So let's say that the Pope/Scientists are wrong. There is no global warming and any investment in improving vehicle efficiency, air quality, and use of renewable is a waste of economic output. Well, we still get more efficient vehicles, better air quality, and a bunch of jobs. So, no big loss.

      On the other hand, say the Pope/Scientists are right, but we do nothing. We are at risk of creating a catastrophic level event that would dramatically alter life on the planet, and could result in the death of billions of people.

      So option A, we possibly lose a percent or two off of economic growth. Option B, we die, and the economy no longer matters.

      As you said, "So, what is the problem?"

      -Rick

      --
      "Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
    63. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > Actually, the Big Bang theory was proposed by Georges Lemaître, a Belgian priest.

      And Galileo was Catholic, but that doesn't exactly mean the Church endorsed his views.

    64. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by NatasRevol · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I think you picked #2.

      http://climate.nasa.gov/eviden...

      --
      There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
    65. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whether the United States should have invaded Iraq. Although Congress voted with the president, a Democractic president would never have advocated that particular invasion. Whether health insurance should be available from the government. Whether climate change is real - you know, the actual subject of this conversation.

      Wait a minute, why am I wasting time explaining something to "a European" who can't be bothered to do basic research?

      Also, civil rights and abortion rights aren't "petty, unimportant feelgood crap."

    66. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dywolf · · Score: 5, Informative

      The current incarnation of the Democratic party, with the big business centrists aka "New Democrats" holding the most sway, may not be the most ideal flavor (and I look very forward to Sanders and Warren pulling the party leftward back where the party should be in the next cycle).

      But they are still a damned sight better than pretty much anything the Republicans have to offer, where your choices are between the shit sandwich establishment, and the diarrhea buffet of the tea party.

      Both may be in bed with Wall Street, and prone to expanding the surveillence state and engaging in foreign adventures.
      But only one wants to eliminate the entire "welfare state" (sorry joke that it is in this nation), and roll the clock back to the pre-1930s.
      Only one is standing there in the building building and saying "I don't smell any smoke" as they ignore all the science and data pointing to global warming.
      Only one is trying to tell women what to do with their bodies, and advocates legislating according to their particular sky fairy.
      Only one is trying to sell the idea that we dont need any more equality, everything is just fine, or that equal rights are "special rights".

      Really, this entire notion that there is no difference between them is the most ignorant pile of bullshit that keeps getting perpetuated.

      There are hundreds of issues, and to look at just the two or three you care about and say "nah they're the same", while ignoring everything else is idiotic.

      So yeah, there's a difference.

      --
      The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
    67. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by cheesybagel · · Score: 0

      Actually I have a Computer Science degree and I have had AI and Computational Mathematics including theorem proving. I know a fair bit more about logic than the average person. Which is more than I can say for your pitiful rhetorical exercise which is completely devoid of any information whatsoever.

    68. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I tend to agree with you.

      As far as I can tell though, be you left or right, republican or democrat, most except the most extreme actually want the same thing. The difference is on how they believe it should be accomplished. I've never heard anybody outside maybe oil execs say we shouldn't investigate alternative energy sources and reduce dependance on fossil fuels. The argument is on what the best way to do this is. Yet climate change has come in as this giant strawman that people seem willing to go to war over.

      It's like, if people concentrated on the ultimate goal of moving to renewables rather than what the effects of not using renewables is, I think there would be a lot more peace and harmony. And as an added bonus, the effects would be mitigated. But then again, those in power know that a people divided are easier to control, and you can't help but wonder if it's all part of a larger plan.

    69. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Jason+Levine · · Score: 1

      Whenever I hear of religious people claiming that the Universe is only 6000 or so years old and that it was all created in 7 days, I say that they are making God smaller, not larger by claiming this.

      No matter what your religious beliefs (or lack thereof), imagine that there was some supreme being who had a plan, initiated the Big Bang, and set everything into motion so that, billions of years later, humans would evolve into being. Isn't that a much more impressive god than one who just says "Abra-ca-humans!" and poofs them into existence. Sure the latter god can apparently create life out of thin air, but the former can plan insanely complicated interactions over a billion year time frame just to arrive at a certain scenario. To me, the former is much more impressive than the literal-Genesis latter.

      --
      My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
    70. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by LeadSongDog · · Score: 1

      Hmm, is that a difference between the parties, or their owners?

      --
      Oh, I'm sorry sir, I thought you were referring to me, Mr. Wensleydale.
    71. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by fustakrakich · · Score: 0

      The Catholic church has confirmed one very important thing. We should do as they say, not as they do.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    72. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Jason+Levine · · Score: 4, Interesting

      It's not so much the amount of disinformation spewed that separates Republicans and Democrats as it is what subjects the disinformation gets spewed on. When it comes to science, many Republicans seem to have made it their goal to spew as much disinformation on as much science as possible. I feel sorry for the pro-science Republicans who are left. It must be disheartening to see so much anti-science coming from your party.

      (Disclaimer: Historically, I've sided with Democrats but have been more and more dissatisfied with them. I'm in the "nowhere land" between both parties where neither party seems to satisfy me and will likely be voting third party more and more.)

      --
      My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
    73. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      oh no! we can't let anyone use our precious word "skeptic" in any other sense than the one we endorse!

    74. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by NatasRevol · · Score: 4, Informative

      I do not see compelling evidence that slashing CO2 is a good course

      The ocean hates you.

      http://climate.nasa.gov/eviden...

      "Ocean acidification
      Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the acidity of surface ocean waters has increased by about 30 percent. This increase is the result of humans emitting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and hence more being absorbed into the oceans. The amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the upper layer of the oceans is increasing by about 2 billion tons per year."

      But this seems the worst info to me:
      http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-...
      "Data from NASA's Grace satellites show that the land ice sheets in both Antarctica and Greenland are losing mass. The continent of Antarctica has been losing about 147 billion metric tons of ice per year since 2003, while the Greenland ice sheet has been losing an estimated 258 billion metric tons per year. "

      Approaching half a trillion tons of ice *per year* being melted seems an astounding amount.

      --
      There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
    75. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      We already ran the clock out on global cooling and peak oil. We're still here.

    76. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by OhPlz · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Just like the climate change zealots!

    77. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by itzly · · Score: 4, Informative

      The US has coal reserves for hundreds of years

      Keep in mind that the mining started with the really good anthracite coal, and has been moved steadily to lesser and lesser grades, with less energy per ton. If you look at the produced energy from coal, the US hit the peak back in 1998.

      We buy most of our oil, from ourselves

      This tertiary oil boom in the US, due to fracking, is a very temporary stopgap. Fracked wells have an incredibly steep decline rate, which means that after just a few years, the well stops producing in useful quantities, and you have to drill new ones. Pretty soon, they're going to run out of places to drill, especially the really good places where they started. The story for natural gas is similar.

    78. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Here's a few actual facts for you.

      http://climate.nasa.gov/eviden...

      Spend a few minutes reading all the info. You seem to need to learn quite a bit more on what's actually happening.

    79. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      A movie is worth gazillions. This land is mine.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    80. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Xtifr · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Ah, I see. The rights of gay people, people of color, and women are "bullshit to get people worked up over petty, unimportant, feelgood crap." Let me guess: you're not gay, of color, or female. Because I assure you that to people who do fall into at least one of those categories, those are not unimportant issues! For that matter, weed, while much less important, is still a fairly big issue to many sick people who don't respond well to other medications; a not insignificant number of people. But, of course, to you, anyone who cares about weed must be a useless stoner...

      You're correct to suggest that the parties are identical on a lot of important issues, which is sad, because they're quite often both on the same wrong side. But they're on different sides on a lot of other issues, which, despite your lack of interest, are actually important to a lot of people. And on those issues, it seems to me, as someone faced with chosing between them on a regular basis, that the Dems are on the correct side the overwhelming majority of the time. Not always--I judge candidates by their stands on the issues, and I have voted for Republicans in the past, and may do so again if moderate fiscal conservatives ever manage to take back the party from the religious, anti-science nutjobs that seem to be running it now--but usually.

    81. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by njnnja · · Score: 1

      It's not really a Deist argument, where God created the universe with its physical laws and man evolved as a result of molecules following those physical laws. Nor is it a "God of the gaps" argument where God is whatever is outside of our current ability to describe things using science. Rather, just as one can believe that the universe has an order to it that we can uncover through science (e.g., Newton's laws weren't any different 10 million years ago and will continue to hold 10 million years from now), one can choose to believe that there is a *reason why* the universe has such an order to it. The anthropic principle is one way to answer that reason why. And the Catholic Church would say that the reason is that there is a Creator who not only created an orderly universe at the time of the big bang, but also continues in the creation of each new moment, not at odds with physical laws, but with them, and through them.

    82. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      If have the following comments to make regarding this. The climate has changed all along regardless of human activity on this planet. There are colder periods and warmer periods. There are ice ages and there are warm ages. Even if the human population had an irrelevant presence in the planet. Presently CO2 levels are increasing somewhat. Some people think this will have some kind of catastrophic effect on global temperature which I think is patent bullshit. Just do the math on the back of a napkin. The effect of CO2 on global temperature is marginal compared to solar radiation. Heck even H2O i.e. water has more of an effect especially concerning cloud albedo and things like that. CO2 is plant food and gets naturally absorbed back into the food chain as time passes.

      There is plenty of evidence that increased CO2 levels increase both crop yields and decrease the desert area. So any talk about interfering with what is quite likely a good thing is patent nonsense even assuming we could do it. You would have to ask everyone to not just stop burning fossil fuels but also to stop breathing at the same time. 'Climate change' legislation and the Kyoto accords are patent bullshit. Even if, for whatever reason, you managed to eradicate a substantial amount of the human population to reduce the 'human' CO2 footprint nature would just replace humans with animals or other life which would exhale CO2 just the same. Lifeforms in this planet are carbon based for whatever reason and have been for millions of years before human climate 'science' came along with these bullshit ideas.

    83. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Well, then go ahead and explain it. As a European, they look quite indistinguishable. But it may be the distance that blurs it, so please, what do they differ in?

      And please, don't mention petty crap like whether gays should marry, whether people should smoke weed or whether abortion should be legal. Try to find something that actually matters, not just bullshit to get people worked up over petty, unimportant feelgood crap.

      The reason D's and R's seem identical overseas is because parliamentary politics is fundamentally different than politics in the US. In a parliamentary system, each party can stand for something, etc, and then make compromises when acting as part of a ruling or opposition coalition. In the US system, our "parties" are what you would call coalitions, just fairly static ones. There's people with many different political alignments within each US party, and they all make compromises within their party in order to get a majority and run the government. It also means that it is good politics in the US for neither party to actually stand for anything in particular, angling for the loose centrist or noncommitted voter with that "petty, unimportant feelgood crap".

      However, there are some smaller-detail things that do make the parties different. Not all demographics vote at the same rate, so both US parties overrepresent older, white, wealthier interests than you'd expect given the electorate. One difference is right there: the D's seek to increase the turnout of younger, nonwhite, poorer voters which they feel will improve their chances (policy choices: they make registering to vote easier, support making election day a national holiday so that fewer people fail to vote due to work, etc), while the R's seek to decrease the turnout of younger, nonwhite, poorer voters, which they in turn feel will improve their chances (policy choices: they make registering to vote harder for students going to an out-of-state college, reduce voting hours, etc). Then there's the politics of racial resentment. Long ago, the "Southern Strategy" realigned the Southeast US as a Republican stronghold (see how the election maps change from the 1950's onward), mostly by making transparently racial overtures to the white majorities in these states, fueled by a backlash against the civil rights movement. This very successful regional strategy presents a problem nationally however, because those racial politics don't play as well nationally, and could, in the long-term, confine the R's to a regional party. The R's, however, do have an impressive record of doing complete policy reversals within weeks, without managing to alienate their base (Bush Jr actually ran on avoiding foreign entanglements and nation-building, and reduced spending, and look how that one turned out).

      But wait, aren't all of these policies just ways to get more power, and not actually tied to any ideology at all? Well, yes. Like I said, our parties are like your coalitions. The actual political factions, the actual ideologies, are subsumed by the larger party goals.

      That said, I don't like this arrangement. Right now, what this means is that, nationally, we have one political party (the Democrats) full of people who want to pursue certain policy objectives (and by and large, I personally don't agree with those policies), and one protest party (the Republicans) full of cranks and charlatans not really doing much at all. We don't actually have true opposition in the sense (I'd hope) you're used to in the European sense. You may hear lots of Americans say that we really need a credible third party. I disagree--I think we need a credible second party.

    84. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Another denier. The science is conclusive at this point, to state otherwise is pure fallacy. The only question now is by how much and how soon. The main reason behind deniers is that they have the meme that government is bad, big government is really bad and capitalism is the answer to every problem. The invisible hand will fix it. If government is inherently bad, then business is inherently evil. Capitalism is morally bankrupt by definition, you cannot state it any more clearly then that. Capitalism may be the answer to 80% of the problems, but it won't fix everything and is guaranteed to make some problems worse. Big government is not the answer to all problems, but it is the answer to many. Our government exists "to promote the common good", exactly the opposite of a capitalist business.

    85. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      ...we were all created before we evolved.

      Yeah, by what came before us.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    86. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yep, it really is distance that blurs it.

      The way you glibly dismiss gay rights, marijuana legislation, and abortion suggests that you don't actually care to hear the answer, though.

      (Hint: It's the underlying philosophy behind those issues that matters; i.e., womens' rights, minority rights, influence of religion / fundamental Christianity in politics, taxation and appropriation of tax money.... Y'know, Stuff That Matters.)

    87. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by garyisabusyguy · · Score: 2

      The 'problem' is that the current fossil fuel investors have many billions of their dollars sunk into those investments

      They are not going not give up that investment without a fight

      They are similarly committed to keeping the country from moving to nuclear power, solar power, or any other source of energy that does not directly leverage their investments

      Oh, and the fossil fuel 'investors' are deeply invested in republican politicians as well

      To them it is 'good business', to the rest of us it is a disaster

      --
      Wherever You Go, There You Are
    88. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I'm an American and so I'll take a crack at explaining the basic difference between Democrats and Republicans, at least the historical difference. They aren't really at opposite ends of a single axis as many people would like to portray. Democrats are historically tied to the interests of labor and the working class while the Republicans are more closely associated with business and industry. Those two things aren't always at odds which is why I say that a single axis, or left/right, don't adequately explain the parties.

      What has everyone confused is that over time the two parties have tried to snipe off parts of the other side to garner votes. For instance, the Republicans' fiscal and labor policies may not appeal to the working class so they resort to socially conservative issues such as abortion or gay rights to appeal to the working class. That works for them. Democrats have countered by reaching out to business interests and taking a more hardline approach (think military-industrial complex) to national defense, anti-terror campaigns and crime. What this has accomplished is to divide the electoral pie into so many pieces that no one knows which party best suits their views. That's a shame because it is the source of our government grid-lock and lack of national focus.

      It's becoming more and more of a problem for those of us who stop to think about policies and the role of our government in our lives. I like the Republican idea of a fiscally small government and keeping the bills paid. That's important. I also like the Democrats appeal to a broad spectrum of social groups and their general support for working class families. However, I am increasingly disgusted by the interference of the government in our lives through policies such as domestic spying and attempting to legislate morality. They have basically driven me to look for a third alternative that is at least remotely interested in preserving my rights and our collective freedoms.

    89. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is sarcasm right?

    90. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "If you like your plan you can keep it. Period."

    91. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by JWW · · Score: 3

      Actually it will.

      I seriously believe that Tesla's cars are beautiful electric cars and if I had enough money, I'd own one.

      I also believe that Tesla's will get both better AND cheaper until more people (even most people) can afford them. Of course that also includes other manufacturers upping their electric car game too.

      When superior electric cars (and the high range Tesla Model S's are superior) are cheap enough for everyone, people will flock to buy them.

      Then we just need to build Nuke plants to power all these electric cars, shutter all the coal plants an viola! Problem solved.

      Now you will argue that that won't happen, that its all pie in the sky, but I'm saying its inevitable -- given time. Because if we want to solve this problem without kneecapping the economy, its what HAS to happen.

      Taxes, and rules and regulations are the things that seem like they'll solve the problem, but they really won't.

      Technology WILL.

    92. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Pfhorrest · · Score: 2

      given science really cannot explain what happened before the Big Bang, or what's outside the universe

      Yeah, it really is quite hard to explain answers to incoherent questions. Science can't even answer a simple math question like what do you get when you multiply 37 times the square root of giraffes?

      --
      -Forrest Cameranesi, Geek of all Trades
      "I am Sam. Sam I am. I do not like trolls, flames, or spam."
    93. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by gtall · · Score: 4, Informative

      No he's correct, James Inhofe, chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, stepped outside of his house in Oklahoma and observed, get this, snow. He was able to conclude on the basis of this observation that there was no global warming and certainly no human induce global warming.

      He was also able to observe no decrease in the Ogallala aquafier level so Oklahoma will have water until the End-O-Times. And he was able to observe that the Moon has kept a steady distance from the Earth in his lifetime, so it will be there until the End-O-Times (scientists dispute this saying it moves away about 1.5 inches a year). And that he could see no relationship between the Great Apes and Man, so there is no evolution, and it has been this way since the Beginning-O-Times.

      You should be proud to have such a scholar as head the Senate Committee.

    94. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dywolf · · Score: 5, Informative

      they're around but they are the exception not the rule.
      Look to the party platforms.

      This is the GOP platform on the environment:
      ( https://www.gop.com/platform/a... )

      rotecting Our Environment (Top)

      The environment is getting cleaner and healthier. The nation’s air and waterways, as a whole, are much healthier than they were just a few decades ago. Efforts to reduce pollution, encourage recycling, educate the public, and avoid ecological degradation have been a success. To ensure their continued support by the American people, however, we need a dramatic change in the attitude of officials in Washington, a shift from a job-killing punitive mentality to a spirit of cooperation with producers, landowners, and the public. An important factor is full transparency in development of the data and modeling that drive regulations. Legislation to restore the authority of States in environmental protection is essential. We encourage the use of agricultural best management practices among the States to reduce pollution.

      Note the claim that everything is better now, that efforts have been a success, while ignoring that is regulations from the EPA and its state kin that are responsible for that success, while at the same claiming the EPA is a threat to the country.

      Our Republican Party’s Commitment to Conservation (Top)

      Conservation is a conservative value. As the pioneer of conservation over a century ago, the Republican Party believes in the moral obligation of the people to be good stewards of the God-given natural beauty and resources of our country and bases environmental policy on several common-sense principles. For example, we believe people are the most valuable resource, and human health and safety are the most important measurements of success. A policy protecting these objectives, however, must balance economic development and private property rights in the short run with conservation goals over the long run. Also, public access to public lands for recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting should be permitted on all appropriate federal lands.

      Moreover, the advance of science and technology advances environmentalism as well. Science allows us to weigh the costs and benefits of a policy so that we can prudently deal with our resources. This is especially important when the causes and long-range effects of a phenomenon are uncertain. We must restore scientific integrity to our public research institutions and remove political incentives from publicly funded research.

      -Note the admonishment that it's a moral imperative from God to maintain good stewardship, again reinforcing that this is a religuous directive in the eyes of the party.
      -Note the implication that scientists are corrupt and not telling the truth, and that truth must restored and revealed.

      Private Stewardship of the Environment (Top)

      Experience has shown that, in caring for the land and water, private ownership has been our best guarantee of conscientious stewardship, while the worst instances of environmental degradation have occurred under government control. By the same token, the most economically advanced countries – those that respect and protect private property rights – also have the strongest environmental protections, because their economic progress makes possible the conservation of natural resources. In this context, Congress should reconsider whether parts of the federal government’s enormous landholdings and control of water in the West could be better used for ranching, mining, or forestry through private ownership. Timber is a renewable natural resource, which provides jobs to thousands of Americans. All efforts should be made to make federal lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service available for harvesting. The enduring truth is that people best protect what they

      --
      The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
    95. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by nysus · · Score: 2

      Anyway, we're all fucked anyway. We've frittered already for too long.

      It's a lot easier to address a 3F increase than a 6F increase. Drastic action is needed. It's not time for shoulder shrugging.

      --

      ---Technology will liberate us if it doesn't enslave us first.

    96. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by mi · · Score: 1

      Oh, please. If he instead expressed skepticism, you would've dismissed him as a religious bigot, who believes the Earth was created 5 thousand years ago by a Deity and given to Man to control, and is not a scientist.

      Now you are willing to praise him because he agrees with you. Bah...

      Skeptics certainly have a clue — it an environment as hostile to skepticism as the climate debate is, any contrarian is always far more educated on the subject, than the following-the-flow crowd. They may still be wrong, but clues they have aplenty.

      Why don't we play a game: can you cite two predictions made by global warming "alarmists", that actually came true within 80%? Each citation would have to include a link to the prediction and a link to the confirmation — with the two being 5 years apart or more... The first such predictions have been made decades ago — some are bound to have materialized by now... How about it?

      --
      In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    97. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by gtall · · Score: 1

      Blessed with Great Age, this totally disconnectedness from reality for the Republican Party started under Ronald Reagan. Then the Party progressed until they were totally disconnected from Ronald Reagan. In the future, we expect them to be so other that no one will be able to vote for them because they will be totally disconnected from the U.S. political landscape. Think of them as a really far out there Grunge Movement.

    98. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

      I think it's time to stop calling these people "skeptics". They are science denialists, just like creationists. Skeptic would imply that they have found fault with the current science and attack that line of reasoning, but they don't. Instead, they have already come up with the conclusion that climate change is no issue and it is not caused my man, which goes against all current evidence.

      You say all that with a degree of certainty that is not due.

      The science is not NEARLY as "settled" as you would like to think. Just because you believe it is doesn't make it so.

      Gravity, the speed of light, the mass of water, those are "settled". Climate change? Nope.

    99. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by gtall · · Score: 0

      As an American, most European countries look quite indistinguishable. What's your point? Distance makes things hard to see?

    100. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Pfhorrest · · Score: 2

      As an American who agrees that the American view of the political possibilities is myopic, there is still a difference. To put it figuratively: one side thinks all kittens should be fed to vicious ravenous dogs to be maimed and devoured as the dogs see fit; the other side thinks there should be some limits on how much the dogs can maim most kittens and how many can be devoured in what circumstances, and further special protections for certain classes of kitten.

      What do you mean, lets not feed kittens to the dogs in the first place? What are you, some kind of communist?

      --
      -Forrest Cameranesi, Geek of all Trades
      "I am Sam. Sam I am. I do not like trolls, flames, or spam."
    101. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I really do not understand the hate involved here. Let's assume that climate change is NOT happening. We still have the following facts:

      1) Fossil fuels are a limited supply. Maybe enough for another 50 years. Maybe 100. But still limited.

      2) We purchase large amounts of oil from countries that, in general, do not like us.

      3) If it were not for oil, our interest in the middle east would decline greatly, which would be a good thing. If Muslims want to kill Muslims, that sounds like their problem. There is no "right" side in a conflict like that.

      For all of these reasons, we should be decreasing our dependency on fossil fuels. More fuel efficiency and alternative fuels just simply make long term sense, even without considering climate change.

      So, what is the problem?

      There isn't any, most reasonable people would agree with all of the above...

      Then the global warming/global cooling/global climate change people go nuts and take it WAY to far. It becomes about money and power and redistribution of wealth more than the planet.

      It is like the environmentalists who are AGAINST EVERYTHING!

      The average person is so sick of it that he/she is just tuning them out.

      http://www.forbes.com/sites/lo...

      http://save-as.org/GreenNews/N...

      http://abcnews.go.com/Technolo...

      And on, and on...

      They are against EVERYTHING. For frack sake, they probably want us all to go live in caves, or just die... I can't find anything they are actually FOR...

    102. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And Gregor Mendel who is acknowledged as the founder of modern genetics. If you believe that genetics are true, then you have to believe in evolution.

    103. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by jittles · · Score: 4, Informative

      Um... Climate Change?

      Here is what the sitting Dem President has to say: “I refuse to condemn your generation and future generations to a planet that’s beyond fixing.” - President Barack Obama, June 25, 2013" https://www.whitehouse.gov/ene...

      Here is what the Dem candidate for President in 2016 says: "Clinton began her remarks at the National Clean Energy Summit by laying out the problems climate change is already causing today, including extreme weather and droughts. “[These are] the most consequential, urgent, sweeping collection of challenges we face,” she said. “No matter what deniers say.”" http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/hil...

      Here is what the last Rep President had to say: " In 2001, President Bush decided to pull out of the negotiations for the Kyoto Protocol, a worldwide agreement to try to keep greenhouse gases down. Environmentalists were aghast. The president said he had his reasons. "That I felt the Kyoto Treaty was unrealistic. It was not based upon science. The stated that mandates in the Kyoto Treaty would affect our economy in a negative way."" http://www.npr.org/templates/s...

      And here is what a Rep candidate for 2016 has to say about it: " Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, questions whether global warming is real, arguing that the "data are not supporting what the advocates are arguing." "The last 15 years, there has been no recorded warming. Contrary to all the theories that – that they are expounding, there should have been warming over the last 15 years. It hasn't happened," said Cruz." http://politicalticker.blogs.c...

      So, yeah there are real differences between US political parties, particularly on the subject of this article, Climate Change

      I Think that just goes to show that they target different members of the population, not that they have real meaningfully different agendas. They almost always vote the same on things like domestic spying, invading foreign countries, etc. The only thing they really fight over is how to slice the pie.

    104. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Ichijo · · Score: 1

      1) Fossil fuels are a limited supply. Maybe enough for another 50 years. Maybe 100. But still limited.

      That's not a problem because science will find a replacement. Not the same science that discovered that global warming is caused by human activity, of course, a different science. So let's just kick the can down the road like we always do and let our children and grandchildren deal with the problem.

      And so ends the American Dream.

      --
      Any sufficiently unpopular but cohesive argument is indistinguishable from trolling.
    105. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by amicusNYCL · · Score: 4, Insightful

      People, and especially politicians, are afraid of change.

      People aren't afraid of change. Not only do people expect change, but they embrace it.

      The internet fundamentally changed and disrupted a lot of things, from the way people get their news, to the way people get their entertainment like music, movies, and TV shows. I can watch a movie on the phone in my pocket. The only people afraid of those changes are the ones in charge of the old industries which supplied those things, who never adapted and are now in a position of increasing irrelevance.

      Uber is another example. Regular people have widely embraced services like Uber, because they offer many advantages over traditional taxis, they are a welcome change. The major noise against Uber is coming, again, from the people losing money and business to them.

      On the topic of alternative fuels in general, Toyota took over the hybrid market with the Prius, if you deny that people embraced that ugly thing then you're delusional. They are all over the road, and it's not because they are attractive vehicles, it's because people like the change that they represent. Tesla showed it further, even with a car priced out of reach of the majority of people I still see several Model Ss on the road every week, usually every day. There are plenty of unknowns with all-electric vehicles, like what happens if you find yourself in a situation where you don't have enough juice left to reach a charging station. That hasn't stopped people from embracing the idea and the change though.

      Residential solar power is another great example. There are houses all over the place that have solar cells on their roof or on stands in their yard. People were not afraid of that change, when the price hit the right point they embraced it. They feel good because they're generating their own power for their own house, and it cuts down their electric bill to the point that it can pay for itself over enough time.

      I don't know about you, but I haven't had a home phone for over 12 years. I had a few dumpy cell phones and since then I've had a few high-powered smart phones. I'm carrying a computer in my pocket more powerful than anything I would have built for home use when I had a home phone. I was not afraid of getting rid of my home phone, it was a welcome change. If someone wants to talk to me they can call me directly, not my house where I may or may not be. If they just have something quick to say they don't even need to call, they can just send a small text message. Or send me a picture. Or send an email, which I can also get on my phone. Or send me a link to a web page, which I can pull up no matter where I am.

      These are not "changes" to be "afraid" of, this is what we call progress. The only people holding us back from continued progress are the ones who stand to lose money and become irrelevant. The reason why politicians appear to be afraid of change is because they are paid by the businesses who are becoming irrelevant.

      Businesses are afraid of change, people are not.

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    106. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dywolf · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I have not made any claims as to whether it is happening or not. Just looking for data, that's it. Now I have read that Greenland was once green, yet personally have seen very little if any climate change during my short stay here while being very active outdoors including farming the land.

      Well then here you go. Data on greenland icesheet melting.
      http://www.nasa.gov/topics/ear...

      This leads me to think while climate change certainly does happen man is not accelerating the process much if at all.

      Your lack of knowledge leads to a faulty conclusion so what you think doesnt matter here.

      Your "overwhelming evidence" gets destroyed regularly

      no it doesnt

      so trying to figure out if it all comes from Al Gore or if anyone else is conducting any independent research.

      Nearly every climate scientist in the world has come to the same conclusion after and while pursuing their own research.

      Wait until you guys get around to studying Pangaea, your heads will explode! And yes you are afraid. Afraid of being wrong. Science is never settled kiddo.

      Actually yes, science is settled. Especially as far as ignorant morons like you are concerned.
      That's a bullshit statement spouted by the ignorant to cover their ignorance.

      Science is rarely overturned. Rather it's simply refined, with rough edges smoothed out.
      Einstein didn't overturn Newton, he refined his theories.
      Similarly quantum doesn't overturn Einstein but has refined his contributions.

      2000 years ago the Greeks proved the Earth was round (and given that math and geometry has existed longer even they probably weren't the first). Then we proved that the Earth is in fact -NOT- a sphere, but a spheroid: it bulges in the middle due to its spin. Now, with GPS and gravity sensors, we've even improved on that, able to calculate local distortions in gravity and "trueness" to expected dimensions. The best example being that "sea level" isn't a constant value of elevation, varying by significant amounts around the globe thanks ot various factors as currents, temperature, salinity, etc.

      But there is a difference between refinement, and disproving.

      Temps have gone up.
      The ocean is warmer.
      CO causes radiative forcing.
      These are facts observed to be true, and are settled.

      The mountain of evidence is in global warmings favor.
      In order to "unsettle" that, you would need an ever bigger mountain of evidence.

      Unfortunately for you, that evidence doesn't exist, which is why "it's settled".

      --
      The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
    107. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 0

      The difference is that creationists deny science because of their faith. These guys deny science because of greed.

      As long as you continue to make that your refrain, nothing will change.

      I am not convinced the science is accurate, we simply don't know enough to say one way or another.

      That isn't greed, it is logic and practical.

      Now as far as making reasonable changes to reduce our use of fossil fuels, I'm all for that.

      Do I think raising the average MPG of cars and trucks over time makes sense? Yes, at a reasonable and steady rate.

      Do I think removing incandescent bulbs from the market and replacing them with LEDs makes sense? Yes, that should be done today.

      Do I think appliances and HVAC systems should be required to be more efficient? Yes, and that should be raised over time as well.

      ---

      Do I think we should just upend our entire economy and throw ourselves on a burning fire because "oh noes, the world is ending"? No.

      But that is how the climate nuts like to paint it.

      Slow and steady gentle changes are fine, but if you insist on moving the moon, then frankly you can take a long walk off a short pier.

      And that is why, at the end of the day, so many people are resisting the whole man made climate change thing, it reeks of "money and power" rather than science.

    108. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by gtall · · Score: 2

      Republicans scare me as well, but so too do the Democrats. Who thought turning over even more health care to the insurance companies was a good idea? They're the slimeballs who screwed it up in the first place. And try to get Democrats to understand the problem we'll have paying for all entitlements when they come due. They look at you like you are from Mars, claiming, by the way, the SS trust fund has x dollars in it. Really? The SS trust fund is merely an accounting device. The Democrats actually do think there is a giant mattress stuffed with x dollars hidden away somewhere. They do not understand, and have no way of understanding, that it will come out the hides of working people at the time it comes due. No amount of flim-flam accounting is going to change that.

      Democrats also believe in the Biden Foreign Policy of acting like a scared rabbit because then the rest of the world will like us. The world order is somehow going to be preserved from the likes of China and Putin all by itself, that the militarily self-decommissioned Europe won't be cowed by a resurgent USSR that Putin is putting back together. See the Estonians for how much this vision excites them. They somehow believe the trade the U.S. does will not change with a Chinese and Russian centered world, or that the Islamists will be satisfied only fighting among themselves. They believe in the bunny world Biden has promised them and Obama believes he is delivering.

    109. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

      I'm afraid the burden of proof is on you to show the results of all your experiments proving climate change is not happening. The overwhelming evidence we have is that *is* occurring - so any disproof of this needs presenting far more than any more corroboration.

      Which is how science works, BTW.

      No, you have it backwards...

      Climate change IS happening... It has been changing since the Earth was formed and it will keep changing, regardless of what we do.

      The question is, how much of it is man-made?

      THAT is the part that you leave out. Why don't you show how the current climate changing has anything to do with mankind. The burden of proof of that is on you.

    110. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Then why are you so bad at applying argumentative logic with regards to climate research?

    111. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

      Allow me to quote from your link:

      "Scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is unequivocal.
      - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change"

      Ok, great... how much of that is man-made change?

      What can we do about it if so? What does that cost? What does it cost to adapt to it rather than try and change it the other way?

    112. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 0

      "But only one wants to eliminate the entire "welfare state" (sorry joke that it is in this nation), and roll the clock back to the pre-1930s."
      And the other one wants to stop building absolutely everything, repudiating the proudest parts of its own history, and take us back to the Bronze Age.

    113. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by monkeyzoo · · Score: 1

      Look at the responses to my comment and see if you maintain that optimism. People don't seem to understand that it takes decades for the global climate system to reach a new (warmer) equilibrium following the introduction of a force into the system. As a world, we seem no more inclined to address the issue today than we were 10 years ago. Climate change is perfectly situated as a danger that humans appear unable to recognize due to the long delay between cause and consequence.

    114. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by amicusNYCL · · Score: 3, Informative

      We buy most of our oil, from ourselves. The vast majority of the rest is bought from Mexico and Canada. The largest of the insignificant provider nations is Venezuela. The amount of oil we buy from countries that, "Do not like us", is insignificant.

      The major supplier is in fact Canada. Saudi Arabia and Mexico are essentially tied for second, followed by Venezuela, then countries like Ecuador, Colombia, and Russia. Imports from Canada and the Persian Gulf countries account for a little over half of our total imports.

      http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pe...

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    115. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by garyisabusyguy · · Score: 1

      Well, I suppose that you would have to go back to before ww2 to find any US President who did not advocate for an aggressive stance in domestic spying or foreign military muscle flexing

      You will find differences in application of those policies

      In the good old days, domestic spying was not spoken about, the NSA was only called No Such Agency, and that was if you were even aware of the acronym.
      However, President Obama has placed more court oversight and review over the activities mandated by the Patriot Act than had existed for the several decades since ww2 (yes, it has been around that long)

      As far as foreign adventurism goes... That Kennedy was pretty much of a hawk and Johnson inherited his mess, but most Dem Presidents since him have either avoided placing troops into war zones,or sought to negotiate themselves away from those situations. Of course Nixon got us out of Vietnam (after spending years spouting domino theory bs and demanding that we go big and win it), but ever since then the rep Presidents have been pretty on the spot about wanting to go kick butt and place our soldiers in harms way (i.e. Grenada, Panama, Gulf War I, Gulf War II, Afghanistan)

      I suppose that you can find similarities, but I find the differences to be distinct and demonstrable

      --
      Wherever You Go, There You Are
    116. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by MrL0G1C · · Score: 1
      --
      Waterfox - a Firefox fork with legacy extension support, security updates and better privacy by default.
    117. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah those damn skeptics, publishing their peer-reviewed denialism in reputable journals ...

      "climate models [...] underestimate the magnitude of natural decade-to-decade climate wiggles [...] big enough that they could have accounted for a reasonable portion of the accelerated warming we experienced from 1975 to 2000"

      "Comparing the Model-Simulated Global Warming Signal to Observations Using Empirical Estimates of Unforced Noise,” Patrick T. Brown, Wenhong Li, Eugene C. Cordero and Steven A. Mauget; Scientific Reports, April 21, 2015. DOI: 10.1038/srep09957

      http://www.nature.com/srep/201...

    118. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by amicusNYCL · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You sound the people claiming that climate change is not real because it snowed in New England this winter. That's about as intelligent as claiming that no one in the world is starving because you can get in your car and drive to a grocery store down the street.

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    119. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 0

      Uber is another example. Regular people have widely embraced services like Uber, because they offer many advantages over traditional taxis, they are a welcome change. The major noise against Uber is coming, again, from the people losing money and business to them.

      Very bad example.
      Might be true in the US, or India. Places where people value money above everything or are so poor that they take the risk.

      I will never ride in an Uber car unless it follows the same restrictions a traditional cab does.
      Sorry, the two Euro saved is not worth it, getting raped, robbed, abducted or crashed in an accident or crashed in an accident where suddenly is no insurance.
      No, thank you.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    120. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      You seem to be the dumbest US citizen I have ever seen.

      We buy most of our oil, from ourselves. The vast majority of the rest is bought from Mexico and Canada. The largest of the insignificant provider nations is Venezuela. The amount of oil we buy from countries that, "Do not like us", is insignificant.

      This is so false on all dimensions it is hard to believe you even wrote that.
      The USA are the biggest oil importing nation of the world.
      Your own oil would not even last you 10 years ...
      How can a person be so retarded?
      http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pe...

      Or simply google for "USA oil imports"

      (*facepalm*)

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    121. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by lgw · · Score: 1

      That's not even the right question. The right question is: how much money will we save by reducing CO2 emissions by X, to at least 1 significant figure of accuracy? How much will it cost to make that reduction, to at least 1 significant figure of accuracy?

      We don't know shit when it comes to that sort of prediction, and without that, policy is pure fashion statement and political posturing, not science-informed.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    122. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by rrohbeck · · Score: 1

      All of those resources will last for an infinite amount of time because at some point they'll be too dilute, hence costly, to extract. That metric is meaningless.

      What matters is what flow rate you can get out at a cost that's acceptable to the economy, and by that measure we're running out of oil and have so for a couple of years, since we're now scraping the bottle of the barrel with tight oil and tar sand. Now that tight oil is peaking it's probably a matter of a few years until we reach peak total liquids. But by then the statistics will probably lump other fossil fuels in with liquid hydrocarbons so the graph doesn't look lousy, just as they did when they lumped various type of nonconventional oil, NGL and biofuels in with crude and called it all "oil." With the old style of EIA/IEA reporting the peak would be too obvious.

    123. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by tbannist · · Score: 1

      But that's a largely irrelevant question. The relevant questions are: what is going to happen in the future, what are the costs and benefits, can we intervene, how risky is intervention, and should we intervene. The science related to those questions is highly uncertain, and many of those questions are primarily about values, preferences, and economics, not climate.

      The libertarians (among others) are very, very scared of having an honest discussion about those issues, which is why they continually attempt to deny that climate change exists or has an anthropogenic cause. That is why we keep having the same moronic debate about whether climate change is real. We can talk about what we're going to do about it, when half of the people are listening to professional liars who are paid to sideline that debate for their sponsors, who are pretty happy with the status quo and afraid of change.

      --
      Fanatically anti-fanatical
    124. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by tnk1 · · Score: 1

      The problem is that these Republicans are seeing the economic requirements of something like Kyoto as an economic problem which disadvantages the United States, which is most certainly does.

      The real problem isn't that these people deny climate change or even science, the problem is that we've been hearing about "peak oil", "population bombs" and the like for so long that these folks are hearing people crying wolf. So they view it, not as a scientific problem, but a political tempest in a teapot that has been manufactured to get Democratic party votes. And thus they view using this BS as fair game politically, because in the end, that's what they think they're getting.

    125. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by tbannist · · Score: 2

      Allow me to quote from your link:

      "Scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is unequivocal. - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change"

      Ok, great... how much of that is man-made change?

      You could read the report

      for yourself or you can look at a pretty graph that summarizes the findings.

      What can we do about it if so?

      There are a variety of strategies that we could try but the simplest, easiest, and cheapest solution is to apply a price to carbon emissions. Any economist can tell you that charging for emissions will reduce them.

      What does that cost?

      Very little, many of the economies with carbon emission taxes are outperforming their neighbours, who don't have emission taxes.

      What does it cost to adapt to it rather than try and change it the other way?

      Generally speaking, estimates of adaptation costs that have them running around 2-4 times as much as mitigation are considered to be low-balling the costs.

      --
      Fanatically anti-fanatical
    126. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, please. If he instead expressed skepticism, you would've dismissed him as a religious bigot, who believes the Earth was created 5 thousand years ago by a Deity and given to Man to control, and is not a scientist.

      Now you are willing to praise him because he agrees with you. Bah...

      And if instead he had said "meow" he'd be a cat. What exactly is your point? That instead of listening to his words and deciding how to react, it is better to blindly react without actually listening to what he is saying because "OMG POPE!"?

    127. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by tbannist · · Score: 1

      Here is a graph showing human factors versus natural factors over the last 50-65 years. By themselves, the natural factors would have the earth cooling, which it has actually been doing since the end of the last ice age. So global warming is actually slightly more than 100% anthropogenic.

      --
      Fanatically anti-fanatical
    128. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by briniel · · Score: 0

      How about a friendly wager? My damning you and your entire bloodline to hell for eternity (including your pope) vs. your catastrophic AGW scenarios. Whichever happens first wins! Good luck.

    129. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      Hence the qualifier "widely". I've seen no data to show that assaults by Uber drivers are any more likely than assaults by "regular" taxi drivers, and I haven't heard of any reports talking about a crash involving an Uber vehicle where the passenger got injured and screwed. Not that they haven't happened, I just haven't seen any reports. I've heard a lot of people talking about hypotheticals, but no reports. I suspect that much of that FUD is being injected into the conversation by interested parties.

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    130. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Dcnjoe60 · · Score: 1

      That isn't greed, it is logic and practical.

      Let's use logic.

      Assume that climate change is a natural phenomenon. If we choose do ignore it then there is no harm. If we choose not to ignore it, it can have negative impact on the economy and the accumulation of wealth.

      Now, assume that climate change is because of human activity. If we do nothing, then there are catastrophic consequences. If we so something, we can mitigate those consequences at a cost to the economy and the accumulation of wealth.

      So, if as you say, the science is not accurate enough to say one way or another, then we can't really look at the cost of guessing right, but instead, must look at the cost of guessing wrong.

      If we guess wrong, we can hurt the economy and the accumulation of wealth or we can have catastrophic changes in the planet's environment, which will ultimately also disrupt the economy and the accumulation of wealth.

      As such, if science can't determine the cause, is it not most prudent and logical to take steps to prevent catastrophic changes to the environment even if that means unnecessarily disrupting the economy? After all, the economy will recover, even if we guess wrong, but the life on this planet, may very well not.

    131. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by HiThere · · Score: 2, Informative

      Yes, but there are degrees of danger. I'll agree that it's probably too late to avoid ocean acidification, considerable sea level rise, and Arctic meltdown. Antarctic meltdown is probably still partially avoidable, though it's uncertain how much melting is already committed to.

      But if we *don't* start addressing the problem seriously now, total Antarctic melting will happen. That means a sea level rise in at least the meters category, if not the dekameters. If we were to seriously address the problem starting today we could probably hold the sea level rise to the decimeter range. So it's not too late to avoid some of the problems, even though there are other problems that are now unavoidable.

      As for "geoengineering"....ugh! The dangers can be worse than the risks avoided, and due to the feedback loops it's not always clear which are the safer choices.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    132. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Dcnjoe60 · · Score: 1

      The difference being? Both are ultimately driven by fear.

      Well, the creationist is making his decision of what to do about climate change out of ignorance. The other is consciously putting financial gain over the common good.

    133. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I guess you're right; we don't import from ourselves...

      (*facepalm*)

    134. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by HiThere · · Score: 1

      If you are talking about the parties, you have a point. If you are talking about the adherents of the parties, you need your eyes/ears checked.

      For some reason the Republican party has become attractive to a wide spectrum of lunatics who are also science deniers. Some of them have a clear economic motive, to the point where I sometimes attribute their speeches/actions to malice rather than ignorance and close-mindedness. This was not the case even as recently as the 1970's, and I wasn't paying attention when it happened. The Democratic party is attractive to lunatics, also, but most of *them* aren't science deniers. I don't know why the difference happened. (Please note: There is a big difference between the party powers and the supporters, though there is overlap, and the Republicans actually seem to support the feelings of them supporters more accurately than do the Democrats.)

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    135. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by oh_my_080980980 · · Score: 1

      There aren't two sides. When you have 99% of the researchers saying that global warming is happening, you don't give the 1% the same weight.

    136. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Most skeptics don't believe what you claim they do anymore than most Christians believe the earth is 5000 years old.

      Generally skeptics just know climate "scientists" can't predict the future. They are perfectly able to measure current CO2 levels and stick a thermometer out and measure the temperature, but they have proven time and time again over the last 5 decades that they are abysmally bad at predicting the future.

      Not that long ago if you believed climatologists we were heading towards another ice age. More recently they failed to account for the fact that the earth has oceans and for the last decade the temperature hasn't gone up like they predicted.

      Man made, sure, but an issue? We just don't know and climatologists have been as successful as a monkey with a calculator so far, so why should we believe them now?

    137. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by oh_my_080980980 · · Score: 1

      When they deny scientific evidence that's called a denier not a skeptic.

    138. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I notice you list a bunch of differences between the two major parties, but they all seem to paint the Republicans as inarguably inferior to the Democrats. It seems to me that you're biased in favor of the Democrats and this bias is affecting your judgement.

      For example, only one [party] is trying to promote unconstitutional measures to further infringe on the right to bear arms. Perhaps your support for stronger gun laws has blinded you to the fact that instead of pushing for an amendment to the constitution which repeals the second amendment, the Democrats are seeking to promote legislation that is (to any competent person, i.e. not SCOTUS) clearly prohibited by the second. On this point, the Republicans are objectively better (regardless of what you think about gun regulation itself, as I'm talking solely about the constitutionality of the approach).

      Yet you didn't list this as one of the clear differences between the two major parties. I suspect this is because you're not so much interested in demonstrating how they are different (and I agree with GP: they're not meaningfully different) as you're interested in demonstrating why someone ought to vote Democrat.

      tl;dr: Stop throwing away your vote. Vote third party.

      Disclosure: I used to vote primarily Democrat, and now I vote primarily third party. I'm probably biased against the two major parties.

    139. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by grimmjeeper · · Score: 1

      Sadly, there are some who argue (incorrectly) that the genome is something too complicated to evolve on its own and is therefore proof of instant creation.

    140. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by oh_my_080980980 · · Score: 1

      Tell that to all the climate researchers out there that published research to the contrary.

    141. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by tbannist · · Score: 1

      So, those that denounce the skeptics are the ones actually being "anti-science".

      I guess you must be anti-science too, since you are denouncing the people who are skeptical of the skeptics...

      When you start attacking people that disagree with you, all you are left with is dogma, which is more dangerous and harmful than debating an evolving science.

      So why are you attacking the people who are skeptical of the self-proclaimed skeptics?

      --
      Fanatically anti-fanatical
    142. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by pnutjam · · Score: 2

      Well, the church has already alienated all it's socially liberal members. It's about time it went after the conservatives.

    143. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by oh_my_080980980 · · Score: 1

      See that's the nice thing. We don't have to listen to you because you are not a scientist. So it doesn't matter what you think. The science has shown that reducing CO2 levels will help reduce the rising temperature. The fact that don't understand this doesn't matter. But I guess you don't accept that Earth is round, or that there' gravity or tiny little objects called quarks. Perhaps you're one of those nutjobs who thinks vaccinations cause autism.

    144. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by bledri · · Score: 1

      "But only one wants to eliminate the entire "welfare state" (sorry joke that it is in this nation), and roll the clock back to the pre-1930s." And the other one wants to stop building absolutely everything, repudiating the proudest parts of its own history, and take us back to the Bronze Age.

      No, it's the same party (Republicans) that want a return to the bronze age. No regulations, might makes right, women are chattel, etc... Though truthfully, the Republicans prefer the Middle Ages. Yes, many extreme liberals dream of a fantasy "Age of Gia" just as extreme conservatives dream of a fantasy "Randian" period. Neither period existed. Life used to be much more brutal, and the human species survived largely by banding together (rarely in some communist equalitarian fantasy, but first as tribes, later as city states, etc.) Nature never made it easy to go it alone. The reactionaries on both sides of the aisle or full of shit, wanting to return to a time that never existed.

      --
      Some privacy policy Slashdot.
    145. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Taylor123456789 · · Score: 0

      I really don't see the distinction. You can question both the data (evidence) and the conclusion as part of the scientific process [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method].

    146. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by oh_my_080980980 · · Score: 1

      Umm apparently you missed the bit where the heartland said "The Earth has been warming since the end of the last Ice Age" and therefore it's nothing to be concerned about. The dishonesty on your part is that deniers accept the scientific evidence.

    147. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by oh_my_080980980 · · Score: 1

      A skeptic does not deny scientific evidence.

    148. Re: Seems he has more of a clue by smaddox · · Score: 1

      If only that were true...

    149. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by narcc · · Score: 0

      Actually yes, science is settled.

      Then it's not science.

      Science is rarely overturned.

      You're not familiar with science, are you?

      Science cheerleaders like you have done more harm to the public understanding of science in the past decade than every creationist in history.

    150. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Ogive17 · · Score: 1

      I have used a similar argument with some hard headed friends. I also throw in an extra bit to really make their heads spin:

      If we reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, we no longer have to keep sending our young men and women to the middle east to get involved in fights that cannot be won. Isn't the best way to support our troops to go green?

      Conservatives are more "rah rah" about the military and seemingly more "rah rah" about sending them off to fight.. I just don't understand why most military personelle vote Republican. I'd want a President and Congress that was going to keep me close to home and only use me if our actual sovereignty was threatened.

      --
      "Action without philosophy is a lethal weapon; philosophy without action is worthless."
    151. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

      That's not even the right question. The right question is: how much money will we save by reducing CO2 emissions by X, to at least 1 significant figure of accuracy? How much will it cost to make that reduction, to at least 1 significant figure of accuracy?

      We don't know shit when it comes to that sort of prediction, and without that, policy is pure fashion statement and political posturing, not science-informed.

      Well yes, that too...

      But I've been saying for awhile now that the efforts being made won't make enough of a change to matter and the changes that WOULD be required will result in WWIII.

      It really is that simple. So we're screwed either way, if man-made climate change is real.

    152. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by danbob999 · · Score: 1

      Except that without taxes and regulations, Tesla wouldn't be successful and electric cars will never become mainstream, or at least it will be too late. Gas is taxed this favors electric cars. Car makers are regulated to push them towards selling more fuel-efficient vehicules. And coal will continue to be cheaper than nuclear. I agree we *can* solve the problem with technology. But that doesn't mean it will happen automatically, especially if we do not internalize the costs of pollution.

    153. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The skeptics are being fed by billionaires who have their own agenda.

      These billionaires have huge swathes of money tied up in industries that pollute, Oil, Car manufacturing, plastics, power generation (oil/gas/coal), etc etc etc

      Imagine the losses to be made if we could switch off oil overnight, how many billions are tied up in oil production, distribution , etc etc

      Imagine what would happen if these industries we force to be clean, again how many billions would it cost

      So, just like the tobacco industry, they are trying to create FUD to protect their money at the expense of everyone else.

    154. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by allcoolnameswheretak · · Score: 1

      European here. I follow American politics from afar, and from our trans-continental, somewhat neutral vantage point, I think it's safe to say that republicans or conservatives are, on average, the greater sociopaths by a margin.

      Glenn Beck? Rush Limbaugh? Sarah Palin? Donald Trump? Bill O'Reilly? Ann Coulter?

      I have yet to find people that sprout such incredible nonsense as the above characters among democrats/liberals.

    155. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

      There are a variety of strategies that we could try but the simplest, easiest, and cheapest solution is to apply a price to carbon emissions. Any economist can tell you that charging for emissions will reduce them.

      Ok, lets say we tax carbon... how much do we have to tax it to make a difference that will matter?

      How do we get the whole world to do this?

      What level of CO2 output do we have to reduce the planet to, to make a difference?

      ---

      From what I've read (and yes, I have read up on it), we'd need to, more or less, cut our current CO2 emissions in half, and do it pretty soon, to change the long term outcome.

      Would that money be better spent preparing for the change which, in all honesty, is likely coming anyway?

      We might cut the future increases, but cutting to half of current levels? I don't see that happening, you'd need FAR more than a carbon tax to make that happen.

    156. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by BCGlorfindel · · Score: 1

      Me:...we know we are emitting a lot of CO2 and that CO2 contributes to warming.
      You:...The science has shown that reducing CO2 levels will help reduce the rising temperature. The fact that don't understand this doesn't matter.

      Are you new to the language, cause it seems you agree with me, then call me out as dense for agreeing with you.

      I think maybe I confused you by later saying I do not see compelling evidence that slashing CO2 is a good course, and see the balance of evidence actually suggesting it is a waste of time.

      When I say slashing, I mean forced and abrupt cuts of 10% or more on global emissions for no other reason than lowering our carbon footprint. The economic cost to achieve that today is huge. The alteration to each of the IPCC projections for future temperatures though wouldn't change enough to notice it at the resolution their figures are printed. That's how dominant the current CO2 concentrations are against what we will undoubtedly add to it in the future. That's not a lot of benefit at great cost. Much better we spend the same billion plus dollars on adaptation measures like dikes and water management in at risk regions. I then later reference Tesla, because the switch to electric cars that WILL happen in the next 50 years will cut that same 10% of emissions or more and with an economic boost too in place of a huge cost.

      I know, nuanced opinions have no place in the climate debate, but I hold one none the less.

    157. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by rahvin112 · · Score: 1

      We buy most of our oil, from ourselves. The vast majority of the rest is bought from Mexico and Canada. The largest of the insignificant provider nations is Venezuela. The amount of oil we buy from countries that, "Do not like us", is insignificant.

      Nearly 15% of the oil purchased by the USA is from Saudi Arabia (hundreds of millions of dollars a month), arguably one of the countries most hostile to the American way of life. The recent decline in oil prices was precisely because the Saudi's were not willing to lose that 15% market share to tight oil.

      Our interest in Middle Eastern oil is due to the lack of oil reserves in western Europe. Even without any US demand on Middle Eastern oil, the US will have a continued interest in the region until Western Europe transitions off of crude.

      Which is exactly what the OP implied, generally moving away from fossil fuels by the west. Doing so will nearly eliminate western concerns in the middle east. The US is forced to maintain free market access to those oil supplies because any disruptions affects american prices.

    158. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by shaitand · · Score: 1

      Sure. But neither party actually wants you to end up with healthcare. Still it's a good example.

      The actual information is that we provide a comparable or lower level of care for your average person in the United States than other developed nations. The UK spends less per person providing complete health and dental coverage than the United States spends in tax dollars per capita per person while the United States provides no healthcare. We accomplish nothing but a rigged and closed healthcare system with an FDA protection racket for pharmaceuticals companies and medical equipment manufacturers.

      There is nothing magical about state provided healthcare that would suddenly make private medical institutions disappear. The costs would likely go up since you'd have reduced volume but you don't have to outlaw private medicine to have public medical staff.

      The actual information is that the top 0.01 percent in this nation have 90% of the wealth in the United States, while the lower 99.99% generate 100% of that wealth and that 0.001% pay a tax rate comparable to or lower than that of the lowest income bracket. It's a bit misleading to target the top 1%, that drops the threshold low enough to include many engineers, doctors, and most lawyers. Those people work for a living, there is more than enough room to target the problem group and have a more reasonable distribution of wealth (and therefore power) without impacting those people.

      The democrats are better at creating the illusion that they interested in fixing these problems than the republicans. Neither group actually wants that. Obamacare wasn't about giving everyone healthcare, obamacare was about putting money in the pockets of insurance companies while lowering the bar for the coverage they actually have to provide. Obamacare was about overpaying even more. And that is exactly how a free market system works in practice, the insurance companies can afford to buy more politicians and to pay lobbiest to whisper constantly in the ears of those politicians on every fine point of every bill than those who depend on insurance to pay their medical expenses therefore they get better representation. That is no different than someone who has more money getting better legal representation, superior medical care, or a superior education.

    159. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by budgenator · · Score: 1

      I'm afraid the burden of proof is on you to show the results of all your experiments proving climate change is not happening. The overwhelming evidence we have is that *is* occurring - so any disproof of this needs presenting far more than any more corroboration.

      Which is how science works, BTW.

      Warming trend has been flatline for over 18 years, the Arctic summer sea-ice that was predicted to be gone two years ago, is recovering and Antarctic seaice is near record levels; the burden is on you.

      --
      Apocalypse Cancelled, Sorry, No Ticket Refunds
    160. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you think things aren't equal and this needs correcting--something that is itself fair and reasonable--the correct way to address it is to help *everyone who is disadvantaged equally without regard to status* this equal help will help those who have been disproportionately disadvantaged more than those who have not. But it does so in a self-correcting manner, without prejudice.

      Doing so in a non-neutral way simply builds up resentment as people are treated in a prejudiced way based on their skin color and will perpetuate conflict.

    161. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by mi · · Score: 1

      What exactly is your point?

      The point is that the pontiff's — or, for that matter, any other non-scientist celebrity — agreement with a supposedly scientific argument, adds no more weight to it, than a disagreement by the same celebrity would have removed.

      OMG POPE!

      That's exactly the attitude I was ridiculing.

      --
      In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    162. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

      So, if as you say, the science is not accurate enough to say one way or another, then we can't really look at the cost of guessing right, but instead, must look at the cost of guessing wrong.

      There are lots of things that we "could be doing", and aren't.

      How about searching for killer asteroids that could do to us what was done to the dinos?

      Even if we found one tomorrow, we haven't developed anything to deal with it.

      Perhaps the money would be better spent building a permanent colony on Mars to give us a backup to Earth. That would be expensive, but it also would help us develop many new technologies that we can only dream of today, and the process of transforming Mars would teach us much about Earth.

    163. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Taylor123456789 · · Score: 0

      Bad data routinely gets questioned by other scientists.

      http://retractionwatch.com/

    164. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by budgenator · · Score: 1

      Interesting, most of the references on your linked page is from 2006, the newest is 2011. NASA seems to think that there is Decreased snow cover (the 2011 reference), yet when you follow their link to the actual data, you see the snow cover anomaly hovers around zero; if there newest reference is that far off now, one wonders about the older stuff.

      --
      Apocalypse Cancelled, Sorry, No Ticket Refunds
    165. Re: Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And I suppose the "flat earth skeptics" should have just been called deniers and idiots instead engaging in actual debate. Just because a majority holds a view doesn't meant it is correct and that all challenges should be thrown out.

      Trying to wholesale label those that disagree as simply in denial is not the way of proper science. It means you are annoyed and want to silence dissenters.

      With all of the lies and fakes studies and hyperbole, it makes sense that there would still be those that are skeptic. We need to weed out the bad seeds fabricating info and release enough perfectly honest studies for a while, and the skeptic movement will die out on its own.

    166. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by lgw · · Score: 1

      Hell, I'm not even sure we're screwed. I believe that the most probable future is the return of glaciation in the ongoing Quaternary Ice Age, and we'll be glad of all our CO2 to keep the glaciers out of Central Europe and the US for another century or two once it starts. One things for sure: the economic damage from a significant drop in temp (which we're 10k years overdue for) is worse than the equivalent rise in temp. For all that rising sea levels will suck, glaciers covering most of the temperate zones is worse.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    167. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by bmo · · Score: 1

      The difference is that creationists deny science because of their faith. These guys deny science because of greed.

      There really isn't any difference when your faith consists of greed.

      "Mammon, n. The god of the world's leading religion. His chief temple is in the city of New York"

      -- Ambrose Bierce "The Devil's Dictionary"

      --
      BMO

    168. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1) Businesses are comprised of people, 2) Not all people think like you do

    169. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Immerman · · Score: 1

      Automobiles are only responsible for a fraction of global CO2 emmissions - how are Teslas going to reduce emissions from factories, residential and commercial power consumption, concrete production, international shipping, etc? They're not. Cars are only one part of the problem - a part that needs to be solved, but that's just the beginning, not the end. And the clock is counting down fast.

      Meanwhile coal and natural gas are only getting cheaper, while nuclear is unlikely to be truly competitive until we crack cheap fusion (and that's ignoring the long-term externalized expenses of waste disposal). Renewables have potential, but will require massive investments in power storage technology before they can supply more than a small fraction of total consumption.

      I do agree that, thanks to regulatory capture, government intervention tends to cause as many problems as it solves - but then that also suggests a first-step solution: Let's remove all government "subsidies" from the fossil fuel industry. No more wars to secure cheap oil. No more subsidies or tax breaks for exploration and exploitation. No more exemptions from environmental regulations. No more immunity from prosecution for companies poisoning our groundwater with fracking chemicals.

      Unfortunately that's not going to happen any time soon - too many entrenched interests willing to funnel a portion of their ill-gotten gains back into the system to keep the money flowing. The best we can hope for is a similar level of subsidies and regulatory advantages for the competition - the established interests fight those too, but without the urgency brought against direct attacks to their current cash cow.

      --
      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    170. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Berkyjay · · Score: 2

      Can you explain further where you are getting the 2006 number? Most of the studies seem to be recently up to date. As for the Rutgers study. That is up to date to 2014. There is also a clear decrease in snow coverage. Maybe we're reading the chart differently. But there is a huge dip in 1990 of snow coverage and from then on the coverage never recovers to pre-1990 levels.

    171. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The point is that the pontiff's — or, for that matter, any other non-scientist celebrity — agreement with a supposedly scientific argument, adds no more weight to it, than a disagreement by the same celebrity would have removed.

      OP never claimed otherwise.

      OMG POPE!

      That's exactly the attitude I was ridiculing.

      So you were ridiculing an attitude that OP did not express. Doesn't make sense to me, but ok.

    172. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      True, however because it takes so long for our efforts to become evident, and because our efforts cost so much...effort...it's far easier to say "Meh, it's happened before" and then go binge watch The Voice.

    173. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      BS. Fossil fuels have given us better health and longer life expectancy than any people before us. That is a fact.

    174. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      Are you aware of the fact that US has actually been exporting more oil than it imports lately? Or that it is the single biggest oil producer in the world?

    175. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Perhaps, but who will develop the new technologies?
      Without taxes, rules and regulations, things are just fine the way they are.
      There's little incentive to change.

    176. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by RoknrolZombie · · Score: 1

      I don't think you know what the word "wager" means.

    177. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What a stupid comment, like most here on Slashdot.

      Creationists do not deny science as much as they deny pseudo-science.
      There is no question that climate change is a natural phenomenon. The question is: Are humans speeding up the process, un-naturally.

    178. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      People will happily embrace new things when it makes their lives easier and better.
      You just chose some things that illustrate the point you wanted to make.

      Things people are afraid of:
          gays
          coloreds
          having their guns taken away
          taxes, apparently

      Very few people have deep rooted views about telephones.
      You can't cherry pick. There is more fear out there than not.
      The choices we, as a people, make should be for the most good for the most people and let's try not to be myopic about it.

    179. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by KeensMustard · · Score: 1

      The point is that the pontiff's — or, for that matter, any other non-scientist celebrity — agreement with a supposedly scientific argument, adds no more weight to it, than a disagreement by the same celebrity would have removed.

      That's right.

      Claims by denialists: be they celebrities, shock jocks, politicians, random guys on the internet, make not one speck of difference to the actual science, since the laws of physics can't be defied, no matter the the strength of opinion otherwise.

      It turns out that facts are, in fact, factual.

    180. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      Considering Kyoto had nothing to say about China, I would tend to agree with Bush. The US has kept to Kyoto without signing, while China has completely dwarfed all of the Kyoto changes.

      Cruz is actually correct as well, over the last 15 years there was a hiatus in the warming. How is that being a denier to point out a problem with the theory that exists (and has been explained...)?

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    181. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      That is kind of funny you mention it, the invisible hand did kind of help as the recent recession caused the US to keep Kyoto's requirements even though they were not a signatory.

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    182. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For the lazy, that comes out to ~405km^3 of fresh water disappearing into the sea per year. For perspective, that's enough to cover California in ~42 inches of water.

    183. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by RingDev · · Score: 1

      While you are facepalming you should wipe the egg off your face. And try googling for "USA oil production"

      The US produced 3.1 billion barrels of oil last year.
      http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pe...

      The US imported 3.3 billion barrels of oil last year.

      So I guess my statement wasn't perfectly accurate as we don't produce more than 50% of our own oil, and a significant portion of what we do produce is distributed internationally.

      Although, if you look at the trend, over the last 5 years we've reduced our oil imports by 900 million barrels a year while increasing our oil production by 1.2 billion barrels a year. At current rate by 2016 we will be producing more than we are importing.

      So while I would admit to embellishing the statement a little, I think your dramatization is a bit much. ;)

      -Rick

      --
      "Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
    184. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by ilsaloving · · Score: 1

      All fair points. And also don't forget about the ridiculous bailout the Democrats gave Wall Street too. They should have been put in jail, not given a free ride.

      It's really distressing. The choices are basically, do you want a lubricated glove (Democrats), or a chainsaw (Republicans). But you still need to bend over regardless.

      Only reason I lean towards the Democrats, is that there is at least a theoretical chance that a good person may make it to the top, like Elizabeth Warren or that other guy that recently threw his hat in (I forget his name now...). With the Republicans, it's very clear they will do everything they can as quickly as they can, to make sure world burns and force their messiah to come down a toast gold-plated marshmallows on the world's charred remains.

    185. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by neoritter · · Score: 1

      Believing that something not being a top priority isn't still a priority fail.

    186. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by pastafazou · · Score: 1

      And in the end, the "solution" to climate change will be.taxes. And CO2 will continue to rise, and the planet will continue to not die. And the foolish citizens will continue to pay more and more for less and less, while Republicans and Democrats fundraise, live lavishly on taxpayer funded expense accounts, take bribes from lobbyists and foreign interests, hire friends and family, steer government contracts to organizations that will continue to line the politicians' pockets.

    187. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      On health care, we've got more meaningful competition between insurance companies, and individual people can now get health insurance at affordable rates. It's still the worst health care delivery system in the developed nations, but it's significantly better than it was. As far as Social Security goes, while the trust fund is an accounting device, it is meaningful, and approximately all Americans alive have paid into it for all their working lives, so there is no good solution. I'd be happy to trade all of my Social Security benefits for a refund of what's been sent in as Social Security taxes over my working life, adjusted for inflation and with a reasonable compounded interest rate applied.

      Pulling back on foreign military adventures is a good idea, much better than invading Iraq was. Most of non-ex-USSR Europe is NATO, and is unlikely to be cowed by Putin's Russia. We may need to be more reassuring to our Estonian and Latvian allies, yes. Islamists are going to fight, and putting more US troops in to try to control it is at least as likely to foment more trouble there. In the meantime, they're mostly in the Middle East, with very limited capabilities outside that area. Again, there are no really good answers.

      This is not to say I approve of anywhere near everything Obama is doing, but I think he's doing better than you're painting it in the areas you mentioned.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    188. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If consensus was science, then the sun would revolve around the Earth. If consensus was science, then the Earth would be flat. But for a few brave people that stood up and risked everything, we now know that the Earth is not the center of the solar system and is not flat. The same applies to AGW. Statements such as yours show you are anti-science.

      Did you know that there has been no statistically significant warming in over 18 years? Did you know that governments and scientists have been altering the historical temperature record? Open your mind. Listen to alternative views. Be pro-science.

    189. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Rakarra · · Score: 1

      Glad to hear my right to marry my husband is crap that doesn't matter to a European. Good to know!

    190. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by pastafazou · · Score: 0

      Okay, I get itthe pope is right, because he's pitching in his support for climate changedespite the fact that he's a creationist, so anyone defending him gets modded up, and anyone pointing out that he's more about belief than he is about science gets modded downso let's throw you SJW's a curve ball then. The pope is against gay marriage: http://www.breitbart.com/natio... So is he right or wrong on this one?

    191. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Rakarra · · Score: 1

      I'm not saying President Bush was a friend to the environment or that he wasn't a lunatic or helped the fight against climate change.. of course not. But the Kyoto Protocol always sucked. It's whole purpose was to put strict caps on more advanced countries, regulations that "developing" countries didn't have to abide by. The more suspicious among us suspected that its primary purpose was to transfer wealth and resources out of the rich countries and into the poor.

      You can believe quite staunchly that something should be done about climate change, but disagree with specific plans to address it. That doesn't make you a science denier. Sure, it could still make you an opportunist or a whatever.

    192. Re: Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The problem is that the "99%" figure, apart from being constantly misquoted as higher than it actually was, was only produced by one paper, written and peer reviewed by academic pro-AGWers (a student and her professor), and only achieved by excluding from the result scientists from fields that would be in the best position to explain climate change from altenative perspectives (such as astronomers, meteorologists, geologists, physicists etc).

    193. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by mi · · Score: 1

      It turns out that facts are, in fact, factual.

      That's true about all facts, whether identified by denialists or alarmists.

      If you'd like to talk about particular ones, however, please, see my challenge in the post higher up.

      --
      In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    194. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      Well, there really is little wrong with telling people to pollute less, especially since technical issues are becoming increasingly trivial. But if the whole *we must do something* routine can get get us ginned up for war so easily, there's no reason not to try it here and see what kind of reaction it provokes. Some times the magic works, some times it doesn't. Going back to my original post, I only said we are not required to follow bad example.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    195. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We buy most of our oil, from ourselves. The vast majority of the rest is bought from Mexico and Canada. The largest of the insignificant provider nations is Venezuela. The amount of oil we buy from countries that, "Do not like us", is insignificant.

      Tell me, if the middle east stopped pumping oil; do you think your local oil producers would sell you the oil for the same price they are selling it now? or would they cash in on the huge overseas oil market where the prices just went up a hundred fold.

      And tell me, would your government restrict the sale of oil outside of its own borders? Or would people complain about the big government interference in the market?

      While you may not actually buy the oil from overseas; it is an international market, and the amount of oil being produced everywhere else directly impacts the price of your oil at home.

    196. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good work; you attacked his argument on the "Technicality" that you don't buy oil from the middle east.

      But you completely failed to attack his argument for the point it was making. That is, you are dependent on oil, and a large contributor to world oil supplies is the middle east. Without the middle east oil production, oil costs more money everywhere. (Supply and demand).

      So, sure, you win "Technically" but fail to change the point of his post - relying on oil is the problem, because it [indirectly] makes you reliant on middle east oil production.

    197. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by grimmjeeper · · Score: 2

      Except that he's not a creationist. Read it for yourself here. The reason people are getting modded down is because they're saying things that are factually untrue with regards to his stance on evolution and creationism. Hell, a significant portion of the work on advancing the science of evolution has been done by some very prominent Catholics over the years.

      Your non sequitur about other issues is irrelevant to the topic at hand so you'd be better off leaving that one out of the discussion.

    198. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Rakarra · · Score: 1

      3) If it were not for oil, our interest in the middle east would decline greatly, which would be a good thing. If Muslims want to kill Muslims, that sounds like their problem. There is no "right" side in a conflict like that.

      Oh, so not, NOT true. We look and we see "Well, the US has great interest in the Middle East. The Middle East has oil. Therefore, the US's interest is because of oil."

      No, as long as there is an Israel, the US will have major interests in the Middle East. As long as there is wealth of any kind in the Middle East, the US will have major interests there. "Oil" has not been much of a compelling argument since the 70s.

    199. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Does everyone on this site type their first name into the body of each and every one of their posts as if it was somehow relevant to the content of the post, or am I just an obstinate twit?

      -Rick

    200. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A carbon tax will.

      Especially if you structure it right.
      Put a carbon tax on all products.
      Pay people the proceeds of the carbon tax.

      Cost to economy: zero [because you are handing the tax receipts back to the spenders] (well; administration; which is the "real cost" of the tax)

      Effect on the economy?: People who produce less carbon now have a lower cost base, than people who produce lots of carbon.
      Reduced-carbon products get cheaper; high-carbon products get more expensive. The economy still spends the same money (because you hand the tax receipts back remember?).

      How does this work?

      First imagine a situation where we make low-carbon products equal in price to high-carbon products.

      Car A costs $400, with a $100 carbon cost.
      Car B costs $300, with a $200 carbon cost.

      Person A buys car A, pays $500
      Person B buys car B [because fuck the environment I like V8s!], pays $500

      Government redistributes the carbon receipts of $300 evenly.

      Person A gets $150
      Person B gets $150

      Now; instead of Person A ending up with $100 in the bank, this "equalising carbon" price, has meant he is $50 better off.
      Person B is now $50 worse off for buying a more-carbon expensive car.

      Now lets increase the cost of carbon by 50%

      Car A costs $400 with $150 carbon tax.
      Car B costs $300 with $300 carbon tax

      Add the taxes, 450 spread them around equally

      Person A pays $550, receives back 225.
      Person B pays $600, receives back 225

      A spent 325
      B spent 375

      Basically, instead of not taxing carbon, where the people that buy super-high-carbon intensive products are being "subsidised" by the low-carbon emissions people, the carbon tax reverses this and makes the high-carbon-products subsidize the low-carbon products.
      They both produce *some* amount of carbon, but the ones that produce less will fundamentally cost less, and incentivise a reduction in carbon emitting products!

    201. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Antarctic melt has been postponed to 200 years.
      http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2015/04/how-long-does-it-take-antarctica/
      Just for comparison purposes two century ago Napoleon has been defeated at Waterloo. One century ago concerns about environmental disaster of accumulated horseshit in the cities were real too.

    202. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Rakarra · · Score: 1

      > Actually, the Big Bang theory was proposed by Georges Lemaître, a Belgian priest.

      And Galileo was Catholic, but that doesn't exactly mean the Church endorsed his views.

      Stephen Hawking mentioned in his book The Universe in a Nutshell, that Creationists were delighted with the Big Bang Theory, because they thought it was scientific proof of God's creation event. Young Earth Creationists, the ones believing in the 6000-year-old Earth, not so happy with the theory.

    203. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by DanielRavenNest · · Score: 1

      > Contrary to all the theories that – that they are expounding, there should have been warming over the last 15 years. It hasn't happened," said Cruz."

      Being from a hot state, Cruz should know that a drink doesn't warm up while the ice is melting. Melting ice takes the equivalent of raising water temperature by 70C, that's why it is so effective in your cold drinks. Well, the world's ice is melting - the Arctic ocean, Greenland, northern permafrost, mountain glaciers, and in the last few years Antarctica. That's soaking up a lot of the heating. And what he's talking about is air temperature, while a 5000 times larger heat sink, the oceans, are being ignored. They are also warming, as evidenced by ocean temperature measurements, but also by global average sea level rise as the water warms and expands. Once the atmosphere warmed a few degrees, which it has, on balance heat is flowing from the air to the water and ice. But the atmosphere is the smallest heat sink. The heat is going elsewhere.

    204. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by DanielRavenNest · · Score: 1

      > These guys deny science because of greed.

      Oh, the fossil fuel industry believes in science when it comes to geology and chemistry, that's where they make their money. I think deep in their hearts they believe in climate change too, but push the anti- view simply because it will give them a few more years to sell their product. The writing is already on the wall. India just raised their solar target to 8% of electric capacity in the next few years. China is installing 20 GW this year. Dubai for fuck's sake is installing massive amounts of solar panels, and they are a middle Eastern oil state. Courtesy of their sunny climate, the newest solar farms are coming in cheaper than fossil fuel. Renewable energy is being put in for the most unstoppable reason - it's becoming cheaper than the alternatives.

    205. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by rs79 · · Score: 1

      It's not up to anyone to deny global warming (or "Climate Cringe" us it's not called) it's up to those who believe in it to prove it's true.

      The arctic sea ice all grew back - how does that happen in a "warming world"

      Source: NASA.
      http://rs79.vrx.net/opinions/i...

      And it did this when Co2 was rising. If it was true that the loss of ice would make the world warmer because less is reflected back what does it mean now it's all back? Cooler yet maybe?

      CO2 stopped rising:
      http://www.iea.org/newsroomand...

      NOAA data shows cooling not warming:
      http://rs79.vrx.net/opinions/i...

      NASA PR guys mislead if not flat out lie:
      http://rs79.vrx.net/opinions/i...

      For most of earths history it's been about 8 degrees warmer. In historical context we're in a temperature trough and have nowhere to go but up:
      http://rs79.vrx.net/opinions/i...

      The polar bears are fine. One nutjob saw two cubs swimming and that was enough to start that alarmism. The latest monograph on the bears shows their population is increasing. It was down by 2/3 till we stopped most hunting, but look at what's still taken. Anyway the ice is back so who cars?
      http://rs79.vrx.net/opinions/i...

      Sadly this means that nutjob Cruz is right and Obama and Sanders are dead wrong, although I suspect they really mean "fight pollution" but it's better for optics for the worst polluters to say "we're fighting climate cringe" than "yeah we still pollute like crazy. Notice the regulatoin address pollution andnohtin gelse.

      Don't tell me it's warming, show me your evidence and I'll tell you if it's warming or not. Notice they never post temperatur graphs any more? Just weasel words like "10 of the warmest years occured in the past 20 years" - that's equally true with descending temperatures too. What they don't say is "each year is warmer than the previous one". Alti they's using outliers here, who cares about transitory peaks the trend is what matters and that's downward.

      --
      Need Mercedes parts ?
    206. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by DanielRavenNest · · Score: 1

      > Why don't you show how the current climate changing has anything to do with mankind. The burden of proof of that is on you.

      That the concentration of CO2 has risen by 40%, and that CO2 prevents heat from escaping the Earth, thus warming it, are facts that don't need proving. The issue is where is the CO2 coming from? Along with the total concentration going up, the ratio of Carbon-13 to Carbon-12 is changing. Plants slightly prefer the lighter isotope, because it diffuses and reacts faster. The only sources of enough plant-based carbon to account for the 120 ppm added added to the atmosphere are fossil fuels (which were plants once), and deforestation. Both of those are human caused changes. Inorganic sources of CO2, like volcanoes, don't care about isotopes. They don't cause a shift in the ratio, and thus are not the source.

      Ice cores keep a record of volcanic eruptions (dust gets trapped), and CO2 levels (trapped bubbles), and the respective isotopes. The oxygen component also has isotopes, that let you measure temperature (water with Oxygen-16 evaporates faster than Oxygen-18). Trees record weather patterns in their growth rings, and solar activity in their Carbon-14 content. Combine all of these, and we have a good historical record going back about a million years and four ice ages. The current changes look nothing like the natual cycles in the past.

    207. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by ILongForDarkness · · Score: 1

      States/nations not lobbying for "clean" coal because they just happen to have a lot of it will instead be lobbying for "clean natural gas" because they have a lot of it. Everyone likes the idea of nuclear power but most don't want it anywhere near their house. Till the fear/cost of climate change matches the fear cost of switching from burning crap and having a nuke in your backyard we'll keep burning stuff.

    208. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Rakarra · · Score: 1

      Approaching half a trillion tons of ice *per year* being melted seems an astounding amount.

      It is, but by far the worse news was ocean acidification. That threatens the collapse of our entire ocean marine food chain.

    209. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by ILongForDarkness · · Score: 1

      1) I've heard closer to 1000 years but still yeah limited. We've been saying 50 more years for the last 70 or so at least. Every time we run low we magically find a way of digging deeper wells, nature reserves no longer are in such need of protection etc. I think it is more like the economical supply of stuff to burn is running out, the rich will still be able to get it.

      2) Military and by proxy representatives with military interests in their districts will fight it tooth and nail because the only way to keep a big military is to have a boogie man that you need to be able to fight.

      3) Feeding into two: oil means the middle east is interesting, middle east being interesting means bases and wars there which justifies more military spending which creates jobs for people in your district, fodder for Bible thumpers to fire up their troops with etc.

    210. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by monkeyzoo · · Score: 1

      Just a couple degrees from here and you will have massive changes in precipitation patterns that wipe out agriculture across wide swaths of the Earth. Drought (of the 100-year-plus variety) will displace nations, and the commensurate geopolitical violence will accelerate the destruction of civilization. The CIA even predicts this. (They seem to be the only gov't agency that isn't a climate change denier.) So, sorry to say it, but the window of staving off disaster by conservation/reduction is closed. That's not to say we shouldn't do anything to reduce the forces we are putting into the system; I agree we must! But unfortunately we must also now begin preparing for interventions to mitigate the forces that have already been introduced into the system. Even perfect carbon recapture is inadequate, as we have already unleashed positive feedback loops like surface ice melt reducing albedo reflectivity and releasing methane. Welcome to the tipping point, ladies and gentleman. Next stop, the stone age.

      Attitudes like those of the fool here who said it won't happen for 200 years (as if that's a long enough delay between our actions and mass species extinctions, including our own, to make inaction justifiable) convince me this is a problem whose cause and effect are sufficiently separated to perfectly defeat our species' ability to recognize and avert the danger.

    211. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      OK, so as long as we aren't killing our species during the lives of our kids or their grandkids, just 200 years from now, I guess I can go back to the TV?

    212. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So what you saying is that one tells you what you want to ear and the other don't bit its tongue but at the end money talks
      so much of a difference then

    213. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Rakarra · · Score: 1

      Are you fucking serious? Who's paying whom here? Scientific institutions are raising billions from gullible governments. Individuals are making millions with their doom and gloom books, movies and TV shows. Careers and tenure are advanced by sticking to the narrative and not rocking the boat with annoying "scepticism". Very little useful science is being done. Government is wasting huge amounts of public money.

      Sceptics are about the only group of people in this whole magnificently idiotic charade with any integrity left.

      Ah yes, the old "It's a vast liberal conspiracy because climate scientists are all corrupt" refuge. Of course.

    214. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by sonicmerlin · · Score: 1

      You set up a thousand strawmen and shot them down. The emissions limits will demonstrably help the situation. Leaving it be without attempting to mitigate CO2 release will make the effects of climate change significantly worse. There's no "political theater", there's only the CO2 ppm and correlated temperature changes. It's not just "progressives" proposing solutions, but nearly all climate scientists who see how devastating the effects of unchecked climate change will be.

    215. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by NostalgiaForInfinity · · Score: 1

      The libertarians (among others) are very, very scared of having an honest discussion about those issues, which is why they continually attempt to deny that climate change exists or has an anthropogenic cause.

      I'm sorry, but you misunderstand that. Libertarians aren't "scared" of having an honest discussion with you about the existence of climate change, it simply isn't important to us.

      We can talk about what we're going to do about it,

      Yes, and the libertarian positions is: we looked at the evidence, the risks and threats scientists predict, and the IPCC reports and we think nothing needs to be done at the governmental level right now. Of course, as with all environmental issues, libertarians encourage you to make personal choices that you think help your fellow men, found companies that develop new technologies, and all that. Personally, I live in an energy-efficient home, bike to work, and eat very little meat.

      who are pretty happy with the status quo and afraid of change.

      It seems to me that you are afraid of change, namely climate change. Libertarians, on the other hand, don't fear change, including climate change, and believe that a free society and free markets can adapt well.

    216. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by NostalgiaForInfinity · · Score: 1

      Umm apparently you missed the bit where the heartland said "The Earth has been warming since the end of the last Ice Age" and therefore it's nothing to be concerned about. The dishonesty on your part is that deniers accept the scientific evidence.

      Which part of the Heartland statement do you believe contradicts scientific evidence? The Earth has been warming dramatically since the end of the last ice age. Temperatures have increased 6C (some of that in rapid spurts), sea levels have risen about 100m over a span of a little more than 10000 years, and climate has changed massively and repeatedly across the globe. Those changes have coincided with a flourishing of human civilization. All of that provides a strong argument that climate change is not necessarily something to be feared.

      You're welcome to try to construct arguments saying why climate change should matter to us anyway, but denying those plain scientific facts makes you the "denier", not the Heartland institute.

      Given recent climate history, if you try to make such arguments, you are getting into pretty speculative territory. For example, anthropogenic climate change is possibly faster than what humans experienced before, but that's no more than a guess, and it's not clear why it even should matter a great deal.

    217. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by NostalgiaForInfinity · · Score: 1

      The emissions limits will demonstrably help the situation.

      No, they won't. They will simply delay the point at which climate models claim that disaster will happen by some years.

      The only way to avert very high atmospheric CO2 concentrations is to stop burning fossil fuels as soon as possible, and for that, government intervention is counterproductive.

      There's no "political theater", there's only the CO2 ppm and correlated temperature changes.

      If climate models were based merely on correlation between CO2 ppm and temperature changes, we would have nothing to worry about. The dire predictions of climate modelers are based on assuming the existence of positive feedback mechanisms and the absence of sufficiently compensatory negative feedback mechanisms.

    218. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ah, I see. The rights of gay people, people of color, and women are "bullshit to get people worked up over petty, unimportant, feelgood crap." Let me guess: you're not gay, of color, or female. Because I assure you that to people who do fall into at least one of those categories, those are not unimportant issues! For that matter, weed, while much less important, is still a fairly big issue to many sick people who don't respond well to other medications; a not insignificant number of people. But, of course, to you, anyone who cares about weed must be a useless stoner...

      Way to straw-man. I'm not the GP, but I agree with the sentiment. The truth is, rights of minorities really are unimportant in the context of a world that has a very real danger of falling into the stone age. Sure, I believe gay people should be allowed to marry, but they've survived without legal marriage for the last 2000 years, and they're already able to claim most benefits of marriage, so it's not going to make a large functional difference to their lives.

      Meanwhile, climate change has the potential to render half the planet uninhabitable. With three degrees of warming, some credible climate scientists are predicting that about 2 billion people will starve to death, because those three degrees is the difference between farmland and desert.

      Even things like police-state NSA spying are feel-good crap by comparison. I'd rather be ruled by a dictator who prevents the planet from becoming effectively permanently uninhabitable, than be ruled by a perfect democracy that for some reason continues to destroy the planet's atmosphere. Even the worst authoritarian regimes never killed 2 billion people.

    219. Re: Seems he has more of a clue by djdarko · · Score: 1

      Well-said!

    220. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1) Fossil fuels are a limited supply. Maybe enough for another 50 years. Maybe 100. But still limited.

      Years of fossil fuel remaining is a bit vague. At current consumption rates? If we extrapolate the current curve, and assume we keep increasing fossil fuel usage at historical rates over this period (terrifying)?

      Sadly, there is a very great quantity of low-quality stocks available, and we only need for prices to increase to where it is economical to use them.

      The tar sands in Canada is a great example-- it IS insane to use this as a source of oil, and to the capitalists, it would have been insane to use this source in the 90s, but when crude hit $100/barrel it made economic sense. At current prices for crude, it probably doesn't make sense, but maybe it costs too much to shut down and then later startup operations, so they are keeping them running. There is also a great deal of coal in the world (liquefaction will allow it to replace conventional oil in existing applications when the price is right). Oil shale, very heavy crude, etc.

      We will seal our fates and destroy ourselves long before we run out of fossil fuels.

    221. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by sysrammer · · Score: 1

      The Force is Strong within this one.

      --
      His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
    222. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by bzipitidoo · · Score: 1

      "Propagandists" is the correct term. They aren't lying to themselves, they're lying to everyone else. They aggressively campaign to spread disinformation and bury facts, facts that they themselves know are correct. It's not clear whether they're performing extreme mental gymnastics to justify themselves, or they know they're liars and hypocrites who don't give a damn about reality, and would as happily sell any other snake oil, if it paid well.

      The problem is the people who give these organizations air by listening to them and even funding them. The name "Heartland Institute" confirmed my suspicions that the Pope wasn't being treated to honest skepticism, he was only being attacked by propaganda organs.

      --
      Intellectual Property is a monopolistic, selfish, and defective concept. It is "tyranny over the mind of man"
    223. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Trogre · · Score: 1

      Here's the thing:

      I am afraid. Afraid of being right.

      I want the climate change deniers to be right, because then the world will continue to be hospitable to our way of life in the future.

      --
      "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
    224. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

      That was the first rational, fact filled reply I can recall reading...

      I will do some reading up on that...

    225. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by KeensMustard · · Score: 1

      That's true about all facts, whether identified by denialists or alarmists.

      Not sure who you mean by "alarmists" unless you mean those people who erroneously claim that we don't know what has caused the recent warm spike (and we are therefore doomed). I just lump those deniers in with the rest of the gibbering mass of deniers.

      If you'd like to talk about particular ones, however, please, see my challenge in the post higher up [slashdot.org].

      You aren't in a position to proffer challenges. Your only role is to prove either (a) that the laws of physics can be defied or (b) that a vast time travelling zombie conspiracy rages across the planet, and the invisible ghost of Tyndall has tricked us into believing that CO2 is a greenhouse gas.

      The zombie Tyndall version is slightly more entertaining, but I'm sure the magical explanation will amuse as well. I leave the choice up to you. Now hop to it.

    226. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh please. The "science" as you call it is so hilariously filled with falsified data, intentional omissions and funding from industry groups that it's hopelessly tainted.

      Earth's climate changes. Always has. Always will. It's been warmer. And it's been colder.

      Looking at a fraction of a nanosecond of geologic time and thinking you're measuring ANYTHING is grossly unscientific, and illustrates a profound lack of a clue.

      Climate change skeptics ARE scientists.

      You're not.

    227. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree. These "Climate Scientists" (tm) are denying science by omitting data, falsifying evidence and accepting massive "bribes" from industry groups in the name of pure greed.

      Enough of these Climate Scientists. They need to stop denying the SCIENCE of Earth's forever changing climate. They need to stop pretending a nanosecond of geologic time is meaningful in any way.

      Climage Change Fanaticism == Anti-scientific bunk

    228. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      See that? He changed the argument.

      This is the kind of "moving the goalposts" that the anti-science "Climate Change" crowd constantly does.

      Correlation is not causality, son.

      You cannot point to Earth's constantly changing climate and then make the massive jump to conclusions that the change is anthropogenic.

      Earth's climate changes. It's never not been changing. The burden of proving ANTHROPOGENIC change is on you. And you have yet to do so.

    229. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dave420 · · Score: 1

      So you don't have any understanding of the issues, and just assume your wishes will come true. This is why we can't have nice things.

    230. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dave420 · · Score: 1

      You just heard about this now? No wonder you keep spouting nonsense. You have a lot to learn, it seems.

    231. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dave420 · · Score: 1

      You don't even realise you cited evidence that you are wrong as evidence you are right. No wonder this discussion is so difficult, when people like you assume you know what you're talking about, without even bothering to understand what you're saying.

    232. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dave420 · · Score: 2

      The science is settled as in much as there is no contradictory evidence. If some came along, then obviously the theories would be re-worked. The contradictory evidence hasn't been found yet, despite a multi-billion-dollar effort to discover it. Science is rarely overturned - you simply claiming perceived unfamiliarity does nothing to change that fact.

      I used to think you were logical, now it seems you have your limits. What a shame.

    233. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

      Those types of replies are why you get the same back in return.

      Why don't you try and tell me how much we have to cut to undo that change, in what time period, and how much that will cost.

      Pretend for a minute that everything is true and we're on a runway CO2 binge. Now what?

      Will cutting 10% make any real difference to the outcome? Is it worth the money spent?

      Saying "well anything we do helps" is nonsense, because if it doesn't make a real difference to the outcome, but crashes the economy in the process, then it was a stupid choice. Accepting the outcome and spending the money to adapt to it would make more sense.

      It is quite possible that the time to make real changes passed 20 years ago and we're well past that point.

      Kinda like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic 30 min after it hit the ice berg. Way, way past the point of mattering. Actually, in that case, getting people in the life boats "helps", but if the Carpathia had not come to their rescue, that wouldn't have mattered either, would it?

      What I see and hear in the media is a whole lot of "well we should do SOMETHING", except sometimes you shouldn't do something... it is a bunch of waving arms without any real conversation.

    234. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dave420 · · Score: 1

      You are making lots of assumptions which tell more about your opinions than the actual situation at hand. The "global warming/global cooling/global climate change" people don't go nuts and take it way too far. You are assuming the loudest voices represent the majority, which is patently untrue. Environmentalists on the whole are not against everything, but a few loud ones might be. Again, you are skimming the surface and accepting the loudest voices as representing everyone. That is clearly not going to make you very well informed.

    235. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dave420 · · Score: 1

      Not that "upend our entire economy" nonsense again. You are so misinformed about this whole discussion it's making my head spin. You are clearly intelligent, yet are parroting the same oft-debunked nonsense as many less-intelligent people have been doing for years. It's sad more than anything.

    236. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dave420 · · Score: 1

      The science is settled in as much as any scientific findings have to be in order to inform public policy. You saying otherwise doesn't make it so. Follow your own advice. This is getting tragic.

    237. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by haruchai · · Score: 1

      "We buy most of our oil from ourselves" - even if that were true, which it isn't, don't forget that oil is priced on the GLOBAL market.
      A re-enactment of the 1973 oil embargo would be a very, very bad thing for the US and present technology could not get the tar sands gunk converted quickly enough.

      --
      Pain is merely failure leaving the body
    238. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by haruchai · · Score: 1

      Before Nixon "got us out" of Vietnam, he made sure the USA stayed in it.

      http://www.bbc.com/news/magazi...

      --
      Pain is merely failure leaving the body
    239. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dave420 · · Score: 1

      You are seriously saying you can do the sums on the back of a napkin? And that entire fields of science are incorrect (despite their evidence) because you simply think so?

      The evidence you speak of for increasing crop yields is nonsense, as you are ignoring the problem of lands in climates suitable for agriculture not being where our current infrastructure is, and the soil in those places being completely unsuitable for plants. Also that our main staple crops lose nutritional content with more CO2, meaning those improved yields are a wash, would the crops be able to grow in the first place.

      Just admit it - you don't know what you're talking about, but the thought that you might have to change your lifestyle scares you. That's fine. Don't pretend to be informed, as you are making it patently clear with every nonsensical, gibbering post you make that you really have very little clue.

    240. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by sskang · · Score: 1

      Tesla got huge loans and subsidies from the US government, and continues to do so. It would be losing money on each car otherwise. If you don't believe me, do a search for Tesla on some of the more conservative/laissez faire-friendly business sites like Forbes, WSJ or Bloomberg, they're frothing mad about it. So yes, I agree with you -- technology will. But not without tangible, material help via government policy.

    241. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by SomeoneFromBelgium · · Score: 1

      Republicans scare me as well, but so too do the Democrats. Who thought turning over even more health care to the insurance companies was a good idea? They're the slimeballs who screwed it up in the first place. And try to get Democrats to understand the problem we'll have paying for all entitlements when they come due. They look at you like you are from Mars, claiming, by the way, the SS trust fund has x dollars in it. Really?[...]

      I'm not an American, so I don't know the details. But if you are talking about making sure that everyone has healthcare insurance, that seems simply common sense. Because in healthcare there is no choice. If someone gets ill it's better to do something about it sooner than later. If you wait till later it will get much worse (life threatening) at which moment the medical costs will be much higher. And those costs need to be paid too.
      So by making sure everyone has access to healthcare all the time you save everyone a big bunch of money! Don't believe me? Compare the amounts the US is spending on healthcare per gross domestic product compared to other developed coutries (tip: it's much higher) Link to WHO.
      And that while all this money is used to pamper a few very rich on one hand and to perform the basic life threatening procedures on the rest.

    242. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by SomeoneFromBelgium · · Score: 1

      All this can be found in the IPCC reports (link). They have a section "For policy makers" which explains in laymens terms exactly (with probabilities and all) what will happen most likely, how big the risks are (and how certain we are of these risks) and what is the best course of action (and why). And yes doing nothing is more costly (damage to argriculture, building higher dikes, more storms, more deseases, people on the run) than actually doing something about it.
      So, there you have it. All your questions answerd...by science.

    243. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      Actually, it does not.
      But you can google the numbers yourself.
      Our parent gave some nice numbers - and agrees with me now - in case you can find his post.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    244. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by pastafazou · · Score: 1

      Except that he is a creationist. He is claiming God created and guides evolution. Why would you say that he's not a creationist? He clearly states that our origins and evolution itself REQUIRE a divine creator. Is it because he isn't insisting on the world being 6000 years old? Was that the only flaw in the creationist theory? The original poster I replied to tried to compare skeptic beliefs to religious beliefs, but the guy he's supporting clearly isn't all that strong of a "grounded in science" facts guy, is he?

    245. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dywolf · · Score: 1

      I like how they say he should "stick to moral issues", when one of the first things said in the Bible (and then repeated throughout it) is that this world was given to us by God and we are to take care of it. I'm paraphrasing, but the concept is there.

      --
      The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
    246. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dywolf · · Score: 1

      Yep.
      Cause companies were doing just fine on their own and didn't need forcing with the Clean Air and Water Acts right?
      Because companies are right now willingly installing filters on power plants to reduce emissions, instead of suing the government to delay having to do so?
      Because companies are not right now at this very minute exploiting the current loophole in EPA water regulations to dump into non-navigable water bodies without repercussion?

      And assuming we did get your dream world of a full nuclear implementation, I suppose companies would again be perfect actors and not cut corners and endanger people, by saying building substandard reactors where they can be hit by tsunami waves? Or improperly dispose of waste?

      That's blind stupidity, and willful ignorance of actual history.

      The market can do a lot, but it's not perfect and it has repeatedly needed to be beat with a government stick to prod it in the right direction.

      --
      The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
    247. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dywolf · · Score: 1

      Is there ever anything that comes out your mouth that isn't more appropriate coming out the south end of a northbound cow?
      Your stupidity and insistence on repeating the same myths seems to know no bounds.

      --
      The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
    248. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by NostalgiaForInfinity · · Score: 1

      All this can be found in the IPCC reports (link [www.ipcc.ch]).

      Yes, you should read it, carefully! I have.

      And yes doing nothing is more costly (damage to argriculture, building higher dikes, more storms, more deseases, people on the run) than actually doing something about it.

      No, even taken the report at face value, that conclusion is not supported by the report. But, of course, you have to be extremely gullible to believe that "science" can assign a meaningful cost to things like diseases and migration that are supposed to occur decades in the future due to climate change.

      So, there you have it. All your questions answerd...by science.

      Apparently, your version of science is a "summary for policy makers", derived by "author teams" based on "expert judgment" found in working panel reports of a self-selected group of people interested in the topic and making lots of unstated and untested assumptions. Thank you, but I prefer to base my decision on actual science, not that kind of pseudo-science.

    249. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dave420 · · Score: 1

      If that were true you would not have made so many mistakes in your arguments. You appear to be blinded by hubris. No wonder you believe such nonsense.

    250. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dave420 · · Score: 1

      The evidence is out there if you could be bothered to read it. The fact you haven't, and instead blurted out nonsensical, childish arguments, means you are either incapable of understanding the evidence, or simply do not want to. You are asking questions which have already been answered.

    251. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      No, it does not matter much to me. And while it may affect you personally, on a very high level of your comfort necessities, not being able to marry your husband is probably more of a firstworldproblem than you may want to admit.

      Yes, it would be great if self fulfillment was our current problem. It isn't. Our current problems are that people are losing their job, losing their homes, can't pay for medical necessities and so on. That is dangerous, yes, even to you, even if you have a job, a home and all your medical expenses covered. Because nothing is as dangerous as people who simply have lost everything so they got nothing to lose but everything to gain by revolting. You might have noticed that civil unrest is brewing, in the US as well as abroad, and all it takes is a spark to ignite that keg of powder. It already happens now and then, just watch what happens whenever some policeman shoots someone.

      Sorry for being selfish, but you will not pick up some makeshift weapons and start a revolt just 'cause you can't marry your husband. People who have nothing to eat, nowhere to sleep and know that they'll be dead anyway in a couple months have a MUCH higher incentive to do just that.

      And NEITHER of those parties has any kind of plan or willingness to solve this.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    252. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dave420 · · Score: 1

      Bad data != evidence. You are questioning data which has passed scrutiny, which is the mark of a cynic or a madman.

    253. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Politically they don't differ too much, that's true. All of them have pretty much the full range from left to right, liberal to conservative and free to controlled market, with proponents for pretty much any kind of political ideal you could hold dear.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    254. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Shortguy881 · · Score: 1
      You have no idea what you are talking about. Lets start with the most obvious contradiction:

      Businesses are afraid of change, people are not.

      Businesses cant feel anything. The people running businesses can. So your statement becomes "People are afraid of change, people are not."

      Next, you completely ignore Luddites, which are increasing in number with increased autonomy in industry.

      Lastly, you completely ignore the standard distribution model of product adoption. If everyone was as you say, we'd all be early adopters.

      --
      Brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.
    255. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by lgw · · Score: 1

      I rather expect I've spent far more time researching this than you. But you've at least looked at the Vostok ice core data, right? You know it's normal to have a spike in temps every 100 k years, usually followed by a sharp decline and return to glaciation, but for some reason that didn't happen 10 k years ago, and we've had a very unusual stable period of climate? And that the mechanism for all this is still mysterious, with hypotheses still at the "maybe this would fit the data" stage?

      Absent human activity, a return to glaciation would fit the historical data. But you knew that right? You're not just saying fashionable things, surely. Maybe you just prefer kilometers of ice covering most the land area over rising waters - I guess that's a personal preference

      Climate science is still in it's infancy, the climate itself is a chaotic set of feedback cycles upon feedback cycles, and we've only started modeling the simplest stuff. Political posturing and demagogy is ancient and well-studied, however.
       

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    256. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by NatasRevol · · Score: 1

      And your assumption that we'll continue increasing oil production is a rather large embellishment too.

      Or perhaps you haven't been paying attention to fights against fracking due to pollution, earthquakes, etc.

      --
      There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
    257. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by SomeoneFromBelgium · · Score: 1

      Apparently, your version of science is a "summary for policy makers", derived by "author teams" based on "expert judgment" found in working panel reports of a self-selected group of people interested in the topic and making lots of unstated and untested assumptions. Thank you, but I prefer to base my decision on actual science, not that kind of pseudo-science.

      Well. Calling a document that has been produced by the top scientists in a particular area (without being paid for it) 'pseudo science' because you don't like the conclusions is not science.

      BTW there is also a full version of the report which refers to the full version of the underlying reports of the 3 workgroups which in their turn refer to the underlying scientific articles. But if the first didn't convince you I have little doubt that you will categorize the rest as 'pseudo-science' too.

    258. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by AthanasiusKircher · · Score: 1

      But they are still a damned sight better than pretty much anything the Republicans have to offer, where your choices are between the shit sandwich establishment, and the diarrhea buffet of the tea party.

      Okay, let's examine your evidence. (For the record, I am neither Republican nor Democrat.)

      Both may be in bed with Wall Street, and prone to expanding the surveillence state and engaging in foreign adventures.

      Well, at least we agree on that.

      But only one wants to eliminate the entire "welfare state" (sorry joke that it is in this nation), and roll the clock back to the pre-1930s.

      This is somewhat true, though arguably the Democrats have also been guilty for not trying for further reform. Wealth disparities have been growing significantly in the past few decades, including under the watch of Democrats -- and the fact that they are "in bed with Wall Street," as you put it, means that Dems are about as likely as Reps to bail out the rich while making only minor advances for the poor.

      In sum, there's a big difference in rhetoric, but in terms of actual economic impact or actual policy, the result is nowhere near as big. And let's be frank -- except for a few extremists who don't represent the Republican Party in general, none of the Republicans are really going to try to roll things back to pre-1930s. They're not going to actually try to repeal Social Security for example... it would destroy their reputation with older voters that lean conservative and depend on that. They're not going to get rid of Medicare. They may fight expansions of these programs, but anything more than that is just rhetoric -- just like Democrats' insistence that they are fighting for the poor when they're happy to dole out huge amounts of money to the rich and Wall Street also shows a gap between rhetoric and actual policy.

      Only one is standing there in the building building and saying "I don't smell any smoke" as they ignore all the science and data pointing to global warming.

      Again, we have to look at effectiveness and actual policy outcomes, not just rhetoric. Obama has great rhetoric on the environment, but has he actually done anywhere near enough? And you can argue that Congress is uncooperative, but the EPA does have some control here, and Obama has chosen not to be more aggressive with his policies. From the link:

      There are legitimate roadblocks to progress in Congress, but as White House critics and supporters alike acknowledge, federal agencies set meaningful environmental policy on their own. And when it comes to climate change, their record ranges from the unimpressive to the downright harmful. The Environmental Protection Agency has advanced some modest policies that will result in minor emissions cuts, but at the same time, other agencies have shown an astonishing willingness to expand an industry whose bottom line depends on cooking the planet beyond repair.

      Once again -- the "in bed with Wall Street" trumps Democratic rhetoric. So, you're asking people to choose people who are claiming to save the planet when they're barely doing anything over people who are idiots and science denialists but are at least honest that they care about things like jobs and business over the environment.

      Yeah, there's a difference I suppose. But it's not a reason to vote for either party.

      Only one is trying to tell women what to do with their bodies, and advocates legislating according to their particular sky fairy.

      Once again, we need to look at action vs. rhetoric. Of course the Democrats say they are committed to "right to choose," but look at how they have let restrictions on abortions and clinics get worse over the years. Look at how they have resisted more appropriate regula

    259. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 1

      The same group of people thought Pope Benedict was seriously misguided on economics

      --
      SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
    260. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      You can google the numbers yourself, as well. Look them up for 2013.

    261. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 1

      It's easy to avoid ocean acidification. Urban farming, using drought resistant food plants that can get by on little water, to use photosynthesis to suck carbon out of the atmosphere.

      Sea level rise can be handled with seasteading to give poorer populations a place to live. Their waste can be used for farming salt resistant food plants, like sea beans, on the boats, sucking more carbon out of the atmosphere, as well as converting the methane to energy for propulsion.

      It's a matter of reimagining what our response is- away from prevention and towards adaptation.

      --
      SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
    262. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 1

      "wipe out agriculture"

      Not necessarily. Change what we plant and what we eat, certainly, but there are plenty of drought resistant edibles out there. Tequila even comes from one of them.

      --
      SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
    263. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by hucker75 · · Score: 1

      Rubbish rubbish rubbish. The climate has always changed DRAMATICALLY, way more than we're doing to it. And more CO2 is good for plants. Let it be.

    264. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by NostalgiaForInfinity · · Score: 1

      Well. Calling a document that has been produced by the top scientists in a particular area (without being paid for it) 'pseudo science'.

      I didn't call the document "pseudo-science", I called your use of it "pseudo-science". You cited this document as a scientific publication about climate change. But what it is is a summary of the beliefs of climate scientists, not actual scientific results. It's certainly legitimate to ask scientists about what they believe to be true, and it may even be useful, but the answers you get are still informed opinions, not actual science.

      because you don't like the conclusions is not science

      But I do like the conclusions of the report, because, vague, unscientific, and unsupported as they are, even taken at face value, they support my argument that governments should not act on climate change right now.

      BTW there is also a full version of the report which refers to the full version of the underlying reports of the 3 workgroups which in their turn refer to the underlying scientific articles. But if the first didn't convince you I have little doubt that you will categorize the rest as 'pseudo-science' too.

      Not at all: the underlying scientific publications are clearly science (though that doesn't make them automatically correct; a lot of science is wrong). But the output of the workgroups is not science, because the workgroups themselves are not operating according to the scientific method. "Science" is only the kind of knowledge produced and published according to the scientific method. Once the chain of the scientific method is broken, it ceases to be science. See, the problem here is with your lack of understanding of science, not mine.

    265. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

      The science is settled in as much as any scientific findings have to be in order to inform public policy.

      I don't see anyone debating the speed of light, the mass of water, or a hundred other things...

      There are a LOT of people, including a lot of SMART people, who aren't convinced of man made climate change.

      Yes, there are plenty of smart people who ARE convinced, and that's fine.

      Clearly you're convinced. I'm not, so convince me. If you don't think you have to, that is fine as well, but then don't be shocked when I don't come along with you on your journey of "change the world".

      I'm not alone there either. You need to do more to convince me otherwise if you want my support.

    266. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

      Not that "upend our entire economy" nonsense again.

      Your calling it nonsense doesn't further your argument. Nor does it attract anyone who wasn't already on your side.

      You don't owe me an explanation, and I don't owe you any support. If you want my support, it'll cost you an explanation that isn't filled with insults and personal attacks.

      ---

      For what it is worth, I'm perfectly willing to change my behavior and views when presented with reasonable information that actually makes sense.

      I recently replaced every bulb in my house with LEDs, when someone posted the math on the price of the bulbs and how much power they were using. I was not aware that LEDs had dropped in price so much or how much power the older bulbs were using.

      Once shown new information, changing was easy.

      I have seen no such information that we could do the same with our overall CO2 emissions in such a way as to make a difference to the outcome, without crashing the economy. And yes, I've read up on the subject on both pro and con web sites, and yes, I'm above average in intelligence. :)

      I'm not against CO2 being a problem, but I am against changing our whole way of life if it doesn't even solve the problem. I'd rather spend the money to adapt to the future that is coming, than fight against it when we can't stop it.

    267. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

      So instead of addressing the issue I bought up, you resort to insults?

      Fair enough, but that usually means that my point was right and you've got nothing to counter it with...

      Reply to the point, not the person...

    268. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      Things people are afraid of:
              gays

      I doubt that anyone is legitimately frightened of gay people getting married. They just don't like gay people in the first place, it's not that they are frightened of what might happen if gay people can marry each other. I assume you're referring specifically to gay marriage, not gay people in general. Gay people aren't new, that's not a change.

      I'm not sure what the statement "some people are afraid of coloreds" has to do with change.

      having their guns taken away

      They aren't scared of the actual change, they just want their guns.

      taxes, apparently

      Changes to tax code might cause fear just because the tax code is so confusing in the first place. It definitely does need to be changed, people would welcome it. Most changes to it aren't welcome because they only add more confusion. Changes that would make the tax code easier to understand would be welcomed.

      You can't cherry pick. There is more fear out there than not.

      Well, I think my examples are better than yours. I know there are a lot of people out there who live in fear, I just don't think that they live in fear of progress like switching from coal power to solar.

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    269. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      So your statement becomes "People are afraid of change, people are not."

      No it doesn't. "Businesses" and "people" are not equivalent terms that can be interchanged in any context. If you want to change "businesses" to "people running businesses" and then qualify the other use of "people" to mean the general public, fine.

      Next, you completely ignore Luddites, which are increasing in number with increased autonomy in industry.

      And the luddites are going to be frightened of the prospect of switching from coal power to solar? When they plug in their toaster can they tell what kind of power that is?

      Lastly, you completely ignore the standard distribution model of product adoption. If everyone was as you say, we'd all be early adopters.

      And how does that relate to people being literally frightened at the prospect of the power grid switching from coal to solar?

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    270. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      Yes, I know that reliance on oil is a problem. The US is the single major consumer, we consume millions of barrels of oil per day. That's a major problem. The point I was making was that we do, in fact, get oil from the middle east and other countries that we don't agree with. I was responding to the fact that he left out Saudi Arabia and Russia from his list. If it wasn't for oil we wouldn't be very friendly with Saudi Arabia, we would be calling them out on human rights issues.

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    271. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by BCGlorfindel · · Score: 1

      I do not see compelling evidence that slashing CO2 is a good course

      The ocean hates you.

      http://climate.nasa.gov/eviden...

      "Ocean acidification
      Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the acidity of surface ocean waters has increased by about 30 percent. This increase is the result of humans emitting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and hence more being absorbed into the oceans. The amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the upper layer of the oceans is increasing by about 2 billion tons per year."

      But this seems the worst info to me:
      http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-...
      "Data from NASA's Grace satellites show that the land ice sheets in both Antarctica and Greenland are losing mass. The continent of Antarctica has been losing about 147 billion metric tons of ice per year since 2003, while the Greenland ice sheet has been losing an estimated 258 billion metric tons per year. "

      Approaching half a trillion tons of ice *per year* being melted seems an astounding amount.

      That's great, strip a single comment I make of all context and then counter it.

      Yes, I said slashing CO2 doesn't look like the best plan, I followed by noting: "technologies to replace major emission sources like automobiles are, in climate timelines, very close to being solved profitably by folks like Tesla without us hamstringing the economy to force the matter."

      Before that I stated I see a serious need to plan how we will cope with linear increasing temperature and sea level rise.

      But sure, pretend I said there wasn't a problem. The reality remains I stated a serious need to plan how to cope with it, and even posited that one piece of the solution is electric cars. You care to offer any solutions yourself, or would rather just try and criticize everyone not acting panicked enough for your liking?

      As you plan solutions, know that from the current CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere, we have to go to pretty much negative emission levels and fast to make a noticeable difference to conditions in the next 50-75 years. Say whatever you want about the importance of doing it, it's not happening. You might as well wish for world peace while you are at it. What can we do for real solutions is the worthwhile matter.

      In my book, electric cars and alternative energy are the best routes. Tesla has the electric car timeline rolling already, and I'm hopeful the next 50 years will see not just profitable solar, but better still cheap fusion power(Lockheed claims to be much closer but we'll know for sure in 3-4 years) finally realized and replacing coal plants. If you really want to curtail CO2 concentrations on a meaningfully faster timeline, I'd love to see the plan for how to do it.

    272. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by rs79 · · Score: 1

      I've read all of it. You haven't seen the above before have you? Admit it.

      --
      Need Mercedes parts ?
    273. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Shortguy881 · · Score: 1
      You're really grasping at straws there. You clearly have strong world views and are using selective evidence to support them. I'm not here to convince you to change your mind, just point out the logical fallacies apparent in your bold claims.

      People aren't afraid of change. Not only do people expect change, but they embrace it.

      Disproven by product adoption models, showing most people are hesitant to jump on new technology right away. They may not fear it, but most certainly don't embrace it. Those are only the early adopters.

      Businesses are afraid of change, people are not.

      This just doesn't make sense. Apart from the business having feelings thing, how do you explain new companies coming into the market place or existing companies coming out with cool new innovative products.

      --
      Brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.
    274. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by DedTV · · Score: 1

      Creationists have a stronger leg to stand on than climate change deniers.

      Creationism is still a valid theory, it's just one completely bereft of scientific evidence to support it. But if God showed up and started performing Deity-ish things, science would have to accept it as fact.
      Climate change denialists however are screaming "THERE IS NO GOD!" while He is standing in front of them juggling lightning bolts.

    275. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by volmtech · · Score: 1

      I visit climate change web sites to keep up with trends. The newest are coercion and WW II scale mobilization. The conscious seems to be a Soviet style collectivization will be necessary to stop people from selfishly destroying the environment. I do hope you stream your confrontation with those Baltimore rioters when you tell them they are being sent back to the plantation.

    276. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by HiThere · · Score: 1

      I'm sorry, but parts of Antarctica are already melting. That's not 200 years away, that's last year and the year before.

      If you want to say "total meltdown of Antacrtica" has been postponed for 200 years, I suspect you're being unreasonably pessimistic. The mountain tops will probably stay covered in ice for considerably longer. But in between those extremes things are variable depending on what actions we take now, and so are the results.

      Now we get to the paper you referenced. In the first place I don't think either of us really understand it. (I know that I don't.) In the second place he's comparing a historical record in a few spots at a time that we don't have detailed information about to current models that are based on much greater amounts of information. He could be right. But most current models have been underestimating the actual melting, due to things like not including wave driven fragmentation. So I don't think he is. (And that article was published in 2005, so it doesn't include all the data that current models are based on.)

      That said, I'll admit that I'm much more aware of models of the Arctic than of the Antarctic. Perhaps they aren't underestimating the melt rate, or at least not as much.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    277. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by HiThere · · Score: 1

      I don't think you have properly evaluated the costs of your proposed mitigation measures. And most ocean acidification derives directly from the carbon dioxide level, not from agricultural chemicals. (Though they do tend to produce the "dead zone"s.)

      So far, at least, urban farming is either only usable in low density "cities", which means lots of fast transport, or to produce high cost greens for local gourmet restaurants. And sea-steading is mainly feasible for multi-millionaires, who don't care about maintenance costs.

      Of course, it's been awhile since I checked those expenses. Perhaps some "technological advance" has made them practical. But I'd be really surprised. Sea water is intensively corrsive, and barnacles seem to grow on nearly anything.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    278. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by HiThere · · Score: 1

      "Wipe out agriculture" is probably incorrect, but wipe out agricultural regions is not an overstatement, as deserts will appear in new places, and so will rainy areas. Even places that aren't seriously affected due to changes in rainfall will need to switch to different crops due to changes in temperature. Some places, however, will become much more productive. But they won't be the places that have been that way in the past.

      That said, it is probable that the net agricultural production will be sharply reduced. The newer areas will be closer to the poles, and there's a lot less land there than there is closer to the equator.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    279. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      great analysis. I'm in LONG for battery technology. If batteries become more powerful, cheaper, can hold a charge longer then everything will be powered by this. It has been a very long time coming.

    280. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by haruchai · · Score: 1

      "Who thought turning over even more health care to the insurance companies was a good idea? "

        Quite a few Republicans and the Democrats who think they can work with them. Obamacare is not vastly different from Bob Dole's plan nor from a proposal by the Heritage Foundation - and it's Romneycare at the national level.

      What the Dems should have done is hawked Conyers health plan which was a push for single-payer and was essentially ( but not entirely ) Medicare-for-all.

      --
      Pain is merely failure leaving the body
    281. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by narcc · · Score: 1

      Nonsense is nonsense, regardless of the intent. There's little more dangerous to the public understanding of science than bad arguments and nonsense offered in defense of science.

      Here, I say that if it's settled, then it isn't science as science can not be 'settled'. Science wouldn't work if such a thing were possible.

      Equally, science is indeed frequently overturned. It is designed to be overturned! It could not progress otherwise. Further promulgating the myth of successive refinement (like the person to which I replied) is deeply harmful as it implies that science leads ultimately to truth. (Which, as you know, is impossible.) It sounds like a nice thing for people to believe, sure, but such a fundamental misunderstanding is deeply harmful to the public understanding of science. What would they think, then, when science is necessarily overturned as it advances?

      I don't see why you think it's overturned infrequently. Even foundational aspects of science, in nearly every branch, have undergone significant revisions even over just the last century. That's a good thing. It means science is working. If more people understood science, they'd know that it's a positive thing as well. Hiding that fact, which you seem to find uncomfortable, just to get more people to "believe in" or "trust" science isn't helpful. They just end up believing in nonsense they mistakenly call science.

    282. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by monkeyzoo · · Score: 1

      That would work if you could eat dust. Changing crops could work to a certain extent, but not when you're talking about devastating drought.

    283. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by slashdotwannabe · · Score: 1

      I also believe that Tesla's will get both better AND cheaper until more people (even most people) can afford them. Of course that also includes other manufacturers upping their electric car game too.

      Huh. I've been hearing that for 30 years now. Any day now I guess!

      Then we just need to build Nuke plants to power all these electric cars, shutter all the coal plants an viola! Problem solved.

      I can't believe it's that easy! Why didn't you say so before?!?

      Taxes, and rules and regulations are the things that seem like they'll solve the problem, but they really won't.

      Nothing like an unsupported assertion on a site like /. to make people really respect your PoV!

      --
      This comment is my opinion and does not represent an official position of Donald Trump or others I do not work for
    284. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by budgenator · · Score: 1

      References

      IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, Summary for Policymakers, p. 5 (the 5th AR is published)

      B.D. Santer et.al., “A search for human influences on the thermal structure of the atmosphere,” Nature vol 382, 4 July 1996, 39-46

      Gabriele C. Hegerl, “Detecting Greenhouse-Gas-Induced Climate Change with an Optimal Fingerprint Method,” Journal of Climate, v. 9, October 1996, 2281-2306

      V. Ramaswamy et.al., “Anthropogenic and Natural Influences in the Evolution of Lower Stratospheric Cooling,” Science 311 (24 February 2006), 1138-1141

      B.D. Santer et.al., “Contributions of Anthropogenic and Natural Forcing to Recent Tropopause Height Changes,” Science vol. 301 (25 July 2003), 479-483.

      In the 1860s, physicist John Tyndall recognized the Earth's natural greenhouse effect and suggested that slight changes in the atmospheric composition could bring about climatic variations. In 1896, a seminal paper by Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius first speculated that changes in the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could substantially alter the surface temperature through the greenhouse effect.

      National Research Council (NRC), 2006. Surface Temperature Reconstructions For the Last 2,000 Years. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.

      Church, J. A. and N.J. White (2006), A 20th century acceleration in global sea level rise, Geophysical Research Letters, 33, L01602, doi:10.1029/2005GL024826.

      The global sea level estimate described in this work can be downloaded from the CSIRO website.

      http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/cl... anomalies/index.html

      http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/d...

      http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gist...

      T.C. Peterson et.al., "State of the Climate in 2008," Special Supplement to the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, v. 90, no. 8, August 2009, pp. S17-S18.

      I. Allison et.al., The Copenhagen Diagnosis: Updating the World on the Latest Climate Science, UNSW Climate Change Research Center, Sydney, Australia, 2009, p. 11

      http://www.giss.nasa.gov/resea...

      http://science.nasa.gov/headli... 01apr_deepsolarminimum.htm

      Levitus, et al, "Global ocean heat content 1955–2008 in light of recently revealed instrumentation problems," Geophys. Res. Lett. 36, L07608 (2009).

      L. Polyak, et.al., “History of Sea Ice in the Arctic,” in Past Climate Variability and Change in the Arctic and at High Latitudes, U.S. Geological Survey, Climate Change Science Program Synthesis and Assessment Product 1.2, January 2009, chapter 7

      R. Kwok and D. A. Rothrock, “Decline in Arctic sea ice thickness from submarine and ICESAT records: 1958-2008,” Geophysical Research Letters, v. 36, paper no. L15501, 2009

      http://nsidc.org/sotc/sea_ice....

      National Snow and Ice Data Center

      World Glacier Monitoring Service

      --
      Apocalypse Cancelled, Sorry, No Ticket Refunds
    285. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by tbannist · · Score: 1

      We might cut the future increases, but cutting to half of current levels? I don't see that happening, you'd need FAR more than a carbon tax to make that happen.

      The modest carbon tax in British Columbia has cut emissions in that province by 16% while emissions grew in the rest of Canada by 3% (a rate that likely would have grown higher still if Ontario and Quebec weren't also working to reduce emissions). A carbon tax, by itself, might not reach a 50% reduction, but it could spur changes in consumer behavior. For instance, now that gas prices have fallen again, sales of SUVs are increasing again after declining during our last period of high prices. That's probably a missed opportunity to reduce emissions.

      Without a carbon tax, the United States is aiming at (and currently looks like it will hit) a target of 20% below 2005 levels. If a carbon tax had been added to the policy, the United States might have been able to hit 40% below 2005 levels, which is not that far from 50%.

      --
      Fanatically anti-fanatical
    286. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 1

      Cost? Responses to global climate change have nothing to do with cost.

      You also misunderstand the main use of urban farming: increasing vegetable biomass is the point, not eliminating agricultural chemicals. Increase the vegetable biomass and you *will* remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and replace it with oxygen, that's how plants breathe.

      http://www.towergarden.com/ is usable on household scale in high density urban areas.

      Poor Japanese fishermen have been seasteading for centuries, using bamboo as their primary construction material. And yes, barnacles do get on everything, but once again, plant mass is the answer- when your mooring post grows faster than the barnacles attack.....

      --
      SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
    287. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 1

      I know of only one desert on earth that is entirely life free, and it's prevented from having rainfall by elevation (it's higher than most clouds, and in the rain shadow of the Andes which are even higher and prevent weather patterns from reaching there- hasn't had rainfall in 10,000 years).

      Global climatic climate change droughts are different, they're more of the flash flood once in a blue moon variety, more like Death Valley in California- where the Native Americans have been agricultural for centuries, just on foods you won't eat.

      And that is the real key. We have to get *real local* to survive this.

      --
      SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
    288. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      Disproven by product adoption models, showing most people are hesitant to jump on new technology right away. They may not fear it, but most certainly don't embrace it. Those are only the early adopters.

      All of that depends on time frame. I'm not trying to claim that when a new technology becomes available, everyone immediately jumps on board. Yes, people wait to see experiences before they commit, I'm not trying to argue they don't. But given a sufficient amount of time (depending on the technology), people will embrace it if it in fact proves to be useful. This should be self-evident. Any disruptive technology will prove that point. Use cars as an example if you want. Did everyone go out and immediately purchase a Ford Model T? No. Did society in general embrace motorized vehicles as a technology? Obviously, using whatever value for "sufficient time" that fits that particular technology. Cell phones are another perfect example. The first commercially-available cell phone was released in 1983. From 1983 until 2015 cell phone adoption has gone from 0 subscribers to over 7 billion, reaching 100% of the population including the bottom of the economic pyramid. So it's kind of pointless to say that people have not embraced cell phone technology simply because most people didn't own one in 1988. THAT is grasping at straws, is a short-sighted view, and completely misses the point.

      This particular thread is about people being afraid to adopt green power technologies, and I don't think they are any more afraid of green power than they are of cell phones. Concentrated solar panels became available in the 1980s. Today, considering all of the improvements to both efficiency and price that we've seen over the past 30 years, we're seeing solar on houses, on commercial buildings, and in major power plants. That sounds a lot like cell phone adoption to me, both in terms of the pace of technological development and the uptake in use. I don't think people, in general, are afraid of solar power. I think that people running power companies are afraid of losing profits. That's my original point that you're trying to refute by saying I have no idea what I'm talking about, that I'm grasping at straws, and you trying to anthropomorphise a business. I understand that businesses are made of people, that's not the point. I'm sure you can figure it out.

      This just doesn't make sense. Apart from the business having feelings thing, how do you explain new companies coming into the market place or existing companies coming out with cool new innovative products.

      That is so far into non-sequitor territory that I'm questioning whether we're even in the same argument. You understand what we're discussing here, right?

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    289. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

      https://www.google.com/webhp?s...

      I found that to be interesting...

      US per capita emissions of Carbon in 2010 were 17.56 metric tons.

      China was 6.19 metric tons and India was 1.67.

      My concern is that if India and China were to rise even a small amount, it would wipe out anything the US could do.

      ---

      To be blunt, I'm willing to accept some changes, if all of humanity is willing to do it. I think some of the resistance you see and hear about comes from the fact that some Americans believe that we'd do all the suffering while others would continue polluting.

      It is the belief that "if China and India don't do it as well, then we might as well not bother".

      This is what was so broken about the original Kyoto Protocol, it was unfairly harsh towards nations such as the US. Even China doesn't really like it, and I quote:

      "Negotiations were held in Lima in 2014 to agree on a post-Kyoto legal framework that would obligate all major polluters to pay for CO2 emissions. China, India, and the United States have all signaled that they will not ratify any treaty that will commit them legally to reduce CO2 emissions."

      ---

      Going back to the first point.... consider that the US current emits about 3 times as much CO2 per person as China. If the US reduced this by 50% and China increased to match the per-person output, the total would be far higher than it is today due to the number of people they have.

      So the question becomes... to reduce worldwide emissions to 50% of current levels, the US would have to reduce to about 9 metric tons per person and China would have to reduce to 3 metric tons per person.

      Could the US do that? Probably, but it would be a big change, we haven't been that low since probably before WWII.

      Could China reduce to 3 metric tons per person? That is likely to be quite hard, and they may simply not be willing to accept the standard of living that provides.

      Now you might ask, "why should China have to live with 3 when the US gets 9?" The simple answer is, "we got here first and we aren't giving it up".

      Which is why I have said over and over, we might be better off adapting to the future that is coming rather than fighting it, because if you really think Americans are going to 3 metric tons per person, you're nuts.

      Trying to force the whole world to that level would likely start WWIII. You might think that sounds silly, but I don't think it is. Wars have been fought over much less, protecting your way of life is as solid a reason as any to engage in violence.

      ---

      So the question becomes, what global level is acceptable and what level for each nation is acceptable?

      Getting the US to cut is one thing, getting the whole planet to cut is quite another, and I just don't think getting all of Earth to cut 50% is going to happen.

    290. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by monkeyzoo · · Score: 1

      I know of only one desert on earth that is entirely life free

      Life free isn't the threshold required for starvation, however. Turn California and the Midwest into the Gobi or Sahara and the USA is facing apocalyptic famine.

    291. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 1

      California has been in drought for 9000 of the last 12000 years. It's the normal state there. Switch from avacado to chia, and you'll be fine.

      The Midwest is another story. We've been planting our favorite foods there so long that we've destroyed the ecology of the place. Thus the "Dust Bowl" phenomenon.

      But there is one way to deal with this- bunch grass grazing. It's working well in the Eastern Oregon Desert; but it's hard to manage.

      Adapt, work with the ecology, not against it, with climate change, not against it. The earth will survive, human beings are not guaranteed to; but we do have one advantage- invention.

      --
      SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
    292. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by monkeyzoo · · Score: 1

      Well, we agree on that. The earth will do just fine with or without us. Sometimes people forget this. ;-)
      Though I do think it's a heavy moral burden we'll take with us as we wipe out myriad other species.

    293. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you failed to prove that they aren't difference.
      there is a difference between being "the same" and being "ineffective".

    294. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No fucking shit he's biased.
      He's a liberal left-libertarian by his own admission..

      That bias in this case is however irrelevant.
      The point is to illustrate the they -aren't- the same.

    295. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dywolf · · Score: 1

      Read and become educated.

      The Relativity of Wrong, by Isaac Asmiov:

      http://chem.tufts.edu/answersi...

      --
      The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
    296. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dywolf · · Score: 1

      I didn't say science is -never- overturned.
      I said said it's -rarely- overturned.

      As I alluded to originally when I paraphrased Asimov's essay originally. Your ignorance is that you can't tell the difference between refinement and disprovement. It is that difference that you and others like you seem incapable of understanding, and in this way it is -YOU- who has an insufficient understanding of science.

      Gravity is settled. We don't know all there is to know about it yet, but we know an awful fucking lot about it. No one is actively pushing theories that seek to overturn. It's settled. All work is going into refining our knowledge of it.

      Overturning is done between competing theories, typically on the edge of the known. Refinement is what's done to the old established theory are we discard competing theories.

      Well established theories like gravity, evolution, global warming, radiocarbon dating, etc, are in little danger of ever being overturned at this juncture. The mountain of evidence is of sufficient height that in order to actually disprove and overturn one of theories your mountain of contrary evidence would have to be even bigger.

      And yet -no such contrary mountains exist, nor any clues that they might-.

      All further knowledge gains are going in the support pile, not the disprove pile. Even as we chip away at the edge of the known boundaries, the base theories are sufficiently established that the word settled can be applied.

      You yourself use the word revision, referencing recent discoveries in the last 100 years.

      Such as say....relativity from when Einstein refined Newton. Note that he didn't disprove Newton, he revised him. He refined him. And he and his colleagues began developing quantum (again, i mentioned this stuff before). And again: it wasn't a disproving of what came before, but a revision, a refinement.

      What you need to learn is that revision is synonymous with refinement, not with disproving.

      Seriously, read the essay "Relativity of Wrong".
      It would really benefit your understanding of science.

      --
      The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
    297. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by dywolf · · Score: 1

      I think a group of chimpanzees on speed throwing feces at a keyboard would generate a more coherent though than the one you just wrote.

      --
      The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
    298. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by narcc · · Score: 1

      Your ignorance is that you can't tell the difference between refinement and disprovement.

      What gave you that impression? What I've written is about as controversial as Kuhn -- indeed, a great deal is borrowed directly from him. I'm not exactly sure what you're arguing against, but it certainly isn't anything I've written!

      You seem to have this odd belief that science progresses iteratively toward truth. It's a strange belief, to be sure, but one that, at least to some small degree, was implied by Popper. (That is to say, I can understand both the attraction and the misconception.) Science, by necessity, cannot lead to truth. Knowledge gained through scientific means is always provisional. If that were not the case, progress would be impossible.

      The mountain of evidence is of sufficient height that in order to actually disprove and overturn one of theories your mountain of contrary evidence would have to be even bigger.

      I'm not sure even the most ardent falsificationist would accept that unusual interpretation. Duhem does a far better job than I can of explaining what's wrong in The Aim and Structure of Physical Theory. Happily, I found the bit important to this discussion described in this equally useful paper: Falsification and The Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes. Lucky

      I'm going to guess that you don't have a formal background in science. From what you've written, I'd be willing to bet you're more of an interested layperson as that's the kind of nonsense you'll see written on blogs and forums by the undereducated "defenders of science". I've seen little good come from those groups, and an awful lot of nonsense. Steer clear of them. They've done far more harm to the public understanding of science than even the most ambitious young-earth creationist has ever dreamed.

      Short of a university education, which is a bit much to demand of you, I can make some recommendations. Whitehead as a wonderful introduction at the beginning of Science and the Modern World which is well-worth your time just for the historical overview. Kuhn and Popper should follow. Even if you only bother with a summary of their more influential ideas, it should give you a better grounding.

    299. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by volmtech · · Score: 1

      You left out gut. Republicans spew disinformation and then they gut programs.

    300. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      People don't seem to understand that it takes decades for the global climate system to reach a new (warmer) equilibrium following the introduction of a force into the system.

      Mere decades. It'll take decades of millennia for the Earth's natural systems to bring matters back to something approaching the previous conditions. Of the order of 120,000 years for the PETM.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
    301. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by monkeyzoo · · Score: 1

      PETM?

    302. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal maximum. The most recent example of what happens if you dump petagrammes of carbon (as hydride (methane) or carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere in a few millennia, and as such the best estimate we have of the near-future climate of the Earth.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
    303. Re: Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Amen.

    304. Re: Seems he has more of a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Remember those blind gentlemen gathered around the elephant: Said the man by the leg: I think the Elephant is more like a tree.
      Said the man behind the Elephant: I think an Elephant is more like a rope...
      To foul the Earth in an ever increasing way and then to deny change is to describe it as a figurative Elephant.

    305. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 1

      Species that are unable to adapt have been going extinct without mankind's help for 9/10ths of the planet's history. For the remaining 1/10th, we've been a major motivator of evolution, that's true- Dodos and wooly mammoths and the like. But we are also to the point with GMO research that we can be a major cause of increased adaptation- we can speed up evolution, and likely will, because beef is tasty (among many other species that are directly useful to us, such as bees). Speaking of that last, just saw a report on OPB about a pair of beekeepers with a unique solution to colony collapse disorder- they're breeding stronger queen bees that can live through Oregon winters.

      If mankind wants to survive, food needs to be our top priority. Luckily, as I mentioned someplace above I think, food production is also an answer to excess atmospheric carbon. Especially if we keep locking our own carbon up in airtight containers buried in concrete when we die.

      --
      SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
    306. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by monkeyzoo · · Score: 1

      Species that are unable to adapt have been going extinct without mankind's help for 9/10ths of the planet's history.

      That people also die of disease and car accidents does not make murder less immoral.

    307. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 1

      True enough- IF you can prove it was a murder and not an accident.
       
      Can you prove intent with global climate change? If you ignore the utterly non-scientific process of "scientific consensus", do you even have enough data left to prove the murder weapon?
       
      And in the long run, does it matter? We're still left with the decision to either adapt or die; we're far too late for any mitigation attempt to work. Blame the culprit is a waste of time in this case.

      --
      SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
    308. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      The numbers clearly indicate that you import more than you export and that you use more than you export etc.

      The USA is one of the highest importers of oil, and as well one of the highest consumers.

      The idea that you would export more than you import or use is nonsense.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    309. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure which numbers you're looking at. In October 2013, USA exported 7.7 million bpd per day, while importing 7.6 million bpd. That's net export.

    310. Re:Seems he has more of a clue by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      Our parent hat some numbers per year where the difference between import and export was slightly in the opposite direction.

      I assume the numbers vary slightly, depending on source :D

      So you export a little bit more than you import ... good.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
  2. well... by MickyTheIdiot · · Score: 5, Insightful

    When the Pope is more progressive than you are then you might be an extremist.

    1. Re:well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      If you think that your every political opinion must be defined by your overall leaning, then you are an extremist. The Catholic Church has just as many super progressive ideas as it does super conservative ones.

    2. Re: well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Name one.

    3. Re: well... by plopez · · Score: 2

      They are against the death penalty.

      --
      putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
    4. Re: well... by Megol · · Score: 1

      Condoms.

    5. Re: well... by An+Ominous+Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Being against the death penalty is not an extreme progressive position, it's the default position of the civilized world. The only places with the death penalty are totalitarian China, Islamist hell holes, and third-world African countries. And the US.

    6. Re: well... by iluvcapra · · Score: 2

      The Catholic Church generally supports universal free healthcare, as long as it doesn't pay for the Pill or abortions.

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
    7. Re: well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Japan also has the death penalty.

    8. Re: well... by ranton · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Name one [of the Catholic church's super progressive ideas].

      The Catholic Church generally supports universal free healthcare, as long as it doesn't pay for the Pill or abortions.

      This and other rebuttals in this thread illustrate the problem with how progressive issues are framed here in the United States. The death penalty and universally free healthcare are thought of as ultra progressive ideas in this country, but they are almost universally accepted as the status quo in the entire free world. Neither of these are progressive stances any more. Perhaps 50 years ago they were, but not in this century.

      The United States has to go to the developing world to find other countries they are similar to on many important progressive issues. It is embarrassing.

      --
      -- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
    9. Re: well... by ThatsDrDangerToYou · · Score: 1

      The United States has to go to the developing world(*) to find other countries they are similar to on many important progressive issues. It is embarrassing.

      * -- So, for example, Alabama and Mississippi?

    10. Re:well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Soviet Russia, climate skeptics you!

    11. Re: well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I am not the biggest fan of the death penalty not because I am against it per say, but because I feel if you committed a bad enough crime to merit it then you should suffer your entire life in prison, death is just a quick way out for someone who committed a hideous crime, they should have that life long time to contemplate their stupidity. Now to say the entire civilized world is against it is quite silly and I would have to disagree with you.

    12. Re: well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Alabama and Mississippi are developing?

    13. Re: well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Civilized? Are you China and the Arab world savages? You fucking racist.

      Surprisingly, Russia doesn't have the death penalty. But this is the country where a reporter investigating the government or a politician opposing Putin will end up shot in short order. And a lot of shithole African countries apparently haven't used it in a while (under moratorium or some such non-sense).

      Japan has the death penalty. Hell, the death penalty more supported in Britain than opposed until recently (currently about a 50% split either way I believe).

      So no, it's not the case that anti-death penalty is civilized while pro-death penalty isn't. The truth is that an uncivilized country won't follow a court system to reach a conclusion.

      Anti-death penalty advocates don't seem to care about the victims of these monsters. Christ, I bet Europeans wouldn't execute Hitler.

    14. Re: well... by Guy+Harris · · Score: 1
    15. Re: well... by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

      I suppose the person who downmodded the parent is not aware of a few key facts:

      -The Bali Nine got busted where and when they did because the Australian Federal Police tipped off the Indonesian authorities.

      -The AFP did this knowing full well that at least some of the Nine would face the death penalty there.

      -Had the AFP waited to apprehend Chang & Co. upon their arrival in Australia, the latter might all be serving long prison terms today, but would still be alive.

      -In effect, the Australian authorities circumvented that country's lack of a death penalty by using the Indonesians as executioners.

      Feeling a bit different now about what cyborg_monkey said? I would hope so.

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
    16. Re: well... by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      Instead of terms like "hell holes" and "third-world", how about just listing the countries who have executed people in 2014:

      Africa:
      Equatorial Guinea (9)
      Sudan (23+)
      Egypt (16+)
      Somalia (14+)

      Americas:
      United States (35)

      Asia-Pacific:
      China (1000+)
      Iran (289+)
      Saudi Arabia (90+)
      Iraq (61+)
      Palestine (26+)
      Yemen (23+)
      Jordan (11)
      Afghanistan (6)
      Japan (3)
      Vietnam (3+)
      Malaysia (2+)
      Singapore (2)
      UAE (1)
      North Korea (unknown)
      Indonesia gets a mention for executing 8 people this week, even though they had none last year

      Europe:
      Belarus (3+)
      Belarus and Russia are the only European countries that have not abolished capital punishment; Russia's last execution was in 1999

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    17. Re: well... by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      you might want to update your memory banks on that one, they are a few years out of date

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    18. Re: well... by Rakarra · · Score: 1

      Alabama and Mississippi are developing?

      They'll be starting any day, just give them a little more time.

  3. Pontifical Academy of Sciences by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    If that isn't an oxymorn if I've ever head of one.

    1. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by afidel · · Score: 5, Informative

      Err, the church has always been learned, in fact most of the information that survived through the dark ages survived because of monks. If you're thinking of Galileo, the church knew he was correct but they didn't think that the populace should be exposed to it without preparation, that might have been very arrogant, but it hardly shows a lack of scientific knowledge by the Pope.

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    2. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you think the Catholic Church is still arresting Galileos, you're a bit out of date.

    3. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by moronoxyd · · Score: 2

      Just because the Catholic Church has been taken some stupid, incorrect positions in some fields of science doesn't mean they don't care about the sciences in general.

    4. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by joelito_pr · · Score: 1

      Not to mention that when asked to reconcile his Ideas to the Magisterium, he simply disregarded that and attempted to make private interpretation of scripture along with his explanations(a big no-no in Catholic doctrine).

      Gotta admire Galileo tough. He decided that although not agreeing with the decision of the tribunal, he obeyed it nonetheless. Unlike many in his time who just became protestants.

    5. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by OneSizeFitsNoone · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Most of the ancient culture was destroyed by purpose in the Middle Ages by the Church, at which time the monks, most of whom where illiterate, would just copy ecclesiastical material. A few of the most learned church high brass kbnew that Galileo was right, but they were afraid the populace would lose their unrelenting faith in the Church was it to admit it was wrong and Galieo was right. They never gave a d**n about scientific learning of the masses, they've always only protected their own wealth and power. And the best way to do so it keeping the people in subjugation, ignorance and superstition.

    6. Re: Pontifical Academy of Sciences by iluvcapra · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Surely, the church has always had a remarkable scientific establishment. They didn't lock up and suppress Galileo because of his science, they were just hostile to free thought and the free exchange of ideas more generally. :)

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
    7. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Informative

      Err, the church has always been learned, in fact most of the information that survived through the dark ages survived because of monks.

      And Jesuits have done more than a little bit to advance scientific understanding, especially in the earth sciences, but also in just about every field you can imagine. It's surprising, the scientific disciplines where you find Jesuits doing important work.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    8. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You said, "Most of the ancient culture was destroyed by purpose in the Middle Ages by the Church."

      Citations please?

    9. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by Boronx · · Score: 0

      Yeah, *thats* why we should admire Galileo [rolls eyes].

    10. Re: Pontifical Academy of Sciences by Intrepid+imaginaut · · Score: 1

      As far as I'm aware he brought many of his troubles more or less on himself due to his unfortunate habit of insulting a medieval absolute monarch.

    11. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by debrain · · Score: 2

      in fact most of the information that survived through the dark ages survived because of monks

      Much survived because of monks, but if my history is right (and it's probably not) the enlightenment came from knowledge that survived via the Arabs. Hence we have names like Algebra (from Al-Jabr), for example.

      I am seem to recall that during the dark ages the Romans/Italians had around 2-5% literacy rate. Not much knowledge survived there.

      There was progression by monks during the middle ages, notably time-keeping and eyeglasses. But I am not sure how much historical knowledge was retained by them. It might be lots - but I've just not seen any historical books to that effect (though I would enjoy reading knowing more).

    12. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by NostalgiaForInfinity · · Score: 1

      Err, the church has always been learned, in fact most of the information that survived through the dark ages survived because of monks.

      "After killing his parents, the son asked for leniency on account that he is an orphan."

    13. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      "Isn't. And wasn't for quite a while in history. Actually, the church has been pretty progressive for a lot of its existence. It was only after the medieval times when they became synonymous for backwards, ultra-conservative, anti-science and anti-progress. Maybe part of it is due to Luther and the protestant movement when the RCC noticed that it is losing its monopoly on Christianity and wanted to retain it with all its might.

      Monasteries are what kept literature in existence by copying it. For the longest time, well until the Medieval ages, it was only the clergy that could read and write. We owe a lot of our knowledge of these times to the people who did actually note down the things that happened (and we also owe a lot of information we have about times prior to this to the Arabs whose knowledge of sciences, especially in the fields of mathematics and medicine, surpassed our "western" knowledge for the better half of the last two millennia).

      The Inquisition is usually cited as the example for terror and arbitrary accusations and harebrained verdicts. And while true for the Spanish inquisition, which was really little more than a tool for oppression, the Roman Inquisition was a true step ahead in the justice system. Yes, accuser and judge were still rolled into one, but you already had the right to a defender and if you could not pay for one, you'd get one appointed. Sounds familiar? Also by far not all (actually, a rather small percentage) of the verdicts was a death penalty. The goal of the Roman Inquisition was repentance. Their (granted, quite idealistic) goal was not to instill fear but to show the "culprit" their errors and guide him back. Yes, it was abused time and again (and one will notice that most of the prominent Inquisition trials were very politically charged... again, sounds familiar?), but compared to the formerly usual trial by ordeal it was not a step but a LEAP ahead in justice and sensibility.

      Simply calling the RCC anti-science is not doing it justice. It has made mistakes. Grave ones. From Jeanne d'Arc to Galileo, from Jan Hus to the questionable role Pope Pius XII played in WW2. They're human, after all.

      Yes, there's that dogma of infallibility of the Pope. If you needed any proof that the Pope is fallible, there it is!

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    14. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by neoritter · · Score: 1

      As far as scientific knowledge goes, you are dead wrong. Barbarians razing things tended to do that.

    15. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by neoritter · · Score: 1

      Or if you think it was common when Galileo was arrested, you'd still be wrong.

    16. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by neoritter · · Score: 1

      You apparently have never heard an oxymoron then lol.

    17. Re: Pontifical Academy of Sciences by neoritter · · Score: 1

      They weren't against free thought or free exchange in general. They were against free thought and free exchange when it dealt with theological matters. The early colleges and universities were started by them. Those institutions allowed the free flow of knowledge in Europe.

    18. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by neoritter · · Score: 2

      Well first, you need to understand that monks copied or translated works. They didn't write history books, etc; so you're probably not going to find books penned by monks. Partly for the whole humility thing. So, for example while not exactly a history book, Beowulf. We have Beowulf because monks copied and preserved the story or wrote down the oral tale. That literacy rate you're talking about while harmful didn't stop the monks. The clergy was the literate of the "dark ages" (a misnomer but I'll still use it for our purposes here); they could read and write.

      Your history is slightly off too. The Renaissance came about because of the works coming out of the Arab world at that time. The Crusades ironically are what kick started this. Prior to the Crusades, Arab works trickled into Europe.

    19. Re: Pontifical Academy of Sciences by iluvcapra · · Score: 1

      his unfortunate habit of insulting a medieval absolute monarch.

      As I said, freethought and free exchange of ideas. Note also that his "insult," substantively, was attempting to publish his works.

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
    20. Re: Pontifical Academy of Sciences by iluvcapra · · Score: 1

      They weren't against free thought or free exchange in general. They were against free thought and free exchange when it dealt with theological matters. The early colleges and universities were started by them.

      There's obviously going to be some conflict over "theological matters" when the Universities you found are uniformly staffed with clerics in all departments. Note many of these "scientific" or philosophical conflicts tended to arrogate with theology. All of the science faculty at the University of Paris were trained scholastics and din't for second see any conflict with science and, say, Thomist natural theology, which is in fundamental opposition to the scientific method and the interpretation of empirical knowledge.

      It could also be difficult to have any political argument in these places, since the Church was not just a Church but also a state, in alliance with many of the countries of Europe against others, either due to the schism or the Reformation, and voicing a political opinion not in accord with Vatican policy on, say, the excommunication of Urban VI by Clement VII could get you kicked out of your job, or worse.

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
    21. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by iluvcapra · · Score: 2

      To wit, New Pope is a Jesuit and worked as a chemical engineer.

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
    22. Re: Pontifical Academy of Sciences by Intrepid+imaginaut · · Score: 1

      He pretty much called the pope a moron: http://io9.com/5839933/did-gal...

    23. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by joelito_pr · · Score: 1

      Luther just told everyone still Catholic to suck It.

    24. Re: Pontifical Academy of Sciences by iluvcapra · · Score: 1

      I totally don't dispute that.

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
    25. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      The pope is a Jesuit, an organization that contains a large number of scientists, scholars, professors, and so forth.

    26. Re: Pontifical Academy of Sciences by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They were hostile to him criticizing and ridiculing the pope for rightly pointing out that Galileo had no proof that the earth revolved around the sun. He lost the argument due to lack of evidence and resorted to public personal attacks. It was house arrest and pretty damn reasonable compared to how a roman emperor would respond to being ridiculed in writing, which is murdering the offender and his entire family. Try getting your history right and putting it in the proper historical and social context. Consider that worse happens in many countries today when people criticize their rulers and that the church was the improvement over the Roman system that created the enlightened western civilization you live in with the comfort to criticize it for doing so. The church created the freedom in which the Renaissance could happen and it's no small coincidence that the epicenter was in Italy.

    27. Re:Pontifical Academy of Sciences by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      in fact most of the information that survived through the dark ages survived because of monks

      What you refer to as "the dark ages [sic]" was a stifling and regressive time in Europe-- various parts of Asia were much more conducive to general scholarship due to differing sociopolitical conditions, and it was in the contemporaneous Arab world that "most of the information" known in writing to the Romans toward the end of the Roman Empire "survived". Europe wasn't some singular spire of human achievement whose lone downfall cast humanity into darkness. (There were Arab monks, but I'm pretty sure that's not what you meant.)

      In the general case, "most of the information that survived" the Dark Age of Europe was never in danger of loss because Europe was, as now, only one of several disparate realms of civilization.

  4. Why don't they use their money for good? by someone1234 · · Score: 1

    Why don't they invest in green energy. Diesel from CO2 is the way? With this much energy they invest in denial, they might as well do something useful.

    --
    Patents Drive Free Software as Hurricanes Drive Construction Industry
    1. Re:Why don't they use their money for good? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Why don't they invest in green energy.

      They do. In fact, many Catholic organizations, such as Dayton University divested themselves of their fossil fuel holdings and moved the money to green energy.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    2. Re:Why don't they use their money for good? by AkkarAnadyr · · Score: 1

      We've had the tech to do that for decades. Run the numbers (including costs of building the plant and fuel to run it) and see why nobody does carbon >> diesel with CO2 as a feedstock.

      Now, if you took coal, extracted the thorium for energy, that reactor would give you the heat to do coal >> diesel directly, with some left over for the lights in town.

      Doing that mainly consists of weaning the energy players off of nuclear tech that goes 'BOOM'. But they like their toys and Square-Jawed General act a bit too much, plus they're suckered by their sunk costs.

      --

      I bought this house and you know I'm boss
      Ain't no h'aint gonna run me off

    3. Re:Why don't they use their money for good? by Pfhorrest · · Score: 1

      I think GP meant the denialists should just invest in green energy instead of spending so much money money protecting their fossil fuel interests.

      --
      -Forrest Cameranesi, Geek of all Trades
      "I am Sam. Sam I am. I do not like trolls, flames, or spam."
    4. Re:Why don't they use their money for good? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Oh. Thanks for straightening me out on that ambiguity.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
  5. Excommunicate the liars by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Should the Pope just excommunicate the liars
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/globalwarming/11395516/The-fiddling-with-temperature-data-is-the-biggest-science-scandal-ever.html

    1. Re:Excommunicate the liars by Phreakiture · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I strongly suspect that you will find most American and British conservatives are Protestants. Excommunicating them from the Catholic church would be a non-concept for them.

      --
      www.wavefront-av.com
    2. Re:Excommunicate the liars by mbone · · Score: 2

      I strongly suspect that you will find most American and British conservatives are Protestants. Excommunicating them from the Catholic church would be a non-concept for them.

      Well, maybe. Of the Republicans running or widely considered to be possibly running for President, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Bobby Jindal
      Marco Rubio and Rick Santorum are all Catholic. That's a pretty good chunk of the people considered to be actual contenders.

    3. Re:Excommunicate the liars by Phelan · · Score: 1

      Might want to check that list...

      Ted Cruz is southern baptist

      --
      "Nimis exaltatus rex sedet in vertice - caveat ruinam!"
    4. Re:Excommunicate the liars by mbone · · Score: 1

      Might want to check that list...

      Ted Cruz is southern baptist

      You're right, although he grew up Catholic, so I expect he gets the concept.

    5. Re:Excommunicate the liars by Phreakiture · · Score: 1

      Yes, but an excommunication will mean nothing because he has already left the flock.

      --
      www.wavefront-av.com
    6. Re:Excommunicate the liars by KeensMustard · · Score: 1

      I strongly suspect that you will find most American and British conservatives are Protestants.

      Denying Climate Change requires you to lie, to perpetuate lies, to frame lies in such a way that the truth is obscured, to slander others and bear false witness. This is incompatible with Protestant theology.

  6. The first step... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    is to kill all the humans.

    1. Re:The first step... by OneSizeFitsNoone · · Score: 1

      Except a few thousand... of *my* choice!

  7. Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And if Anonymous hacked the email accounts of all these skeptics, one would see how they are paid by big-oil companies to misinform the public and lobby against changes that would reduce profit margin of their evil masters. Pure work of Satan!

    1. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What if all the email accounts for the globul warming activists were hacked? Who would we find they are paid by? Why is it just terribles to be "paid by big oil" or conservative groups and saintly to be paid by george soros and his groups? Honestly, have you looked at some of the shit soros has done? To his own people?

    2. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by MightyMartian · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The overwhelming majority of climatologists are essentially paid by the taxpayers of their nations. Whether AGW is true or not, most of them would still be in related fields (atmospheric research, oceanography, geology, etc.) Climatologists have nothing to gain by AGW being demonstrated as happening, but the fossil fuel industry has an enormous amount to lose by it being generally accepted.

      Note here that in the climatological community, the number of skeptics is probably around the same as the number of skeptics of evolution to be found in the biology community. There is very little controversy over AGW, no matter how much fossil fuel-funded propaganda outfits like Heartland claim there is.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    3. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      Ah yes, the peer review conspiracy theory. Perhaps Ben Stein can do a sequel to Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.

      Seriously, is it the intent of psuedo-skeptics like yourself to invoke every bullshit claim that the Creationist crowd developed? Is that the company you wish to keep?

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    4. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      Ask the people who got kicked out or got sick of the establishment because of this how they feel. More than one has left already. I'm sick and tired of these pseudo-arguments.

      You people cannot convince us because your arguments are not convincing. Period.

      I'm a scientist in a different field and I publish articles. If you don't think people's opinions on what's important can't sometimes border on the religious level and articles get rejected, even if well grounded and relevant, just because they don't promote the prevailing party line and quote them to increase their h-index you got another thing coming.

      As someone once said science advances one funeral at a time.

    5. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by MightyMartian · · Score: 0

      If there was evidence that would collapse AGW, someone would publish it. Claiming that there is a vast conspiracy in any field isn't going to convince anyone but the ignorant. Again, if I have to give credence to the claim that researchers having been forced out because they debunked AGW, then should I now also reject biological evolution, Big Bang cosmology and all the other fields?

      The conspiracy theory claim, to my mind, is the final appeal of the pseudo-skeptic.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    6. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by itzly · · Score: 1

      Personal experience of an author trying to publish something going against established opinion:

      http://www.realclimate.org/ind...

    7. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      Yes 'eventually' you get it published allright. Just not in the publishing forums controlled by the incumbents. Which may be the ones that have the highest probability of being read and quoted.

    8. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      And this is not a 'conspiracy' like some retards claim. Its just human nature.

    9. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's a sad day when a person is called a "conspiracy theorist" when he positively identifies groupthink.

      Have another glass of Kool-Aid, MightMartian. You'll know it's working when uncomfortable realities can all be dismissed by terms starting with "pseudo"

    10. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      Boy, the psuedo-skeptics with mod points are out in force today. Imagine how low I'd get moderated if I attacked Libertarianism. It's fascinating to see the number of people who truly believe the Universe owes humanity some sort of consequence-free existence.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    11. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      It's a sad day when scientists are once again condemned for working on theories that butt up against prejudices and corporate interests, and accused of "groupthink" by cowards and ignoramuses.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    12. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      The theories are fine. It's their feelings of infallibility and, much worse, of trying to push inane policies on us based on this trite that I cannot accept.

    13. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      The researchers have no such powers. It is governments that make laws and policy.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    14. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Working a theory isn't the same as groupthink, you fucking idiot.

      Groupthink is evidenced by:

      • Unquestioned belief in the morality of the group, causing members to ignore the consequences of their actions. Re: "Why would climatologists lie!??!?!?! They are paid by taxpayers, not by governments!!!"
      • Rationalizing warnings that might challenge the group's assumptions. Re: "We should be reducing CO2 anyway."
      • Stereotyping those who are opposed to the group as weak, evil, biased, spiteful, impotent, or stupid. Re: Everything you've been posting in this thread
      • Illusions of unanimity among group members, silence is viewed as agreement. Re: "All climatologists agree!"
      • Direct pressure to conform placed on any member who questions the group, couched in terms of "disloyalty" Re: "Dissenting climatologists? No such thing!"

      It's your fucking playbook.

    15. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      Christ, the same tires fucking whining that pseudo scientists have been invoking for decades. "We're the victims of the cabal.'

      It was much a lie when Michael Behe was claiming it as it is a lie now.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    16. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by Straif · · Score: 1

      And as soon as the interest in climate change science dies down either because a solution is found or it's show to be all hype a very large portion of those same tax based scientists who tagged "climate change" to their end of their research projects will suddenly find themselves out of a job.

      Public researchers rely on public funding to keep their jobs and public funding relies on public interest. Public interest relies on someone showing that the research can have real world affects but as soon as the public no longer believes the field of study to be that important than the money goes away and so do the jobs.

      Fossil fuel companies won't really lose all that much as the transition to a less fossil fuel reliant system comes into place because, surprise, they are also heavily invested in alternative energy sources. The last numbers I saw had them at about 65% of US business investments in new energy systems.

      So who really has more invested in AGW, companies who will make millions either way (and profit margins on oil aren't all that great compared to a lot of other fields) or researchers whose very livelihoods rely on keeping AGW on top of the news cycle.

      --
      Of course that's just my opinion...... you could be wrong!
    17. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nothing to gain? I find that a little hard to believe. It would be my guess that climatology department funding at most universities is at an all time high. To suggest that there's no agenda here is a bit naive. I would also suggest that before all this, climatology was a pretty obscure scientific discipline. Prominent climatologists (those true to the faith, at least) have never had more of the spotlight, not to mention that very few other scientists have this kind of political power. To say that these folks have nothing to gain is more that a little disingenuous.

    18. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by matfud · · Score: 1

      You might like to read this article about think tanks and science.
      http://www.ssrc.org/publicatio...

    19. Re:Corrupted Minds Will Say Anything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > It's a sad day when a person is called a "conspiracy theorist" when he positively identifies groupthink.

      Yeah. Funny how the skeptics never turn a watchful eye toward the funding on their own side of the aisle, isn't it?

      I'm the Koch Brothers and I approve this message.

  8. Tech? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How is this tech related again?

    1. Re: Tech? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Climate change is a popular topic on /.

    2. Re:Tech? by BradMajors · · Score: 1

      Politics is a popular topic on /.

    3. Re: Tech? by jmac_the_man · · Score: 1

      Yelling at each other over dumb shit is a popular topic on Slashdot.

  9. This pope knows about Science by goruka · · Score: 5, Insightful

    He worked as a Chemical Technologist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_technologist) part of his life, and global warming definitely seems like a moral issue to me.
    If he can criticize the deaths caused by poverty or extremism, he can criticize global warming.

    1. Re:This pope knows about Science by OzPeter · · Score: 1

      He also did things like stay out at night and dance tango. He's the cool pope that is needed by the catholic church!

      --
      I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
    2. Re:This pope knows about Science by ThatsDrDangerToYou · · Score: 1

      He also did things like stay out at night and dance tango. He's the cool pope that is needed by the catholic church!

      Never thought I would be jealous of Catholics...

      I think they accidentally picked a good one.

    3. Re:This pope knows about Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      St. John Paul II skied.

    4. Re:This pope knows about Science by MrL0G1C · · Score: 1

      He could also criticise the millions of deaths due to fossil fuel pollution or the potential destruction of nearly all ocean life due to acidification. There's a lot more than climate change to worry about. Ocean life was just valued at $24 trillion, I'd call it priceless.

      --
      Waterfox - a Firefox fork with legacy extension support, security updates and better privacy by default.
    5. Re:This pope knows about Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm sure you heard quite a few American Catholics bemoan his selection, since he apparently doesn't speak English. The naivete and myopic with this particular vocal crowd is utterly defeaning!

    6. Re:This pope knows about Science by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

      If he can criticize the deaths caused by poverty or extremism, he can criticize global warming.

      That is silly, he might as well be criticizing the weather, or earthquakes, or the sun rising...

    7. Re:This pope knows about Science by Rakarra · · Score: 1

      St. John Paul II skied.

      Wearing the full papal vestments and miter. I think he was featured on a snowboard in The Art of Flight.

  10. Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by Knightman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Not really, since if there is no man made climate change we at least need to clean up our environment anyway. If on the other hand the skeptics are wrong and they win the argument humanity is up shit creek and it's going to cost a ton of money and lives in the near future.

    So, to be on the safe side isn't it better to deal with a possible man made climate change now regardless of it's true or not?

    --
    --- Reality doesn't care about your opinions, it happens anyway and if you are in the way you'll get squished.
    1. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by MickyTheIdiot · · Score: 5, Insightful

      To paraphrase Philip K. Dick, reality is what doesn't go away when you stop believing in it. That definition seems more and more appropriate every day.

    2. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by mrsurb · · Score: 1

      Pascal's Wager for climate change?

    3. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by houghi · · Score: 2

      Will it change the value of my wall street stock? If so, then it does matter on the short term and THAT is important. Right?

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
    4. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Its not really equivalent to pascal's wager, since there is evidence for anthropogenic climate change and there is evidence that having a clean environment is healthy.

      On the other hand there is no evidence for God and there is no evidence that worshiping a God (whether real or imagined) is healthy or positive in any way compared to not worshiping it.

    5. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by phantomfive · · Score: 3, Interesting

      So, to be on the safe side isn't it better to deal with a possible man made climate change now regardless of it's true or not?

      No, because the magnitude of the problem determines what our response should be.

      *If climate change is catastrophically serious, we need to reduce the CO2 in the atmosphere and immediately switch from coal to nuclear (as James Hansen advocates).
      *If climate change is moderately serious, we can put resources into solar/wind/other technologies, and put them into production when they are viable (or somewhat before).
      *If climate change is not serious, we can focus on improving the economy and living conditions of poor people, which by itself will reduce more serious pollution (like atmospheric sulfur and polluted rivers).

      If we choose wrongly, our actions very likely will be counter-productive and take us farther from our goals.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    6. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The earth has been warming up for 10,000 years. The solar cycles and volcanoes have a larger impact than human caused combustion. Anyhoo, everybody have made up their minds, so why confuse them with facts?

    7. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by Knightman · · Score: 1

      Uhm, but there is no real consensus what the magnitude of the possible problem is. When lives are at stake you mostly plan for the worst case scenario, unless you are a cynic of course.

      And I'm far more concerned that we choose wrongly and the whole climate becomes counter-productive which means we only will have one goal: survive.

      --
      --- Reality doesn't care about your opinions, it happens anyway and if you are in the way you'll get squished.
    8. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by itzly · · Score: 1

      When lives are at stake you mostly plan for the worst case scenario, unless you are a cynic of course.

      No, you would look at all the possibilities, assign probabilities to them, and do a cost/benefit analysis for each of them. Then you optimize.

    9. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pascal's Wager postulates an infinite loss for getting God's existence wrong, are we to believe that the universe will end if we don't tackle Climate Change?

    10. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by DarkOx · · Score: 1

      Not really, since if there is no man made climate change we at least need to clean up our environment anyway. If on the other hand the skeptics are wrong and they win the argument humanity is up shit creek

      Bzzt. WRONG!

      A whole lot of "green energy" isn't clean energy. Hydro electric for example has huge ecological consequences, if your efforts are directed at lowering CO2 and methane emissions because your incorrectly believe the greatest environmental threat is climate change you could do lots of harm, for no reason.

      Even if climate change is real emissions might be the wrong thing to try and control. Forests remove carbon from the atmosphere, but they do a lot of other potentially climate impacting things as well like wick water up from the ground and release it as vapor. Maybe the world needs more woods, and clearing space for another turbine is exactly the wrong thing to do.

      In the end the only real answer in terms of global sustainability is likely fewer people. An area where the Church isn't exactly on the right side of as far as the prevailing views go.

      --
      Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
    11. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by phantomfive · · Score: 2

      Uhm, but there is no real consensus what the magnitude of the possible problem is. When lives are at stake you mostly plan for the worst case scenario, unless you are a cynic of course.

      You're not thinking clearly. Preventing developing countries from building coal-power plants will kill people (unless there is a practical alternative to power, which in most cases there isn't). Making the wrong decision and overreacting will kill people. Making the wrong decision and under-reacting will also kill people.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    12. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      No, you would look at all the possibilities, assign probabilities to them, and do a cost/benefit analysis for each of them. Then you optimize.

      Please do that. I would really, really like to see the results.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    13. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by itzly · · Score: 1

      I'm not qualified. But you could start with the IPCC report.

    14. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by Knightman · · Score: 1

      So what is an acceptable probability (cost/benefit wise) for a loss of one life?
      So what is an acceptable probability (cost/benefit wise) for a loss of 1 million lives?
      So what is an acceptable probability (cost/benefit wise) for a loss of an animal species?
      So what is an acceptable probability (cost/benefit wise) for a loss of an insect species?
      So what is an acceptable probability (cost/benefit wise) for a minimum 10% loss of viability in biomes?

      I can go on, but you get my point. Of course economics play a huge role in how to tackle it, but the economics of not tackle it doesn't look good at all.

      End the end, the ones usually doing the cost/benefit analysis is also the ones holding the purse...

      --
      --- Reality doesn't care about your opinions, it happens anyway and if you are in the way you'll get squished.
    15. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by itzly · · Score: 1

      So what is an acceptable probability (cost/benefit wise) for a loss of one life?

      Compare to other things we do. How much money do you spend on swimming lessons, cancer preventions, seat belts, traffic lights, levees, hurricane shelters, and so on ?

    16. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lets say we become carbon neutral today. How much difference will it make? Recent admissions from the UN panel say NONE. http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/04/28/weekinreview/29revkin.450.jpg

    17. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      http://shiftwa.org/democrat-admits-green-policies-have-little-impact-on-carbon-reduction/
      http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/359640/epa-admits-new-power-plant-regs-wont-affect-climate-change-alec-torres
      http://dailysignal.com/2009/07/08/epa-admits-cap-and-trade-won%E2%80%99t-work/

    18. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      we already picked the wrong path, useless fucking solar and wind

      if you really believed then the only choice is nuclear, fucking green idiots!!! fucked us all over!!

    19. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      The thing is CO2 is not a pollutant. It's not a pollutant any more than O2 or H2O. Money spent to curb 'emissions' of CO2 is money not spent elsewhere to curb actually problematic emissions like NOx or CO.

    20. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Guess what, those wacky climate scientists looked into solar variation and volcanoes and found that they are not significant factors.

      Confuse people with facts? That is not the strategy of the deniers; confusing them with pseudoscience and talking points is.

    21. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by riverat1 · · Score: 1

      The earth has been warming up for 10,000 years. The solar cycles and volcanoes have a larger impact than human caused combustion. Anyhoo, everybody have made up their minds, so why confuse them with facts?

      Actually the Earth hit the peak temperatures of the current interglacial period 6,000-8,000 years ago and there has been a slight cooling trend ever since. This is what an examination of Milankovitch Cycles would lead you to expect. The unprecedented (in the past several million years) rise in CO2 in the atmosphere over the past 2 centuries has interrupted that trend.

      It is possible for solar activity or volcanoes to have a larger impact than current human influences but both have been scientifically studied and there current effects are pretty minor compared anthropogenic effects.

    22. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You forgot one, and it's a really big one: If climate change is ridiculously serious (propaganda) then we need population reduction, STAT. And that's why the "better safe than sorry" argument falls apart, because being dead isn't so "safe", now is it?

      It's foolish for anyone to talk about Climate Change while ignoring the element of scaremongering propaganda meant to manufacture consent for the globalist elite's population reduction agenda.

      Then again, the same idiots that have no doubt about climate change also believe two planes could take out the three buildings that were demolished on 9/11, or that the founders of Planned Parenthood weren't also proponents of Eugenics.

      Let's be clear here, no one has actually fact checked anything for themselves. You're all arguing about hypothetical shit we really don't have any unbiased evidence for, but we do have a bunch of scary models that have all been wrong thus far. A bunch of ignorant simpletons, the lot of ye, failing to even ask the question, "what possible ulterior motive could this obvious scaremongering be furthering?"

    23. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or shit, we can build the F-35, a multi-role jumpjet that can fight everything! It's a marvelous tool in our war on poverty, our war on drugs, our war on war... Oh. Never mind.

    24. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by dave420 · · Score: 1

      Seeing as volcanoes emit ~0.3bn tonnes of CO2 per year, and human industry emits nearly 30bn tonnes, why should anyone listen to a word you have to say?

      You have already made up your mind, and it's contrary to all the evidence. You aren't very good at this.

    25. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by Citizen+of+Earth · · Score: 1

      When lives are at stake you mostly plan for the worst case scenario, unless you are a cynic of course.

      The trouble is that doing what you suggest puts millions of lives at risk in itself. The third world already has severe energy-poverty problems without being burdened with more.

    26. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by Citizen+of+Earth · · Score: 1

      Its also been warming sharply since the end of the Little Ice Age 200 years ago.

    27. Re:Does it matter if you are a sceptic or not? by Citizen+of+Earth · · Score: 1

      If climate change is catastrophically serious, we need to reduce the CO2 in the atmosphere and immediately switch from coal to nuclear

      Even if we did that, it would still take several decades for it to have an impact. And we won't do that. If climate change is catastrophically serious, then geo-engineering would be the only effective solution. On the plus side, it is only 1/1000th as expensive as CO2-emission elimination.

  11. Confused much? by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "But a group of British and American skeptics say the Pope is being fed "mistaken" advice from the UN and that he should stick to speaking out on matters of morality and theology rather than getting involved in the climate change debate"

    While I would have no reason to consider the pope's opinion on a scientific matter to be particularly interesting; doesn't climate change count as a glaringly obvious moral issue under all but the very, very, most optimistic models of its expected effects? I realize such statements are a polite way of saying 'go back to talking about financially irrelevant stuff like homosexuals and the slut menace, and let us do as we wish'; but if the imposition of negative externalities, on a substantial scale, isn't a moral issue, what would be?

    1. Re:Confused much? by LaGator · · Score: 1, Interesting

      The point the Skeptics are making is that it is morally wrong to implement our current plan. We are turning food into fuel while people starve in the name of fighting climate change. There are 1.5 BILLION people living with no power, burning wood and dung for cooking and warmth. We could help them develop with fossil fuels but we don't. Meanwhile the entire plan if successful in cutting 80% emissions would only save ONE TENTH of a degree of warming. We also don't really know how much warming there will be, nor if that is actually dangerous. See Judith Curry's recent testimony before congress.

    2. Re:Confused much? by OzPeter · · Score: 1

      While I would have no reason to consider the pope's opinion on a scientific matter to be particularly interesting; doesn't climate change count as a glaringly obvious moral issue under all but the very, very, most optimistic models of its expected effects?

      Only if it exists(*)

      * Note that I am not advocating either side - I am just pointing out the likely basis for the argument against the pope getting involved.

      --
      I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
    3. Re:Confused much? by MightyMartian · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If we increase CO2 emissions, we will fuck those people over in a generation or two, making their lives even worse. And we'll do ourselves some considerable harm.

      The Heartland Institute is a mouthpiece for industries that emit CO2. It doesn't give a sweet fuck what happens to the Third World. Hell, these sociopaths don't even care what happens in the First World.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    4. Re:Confused much? by whitelabrat · · Score: 1

      This is a good point. Let's forget how climate change is happening and focus on the fact that it is happening. Then independently we can tackle the morality of ecology. Trashing our planet for excessive profit, or luxury is really not OK under any circumstance.

      Humans are stupid.

    5. Re:Confused much? by BCGlorfindel · · Score: 0

      ...doesn't climate change count as a glaringly obvious moral issue under all but the very, very, most optimistic models of its expected effects?

      Not according to the IPCC. Go through the IPCC's latest projections in Chapter 11 and Chapter 12 of the fifth assessment report. In Chapter 12 Figure 12.5 they project temperatures out to 2300 and Secnario 2.6 and the low end of Scenario 4.5 are both under 2C increases by 2300(referenced to 1986-2005). Scenario 4.5 is used by the IPCC as the expected case. Earlier in chapter 12 they show the main basis for the Scenarios in the radiative forcing expected in Figure 12.4. If you are to map the instrumental observations of energy imabalance(net forcing) from 1980 through today based on Sat observations the line falls between scenarios 4.5 and 2.6. The ocean heat content observations(check out work by Levitus) corroborate the Sat observations within errors, and also extend the overall trend back to the 1950s. The observed forcing trends have been linear rather than accelerating and fit between Scenario 2.6 and 4.5 so that should be the expected, rather than "very, very optimistic".

      Call that out as my own interpretations of the evidence if you want. The scientific papers and evidence are exactly as I've described. A basic litmus test could be used to see if I'm way off or not. If I'm right about comparing observed energy imbalance to the IPCC projection scenarios, forcing trends should follow somewhere in between scenario 2.6 and 4.5, so either the high end of 2.6 or the low end of 4.5. Now go look at Figure 11.9 in Chapter 11 linked above, observed trends track right on the bottom error limits of the Scenario 4.5 projections.

      Things aren't great, that's plenty of warming coming. What is not clear though is what is our moral standing on that level of impact 200 years from now. How much do we sack our economy and progress today to fend that off, and what is worthwhile? Those are hardly questions that are cut and tried science says X.

    6. Re:Confused much? by MightyMartian · · Score: 2

      Oh christ, not the 15/18 year bullshit. Several of those years are the hottest on record. This is what the ACTUAL SCIENTISTS state.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    7. Re:Confused much? by itzly · · Score: 1

      In Chapter 12 Figure 12.5 they project temperatures out to 2300 and Secnario 2.6 and the low end of Scenario 4.5 are both under 2C increases by 2300

      Those figures are relative to the 1986–2005 base period. When people talk about limiting temperature rise to 2C, they are using the pre-industrial temperature as a baseline, which is about 0.8C lower.

    8. Re:Confused much? by BCGlorfindel · · Score: 1

      In Chapter 12 Figure 12.5 they project temperatures out to 2300 and Secnario 2.6 and the low end of Scenario 4.5 are both under 2C increases by 2300

      Those figures are relative to the 1986–2005 base period. When people talk about limiting temperature rise to 2C, they are using the pre-industrial temperature as a baseline, which is about 0.8C lower.

      Read closer. They are also talking about temperature by the year 2100, 85 years from now. I referenced the year 2300, 285 years from now...

    9. Re:Confused much? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Not according to the IPCC. Go through the IPCC's latest projections in Chapter 11 [www.ipcc.ch] and Chapter 12 [www.ipcc.ch] of the fifth assessment report. In Chapter 12 Figure 12.5 they project temperatures out to 2300 and Secnario 2.6 and the low end of Scenario 4.5 are both under 2C increases by 2300

      Wait a minute. Why are you telling us just about the low end of scenario 4.5 (the expected scenario) being +2C when the high end is +15C? I bet you're smart enough to know what even half that would mean - what kind of catastrophe it would cause.

      Here's what the IPCC says, a little further along in that same fifth report:

      Surface temperature is projected to rise over the 21st century under all assessed emission scenarios. It is very likely that heat waves will
      occur more often and last longer, and that extreme precipitation events will become more intense and frequent in many regions. The
      ocean will continue to warm and acidify, and global mean sea level to rise.
      Climate change will amplify existing risks and create new risks for natural and human systems. Risks are unevenly distributed and are
      generally greater for disadvantaged people and communities in countries at all levels of development.

      So yes, Virginia, the IPCC does indeed say that climate change is a "glaringly moral issue".

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    10. Re:Confused much? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If we increase CO2 emissions, we will fuck those people over in a generation or two, making their lives even worse. And we'll do ourselves some considerable harm.

      Believe me! Follow me! For I speak the truth! I have written and so it will be!

      Sounds like you and the pope are pretty good together.

      If we want to get into fact then we must accept that climate changes full stop. It happened with or without us and so dreaming of some equilibrium that doesnt exist is the first childish dream to move people on from. The problem with the changing climate is we have limited understanding of how it normally changes, and yet we are trying to predict the difference we cause from the norm! Tough job and kudo's to scientists trying to figure it out. However the facts do seem to get lost when the preaching nutters which the pope is right to join with continue to peddle lies and extraditions which make real scientists look dumb when the truth comes to light. How can serious work be taken seriously when absolute lies are pushed as fact and are added to the embarrassment of having political idiots supporting them? Anyone else remember Gordon brown claiming we have X days to save the earth? We passed that a long time ago. Still we look to saving the earth from the apocalypse that never came!

      The first reaction I often encounter to presenting such facts is the nutters and cultists will instantly assume I am a skeptic, denier of science, etc. If that is your conclusion then you are the lost cause who has made up their mind and for you god is real because you believe. Good for you. Feel free to stand on the street with your cardboard sign with 'The end is coming' written in marker, your loud shouting is irritating but I dont want you to save my soul.

      Another possible reaction is that those who dont believe the climate ever changes may think I am 'on their side' (happens less often as they often can read and do read my comment) which I am not. Of course the climate changes with or without us but to think we have zero effect on our surroundings is more than wishful thinking.

      The spectrum has extreme denial on one end and extreme believer on the other. I am somewhere around the middle and quite happy to wait on fact and reason (que both cults claiming to have the facts and have reason, no matter how unreasonable they will be). So to anyone else out there not signed up to one of these belief pushers, you are not alone. There is nothing wrong with not leaping without knowing. Nothing wrong with thinking, reasoning and mulling over the facts.

    11. Re:Confused much? by itzly · · Score: 1

      Satellites do not show that, and they are more accurate SCIENTIFICALLY.

      On the contrary, measuring surface temperature from a satellite is notoriously hard, and requires a great deal of manipulation and modelling to produce a useful result.

      As far as the warming trend stopping or slowing down.... it didn't:
      https://tamino.wordpress.com/2...

    12. Re:Confused much? by MightyMartian · · Score: 1, Informative
      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    13. Re:Confused much? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It is GODs will, who are you to question it. Everything happens for a reason.

    14. Re:Confused much? by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      I'm too busy reading what actual scientists publishing climatology research say. I'm not terribly interested in the kooks who stand for or against AGW. You'll have to try your whole meme on someone who gives a rats fuck what non-scientists say.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    15. Re:Confused much? by itzly · · Score: 1

      In that chapter, they are talking about temperature anomalies with respect to 1986-2005 average. That applies to the entire graph, from now to 2300.

    16. Re:Confused much? by BCGlorfindel · · Score: 1

      Not according to the IPCC. Go through the IPCC's latest projections in Chapter 11 [www.ipcc.ch] and Chapter 12 [www.ipcc.ch] of the fifth assessment report. In Chapter 12 Figure 12.5 they project temperatures out to 2300 and Secnario 2.6 and the low end of Scenario 4.5 are both under 2C increases by 2300

      Wait a minute. Why are you telling us just about the low end of scenario 4.5 (the expected scenario) being +2C when the high end is +15C?

      At the risk of repeating myself, because I said it in my first post, that is the line followed by the OBSERVATIONS.

      Observed energy imbalance as measured by satellite and ocean heat content plots a trend line on the low end of 4.5 or the high end of 2.6.

      Let's do some sciencing and look for independent verification that the low end of 4.5 fits the real world. Low and behold, observed temperature tracks the low end of 4.5 as well.

      That's my second time pointing that out so I hope that's done with.

    17. Re:Confused much? by BCGlorfindel · · Score: 1

      In that chapter, they are talking about temperature anomalies with respect to 1986-2005 average. That applies to the entire graph, from now to 2300.

      Yes, that's the definition. it plots future temperature with respect to 1986-2005 out until the year 2300. The low end of scenario 4.5 plots under 2C at the year 2300. That's what I claimed from the start, that's how the graph is labelled, drawn and meant to be read.

    18. Re:Confused much? by itzly · · Score: 1

      Yes, that's the definition. it plots future temperature with respect to 1986-2005 out until the year 2300

      But using that same definition, the average pre-industrial temperature was -0.8C.

      So, if we want to limit warming to pre-industrial + 2C, we should limit it to +1.2C in that graph.

    19. Re:Confused much? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Of course the IPCC is going to find that climate change is caused by human activity, and is a serious threat. The IPCC's mandate is specifically to study mankind's effect on climate, not to look at whether natural climate variability is the cause of any change. If the IPCC returns any result other than that climate change is primarily driven by other than anthropogenic causes, or that there is no long-term concern for the change in climate, then its reason for existence disappears, and all of the money that is being fed into research to prove its existence will go away. The governments created the IPCC, they fund it, they staff it, they select the scientists who will be members, and they revise and rewrite the reports of those scientists after the scientists have finished their work.

      Ignore the fact that the first IPCC report, released in 1990, admitted that observed climate change was due to natural, not anthropogenic causes. Ignore the fact that, for more than 18 years, the hundreds of IPCC climate models have failed to track the actual lack of global warming. Ignore the fact that, in the face of the increasingly-divergent climate models, subsequent reports by the IPCC have, with rising certainty and increasing alarmism, declared that there is a 'discernable human impact' on climate, and that steps must be taken to avert a global climate crisis. Ignore the fact that the US Government's Global Historical Climate Network, the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and the National Climate Data Center have systematically applied 'corrections' to more than 60 years of recorded temperature, these corrections -- regardless of where on the planet the temperatures were collected -- uniformly reducing older temperatures and increasing recent ones. Ignore the fact that these 'corrections' completely eliminated any evidence for Iceland's 'sea ice years' -- a period of extreme cooling in the 1970s that almost devastated that country's economy.

      In 2006, renowned scientist James Lovelock, predicting that continued CO2 emissions would produce climate calamity, claimed "Before this century is over billions of us will die and the few breeding pairs of people that survive will be in the Arctic where climate remains tolerable." Since then, his assessment has swung in the other direction, admitting in an MSNBC interview that "we don't know what the climate is doing.", adding "We thought we knew 20 years ago," he said. "That led to some alarmist books — mine included — because it looked clear-cut, but it hasn't happened."

      In 2010, in an interview with Germany's NZZ Online, IPCC official Ottmer Edenhofer stated, "First of all, developed countries have basically expropriated the atmosphere of the world community. But one must say clearly that we redistribute de facto the world’s wealth by climate policy. Obviously, the owners of coal and oil will not be enthusiastic about this. 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, with problems such as deforestation or the ozone hole." The science is no longer important; it's not addressing environmental policy, it's forcing redistribution of wealth. Last summer, at the environmental summit in Venezuela, the Margarita Declaration concluded "The structural causes of climate change are linked to the current capitalist hegemonic system", and included the motto "Changing the system, not the climate." Again, the climate is unimportant; it's all about prying wealth out of the first-world countries.

      Recently, scientists have admitted that their expert findings on dietary fat were wrong, and that fat can contribute to a healthy diet and weight loss. Forty years ago, scientists warned of a coming ice age; now they're certain the planet is warming (many of them the same scientists). This is how science works. For a scientific fact to be true, it has to be testable and refuta

    20. Re:Confused much? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So what you're saying is that skeptics think addressing climate change and the massive impacts to agriculture that will come from places like California and the US Midwest being in perpetual drought is immoral given that we could accelerate those impacts by using fossil fuels to accelerate the growth rate of the human population so there are even more people to alive to suffer those effects when they occur. What particular form of mental illness causes this to be perceived as rational?

    21. Re:Confused much? by itzly · · Score: 4, Informative

      NASA admits the warming since 1998 is NOT statically significant

      You're the one who's cherry picking, because 1998 was a 2-sigma outlier when it happened. The same 1998 temperature is now the norm.

    22. Re:Confused much? by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      Do you have an actual citation here, or are you just going to keep pretending that psueduo-skeptic blog posts are actually references? Fucking hell, do you think I'm a fucking idiot.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    23. Re:Confused much? by BCGlorfindel · · Score: 1

      Yes, that's the definition. it plots future temperature with respect to 1986-2005 out until the year 2300

      But using that same definition, the average pre-industrial temperature was -0.8C.

      So, if we want to limit warming to pre-industrial + 2C, we should limit it to +1.2C in that graph.

      Correct, we are entirely agreed what you have stated is correct.

      We are currently at +0.8C to that same reference. Worded another way, we are +1C compared to 1900 a little over 100 years ago. If you can forgive rounding that to 1C/100years as describing our experience over the last century, then is it not also accurate to characterize the low end of the 4.5 scenario as more of the same by 2300? By the same reference, rising by just shy of 2C, over 250 years is a continued trend of warming by 1C per century.

      My response to that is to suggest we not characterize that as catastrophe.

    24. Re:Confused much? by BCGlorfindel · · Score: 1

      Yes, that's the definition. it plots future temperature with respect to 1986-2005 out until the year 2300

      But using that same definition, the average pre-industrial temperature was -0.8C.

      So, if we want to limit warming to pre-industrial + 2C, we should limit it to +1.2C in that graph.

      Correct, we are entirely agreed what you have stated is correct.

      We are currently at +0.8C to that same reference. Worded another way, we are +1C compared to 1900 a little over 100 years ago. If you can forgive rounding that to 1C/100years as describing our experience over the last century, then is it not also accurate to characterize the low end of the 4.5 scenario as more of the same by 2300? By the same reference, rising by just shy of 2C, over 250 years is a continued trend of warming by 1C per century.

      My response to that is to suggest we not characterize that as catastrophe.

      stupid me for not previewing, should read "We are currently at +0.2C not +0.8C, apologies.

    25. Re:Confused much? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      At the risk of repeating myself, because I said it in my first post, that is the line followed by the OBSERVATIONS.

      By observation? What is the importance of observed increases in a system where the function is becoming unstable? How much are your observations of the past century going to help when you've reached a boundary condition? (which is what the report says is expected to happen).

      You were cherry-picking that report to claim that the IPCC doesn't really believe that climate change is important enough to be a moral issue, when the report says just the opposite.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    26. Re:Confused much? by BCGlorfindel · · Score: 1

      At the risk of repeating myself, because I said it in my first post, that is the line followed by the OBSERVATIONS.

      By observation? What is the importance of observed increases in a system where the function is becoming unstable? How much are your observations of the past century going to help when you've reached a boundary condition? (which is what the report says is expected to happen).

      What is the importance of observations???? Are you making a joke or something? Computer models are simulating one of the most complex systems imaginable. A lot of assumptions and simplifications are required to build those simulations. We use observations to verify those models, by necessity.

      Would you care to point out where the IPCC speaks of your 'boundary' conditions? In Chapter 12 the question of "Abrupt Changes" is addressed which would seem to fit your notion of boundaries, and mentions things like loss of the Greenland Ice Sheet, but they summarize by saying in general there is low confidence and little consensus on the likelihood of such events over the 21st century.

      You were cherry-picking that report to claim that the IPCC doesn't really believe that climate change is important enough to be a moral issue, when the report says just the opposite.

      Sorry for sticking to the basic science portion of the IPCC's assessment report. The morality of x or y didn't make it into the CMIP5 runs. Other than leaving out the IPCC's higher level morality assessments(which I don't believe they have in the other reports by the way, but feel free to direct me to it), I pretty accurately presented the IPCC's model runs and predictions. The only links I provided are to their two complete chapters on short and long term predictions. I then pointed out that of THEIR chosen scenarios, the OBSERVATIONS thus far for both energy balance and temperature track well with the low end of their 4.5 scenario. That's not cherry picking. Maybe you don't like it, but that's just looking at the basic science and facts and presenting them. If I'm wrong on any point do please correct me and help me out, otherwise don't through cheap shots.

    27. Re:Confused much? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Would you care to point out where the IPCC speaks of your 'boundary' conditions?

      Boundary conditions are mentioned eight times in Chapter 12 alone. If you take the Fifth Report as a whole, they are mentioned 24 times and in 6 of the figures. Specifically, and with great import, they are mentioned in 12.5 and 12.13.

      If I'm wrong on any point do please correct me and help me out

      You're welcome. Next time, get a PDF reader with a search function.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    28. Re:Confused much? by BCGlorfindel · · Score: 1

      Would you care to point out where the IPCC speaks of your 'boundary' conditions?

      Boundary conditions are mentioned eight times in Chapter 12 alone. If you take the Fifth Report as a whole, they are mentioned 24 times and in 6 of the figures. Specifically, and with great import, they are mentioned in 12.5 and 12.13.

      The full text from IPCC Chapter 12, basic science for Figure 12.5:
      Figure 12.5 | Time series of global annual mean surface air temperature anomalies
      (relative to 1986–2005) from CMIP5 concentration-driven experiments. Projections are
      shown for each RCP for the multi-model mean (solid lines) and the 5 to 95% range
      (±1.64 standard deviation) across the distribution of individual models (shading). Discontinuities
      at 2100 are due to different numbers of models performing the extension
      runs beyond the 21st century and have no physical meaning. Only one ensemble
      member is used from each model and numbers in the figure indicate the number of
      different models contributing to the different time periods. No ranges are given for the
      RCP6.0 projections beyond 2100 as only two models are available.

      No reference to boundaries.

      Same chapter, Fig 12.13:
      Figure 12.13 | CMIP5 multi-model mean geographical changes (relative to a 1981–2000 reference period in common with CMIP3) under RCP8.5 and 20-year smoothed time
      series for RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 in the (a, b) annual minimum of daily minimum temperature, (c, d) annual maximum of daily maximum temperature, (e, f) frost days (number
      of days below 0C) and (g, h) tropical nights (number of days above 20C). White areas over land indicate regions where the index is not valid. Shading in the time series represents
      the interquartile ensemble spread (25th and 75th quantiles). The box-and-whisker plots show the interquartile ensemble spread (box) and outliers (whiskers) for 11 CMIP3 model
      simulations of the SRES scenarios A2 (orange), A1B (cyan), and B1 (purple) globally averaged over the respective future time periods (2046–2065 and 2081–2100) as anomalies
      from the 1981–2000 reference period. Stippling indicates grid points with changes that are significant at the 5% level using a Wilcoxon signed-ranked test. (Updated from Sillmann
      et al. (2013), excluding the FGOALS-s2 model.)

      No reference to boundaries.

      You stated that there are boundary conditions that render the observations from the last century irrelevant. I've looked at each reference to the word 'boundary' from a simple search of the chapter, thanks very much. Not a solitary reference to the word has squat to do with your claims of boundary conditions that are unprecedented in the last century. In fact, the references to the word boundary all are in reference to the boundary between layers of ocean or atmosphere, for boundary conditions placed on variables for model runs, and boundaries in the geographical sense to note the difference between global and local trends.

      If you aren't going to give the quote you say your going from, I'm not inclined to take your word on it after looking up your two stated references above.

    29. Re:Confused much? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Not a solitary reference to the word has squat to do with your claims of boundary conditions that are unprecedented in the last century.

      12.3.2,

      The CMIP5 experimental protocol for long-term transient climate
      experiments prescribes a common basis for a comprehensive set of
      anthropogenic forcing agents acting as boundary conditions in three
      experimental phases—historical, RCPs and ECPs (Taylor et al., 2012).
      To permit common implementations of this set of forcing agents in
      CMIP5 models, self-consistent forcing data time series have been computed
      and provided to participating models (see Sections 9.3.2.2 and
      12.3.1.3) comprising emissions or concentrations of GHGs and related
      compounds, ozone and atmospheric aerosols and their chemical precursors,
      and land use change.

      "...historical, RCPs and ECPs"

      But then, that's a model and you only believe in observed historical data when it comes to predictions, because if there's one thing we all know, straight-line extrapolations of historical data are the only way to predict the future. Ask any stock trader.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    30. Re:Confused much? by riverat1 · · Score: 1

      Do you understand anything about how temperatures are derived from satellite measurements? First of all they don't measure surface temperatures at all but rather the general temperature of a rather amorphous blob of the atmosphere somewhere above ground level. What the satellites actually measure is microwave emissions of O2 molecules. Then those measurements have to massaged to account for orbital drift of the satellites, the degradation of the sensors over time, the effects of clouds and high altitudes on the measurements and the effects of changing satellites as they only last about 10 years before they're done. Only after all of that can they derive a temperature from the microwave emission measurements. Even one of the leading RSS researchers says he trusts the surface measurements more than his satellite measurements.

    31. Re:Confused much? by riverat1 · · Score: 1

      Of course the IPCC is going to find that climate change is caused by human activity, and is a serious threat. The IPCC's mandate is specifically to study mankind's effect on climate, not to look at whether natural climate variability is the cause of any change. ...

      It's not possible to understand the anthropogenic effects on climate without understanding the natural causes of climate change. If you actually read the IPCC report you'll find lots of information about natural effects on climate.

    32. Re:Confused much? by BCGlorfindel · · Score: 1

      Not a solitary reference to the word has squat to do with your claims of boundary conditions that are unprecedented in the last century.

      12.3.2,

      The CMIP5 experimental protocol for long-term transient climate
      experiments prescribes a common basis for a comprehensive set of
      anthropogenic forcing agents acting as boundary conditions in three
      experimental phases—historical, RCPs and ECPs (Taylor et al., 2012).
      To permit common implementations of this set of forcing agents in
      CMIP5 models, self-consistent forcing data time series have been computed
      and provided to participating models (see Sections 9.3.2.2 and
      12.3.1.3) comprising emissions or concentrations of GHGs and related
      compounds, ozone and atmospheric aerosols and their chemical precursors,
      and land use change.

      "...historical, RCPs and ECPs"

      But then, that's a model and you only believe in observed historical data when it comes to predictions, because if there's one thing we all know, straight-line extrapolations of historical data are the only way to predict the future. Ask any stock trader.

      Forgive me but isn't CMIP5 ...prescribes a common basis for a comprehensive set of anthropogenic forcing agents acting as boundary conditions in three experimental phases describing the use of anthro forcing agents as "a boundary condition placed on variables for model runs", like I listed? Isn't the "...historical, RCPs and ECPs" reference you highlight referring to the three experimental phases rather than boundary conditions?

      Maybe more bluntly, care to explain a little more clearly why you believe this description endorses the notion that comparing the model runs to observations is not a valid litmus of which scenarios might be more predictive?

      I wish you wouldn't mis-characterize my position. I'm the one that started out referencing the IPCC model runs, and here you want to claim I'm the one throwing them away? Is it really heresy to suggest value in comparing observation to model predictions, like the IPCC itself printed in Fig 11.9?

      Am I made of wood or something?

    33. Re:Confused much? by Rakarra · · Score: 1

      because you start your record as a cherry picked low temperature to include the positive PDO phase warming from 79-98 does not mean that there has been warming since 1998, there HAS NOT been. Even by your instrumental record NASA admits the warming since 1998 is NOT statically significant

      Presenting the hottest year on record to that point as a normal or average temperature is cherry picking. I no longer feel that anyone who uses the phrase "no warming since 1998" is interested in an honest discussion.

  12. Birth Control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    might have a serious play here...

  13. Overpopulation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The real problem is the several billion too many people on the planet already and that number going up. The Pope needs to tell people to stop pooping out babies all over the place.

  14. Re:I agree with them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He gives advice that many many millions of people will listen to. Isn't it a good thing that people in search of moral guidance hear something about sustainable development and responsible use of resources?

  15. Religion and science by BCGlorfindel · · Score: 2

    The Pope is just the person we need to settle once and for all the correct interpretation of the scientific evidence. Thank goodness we'll be spared the downward spiral into nearly religious zealotry that climate change debate was headed.

    1. Re:Religion and science by BradMajors · · Score: 0

      Since climate change is based upon faith and not science, the Pope is the ideal person for the job.

    2. Re:Religion and science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      +1 Funny, +1 Insightful.
      ROFL. This would be funny if it wasn't true.

      If you have good Karma, then once every 10 years, you should get double moderator points, that can be used just once. If I had that, you would get them now.

    3. Re:Religion and science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is no doubt among the scientific community and the Pope is just stating the obvious. This is NOT a scientific debate! It is as much a scientific debate as the theory of evolution. No sane scientist questions whether global warming is real. Only misguided fools deny global warming.

  16. Wait, what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I seem to recall that by definition in Catholicism Popes are considered to be infallible. So these people must just be incorrect - by definition. Either believe your religious myths or don't. Don't try to take some of them as true and others as false.

  17. I may not agree with climate change by g0bshiTe · · Score: 1

    I don't see why it's a bad thing to consider the ramifications of our actions. Even if we ignore all the evidence of which personally I don't think it's enough to point the blame on us solely. I still don't see the harm in thinking of the future and ending our reliance on a fuel source that will in a generation or two (if we're lucky) be consumed completely.

    If the Pope speaks about other social issues why not speak about environmental as well.

    --
    I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
    1. Re:I may not agree with climate change by Boronx · · Score: 1

      Even if there is no climate change, oil is such a useful material that burning it for fuel is insane.

  18. Bring back Pope Benedict by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    Bring back Pope Benedict. At least he was rational. And while we're at it, arm him, and give him troops so he can do something about persecutions of Christians in the Middle East.

    Climate Change hysteria is a sin.

  19. The third religion to join the GW debate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Three religions in the GW debate:

    True Believers
    Deniers

    and now

    Catholicism

    None of these belong in the science or in policy discussions. Unfortunately, that probably leaves about 3 people on the planet that can objectively discuss anthropogenic global warming.

  20. Most people don't understand the debate. by LaGator · · Score: 0

    Most people, politicians and I'm sure the Pope don't understand what the real debate on climate change is.
    If you would like to know what the real debate is about read this: http://www.tccdebate.com/

    1. Re:Most people don't understand the debate. by danbob999 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      First they denied climate change. Next they denied human influence on the climate. Now they are denying man-made climate change will have some adverse effects. Deniers will always deny, until it's too late. The whole article is wrong. The debate is not about whether it is dangerous or not. Of course it is not dangerous. Life on earth isn't threatened by climate change. The debate is whether the costs of doing nothing outweigh the costs of acting now to reduce CO2 emissions. And most current evidence points us to answer positively, although we will never be 100% sure. The other debate is how to reduce emissions and who should reduce them. With most countries obviously arguing so that all others make the effort but not them. The developed countries are especially to blame, because they want to continue to pollute a lot more, per capita, than developing countries.

    2. Re:Most people don't understand the debate. by LaGator · · Score: 0

      It's not about denial it's about scientific facts. The science is on the side of the skeptics. Even with increased CO2 emissions both sat. datasets show no warming now for over 18 years. True believers like you can only point to the sparse and may times adjusted instrument records. The climate models are obviously wrong. the science is NOT on your side and yet you blindly plow ahead.

    3. Re:Most people don't understand the debate. by danbob999 · · Score: 1

      The World Meteorological Organisation seems to disagree with your non-backed claim. http://uk.reuters.com/article/...

    4. Re:Most people don't understand the debate. by LaGator · · Score: 0

      Once again you've provided no scientific proof or observational data. What we have here is an appeal to authority. Next you will tell me about the consensus. SCIENCE is NOT consensus. Here is my scientific data for you. Two data sets no warming. https://bobtisdale.files.wordp...

    5. Re:Most people don't understand the debate. by danbob999 · · Score: 1

      You know that the planet could be warming because of man-made CO2 emissions while at the same time cooling because of natural causes, which could result in flat temperatures for 18 years, right? 2014 is the warmest year ever recorded.

    6. Re:Most people don't understand the debate. by danbob999 · · Score: 2

      Also it is true that 1998 was a hot year. If the temperatures were not rising, we should expect lower temperatures after the outlier 1998, isn't it? But the record of 1998 was beaten in 2005, 2010 and 2014. So it's not true that there hasn't been any warming since then.

    7. Re:Most people don't understand the debate. by Em+Adespoton · · Score: 1

      First they denied climate change, and I did not speak out—
              Because I was not a climatologist.

              Then they denied human influence on the climate, and I did not speak out—
              Because I was not an anthropologist.

              Then they denied that man-made climate change will have adverse effects, and I did not speak out—
              Because I was not an economist.

              Then they denied saying all these things—and it was too late to take action.

    8. Re:Most people don't understand the debate. by Citizen+of+Earth · · Score: 1

      danbob999 will reply that the dog ate his homework... or not.

  21. Re:I agree with them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You'd be right, except that they want him to agree with their PoV.

    It's also a bit of theater, since nature doesn't care what you think.

  22. why does that surprise anybody? by NostalgiaForInfinity · · Score: 2

    The lines between communism/socialism and Catholicism/"conservative Christianity" have never been all that sharp to begin with: they both denounce competition and wealth, they both tend to be socially conservative in practice, and both believe that they know the road to salvation for all humanity and it's their job to impose it even on the unwilling. That is probably why those two ideologies hate each other so much.

    One of those ideologies has taken over the Democrats, and the other has taken over the Republicans. They agree on the principle of compelling people against their will to do what they believe is good and moral, they simply disagree about who should be in charge and which irrational principles justify that. You and what you want is irrelevant to either of these groups; according to both of them, you are just a "stupid American voter" who needs to be tricked into doing the right thing for his own good (tricking people into doing the "right" thing is, again, a long-standing principle in both ideologies).

    1. Re:why does that surprise anybody? by meta-monkey · · Score: 1

      The Church's teachings do not fit neatly into a red/blue box, on moral or economic issues. For instance the Church is opposed to abortion (red!) and the death penalty (blue!). The Church teaches against both the greed inherent in "unfettered capitalism" and the soul-crushing nature of an all-powerful State enforcing communism. The best description of the Church's preferred economic ideology is Distributism.

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
    2. Re:why does that surprise anybody? by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      Republicans were taken over by radical baptists, not Catholics. The reverse would definitely be a huge improvement.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    3. Re:why does that surprise anybody? by NostalgiaForInfinity · · Score: 1

      The Church's teachings do not fit neatly into a red/blue box, on moral or economic issues.

      Neither do those of socialists/communists. For example, while they technically legalized homosexuality, in practice they were wildly homophobic. Nevertheless, conservative Christians have largely hijacked the Republicans, and socialists/communists have largely hijacked Democrats.

      The best description of the Church's preferred economic ideology is Distributism.

      Yes, but their ideology is irrelevant as that of socialists or communists, because it's not actually what anybody practices. Political and economic ideologies are simply means for attracting followers. That's also why different groups (communists, fascists, Catholics, etc.) like to give different names to essentially the same ideas.

      In fact, the ideology that "Distributism" is closest to is "third position" economics, the idea that people should have private property but be compelled to use it for the public good; that kind of economic ideology, plus its social conservatism, probably was one of the main drivers for the Catholic church to support the Nazis in the 1930's.

    4. Re:why does that surprise anybody? by NostalgiaForInfinity · · Score: 1

      Religiously conservative Catholics are definitely drawn to the Republicans. But, the "radical baptists" I tried to cover with the "/conservative Christians".

  23. So far, the encyclical just has a hyperlink in it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://www.openbible.info/topics/caring_for_the_environment

  24. Why do the skeptics even get air time? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's like members of the flat earth society getting top billing on all the news broadcasts.

    Pope: "The Earth is round."

    Skeptics: "How can you be sure? I paid $100 million to have bunch of people say it's flat!!"

    1. Re:Why do the skeptics even get air time? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's like members of the flat earth society getting top billing on all the news broadcasts.

      Pope: "The Earth is round."

      Skeptics: "How can you be sure? I paid $100 million to have bunch of people say it's flat!!"

      Two reasons:
      1. freaks always make good news^H^H^H^H clickbait.
      2. funding from the Koch brothers to prevent Congress from even thinking of raising a carbon-related tax on coal or subsidizing competitive clean energy (as if they needed a reason... they got money, it probably amuses them to gum up the works of public debate by elevating climate-deniers above the level of scientists who have spent their lives in training and research).

    2. Re:Why do the skeptics even get air time? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's like members of the flat earth society getting top billing on all the news broadcasts.

      Pope: "The Earth is round."

      Skeptics: "How can you be sure? I paid $100 million to have bunch of people say it's flat!!"

      So we should silence all dissenting discussion? I don't believe what you say so you should STFU. Yeah, that real productive asshole.

  25. Re:I agree with them by NotDrWho · · Score: 0

    In the end, nothing good ever comes from mixing science and religion. You may agree with what he says today, but will you be okay tomorrow when he comes out attacking the ethics of medical schools teaching doctors how to perform abortions?

    --
    SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
  26. Pope Attacked By Climate Change DENIERS by Wubby · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Fixed the headline.

    This is not just a nitpick. Skeptics are people who reserve judgement or attack bad evidence. Pretending the evidence is bad doesn't make you a skeptic, it makes you a denier. As in "holocaust denier" or "evolution denier" or "Sandy Hook shooting denier".

    --
    Sig
    Appended to the end of comments you post. 120 chars
    1. Re:Pope Attacked By Climate Change DENIERS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Agreed, these people are deniers.

    2. Re:Pope Attacked By Climate Change DENIERS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      On the other hand often times the opposition calls skeptics deniers in a lame attempt to make them look less credible.

  27. can we please stop calling it skepticism? by nimbius · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Skeptic implies the science isnt overwhelmingly concentric on the nature and cause of climate change as a science. What we mean when we say 'skeptic' is overpaid corporate shit-lord who learned grant funding for snake oil 'research' means trading your honda hatchback for a BMW and making your student loans disappear.
    Climate change is real. We are causing it. When even the leader of a cult that believes you can eat and drink the body of your dead god comes to realize this, its probably time to pack up your dog and pony show.

    --
    Good people go to bed earlier.
    1. Re:can we please stop calling it skepticism? by BCGlorfindel · · Score: 1

      Skeptic implies the science isnt overwhelmingly concentric on the nature and cause of climate change as a science...
      Climate change is real. We are causing it.

      Could you go a little further on the details of what is overwhelmingly decided?

      We have nearly 100 years of observed temperature records showing climate change is real, and things have been warming through that entire record at a consistent linear rate.
      We have less than 60-70? years of observed CO2 concentration records again showing CO2 concentrations have been steadily climbing through that entire record.
      We know we are emitting CO2.
      We know CO2 contributes to global warming.

      We can agree to ALL of the above as indisputable, and still come away declaring that we must maintain the status quo and adapt to rising temperatures instead of slashing CO2 emissions. Scientific clarity on much more than the points above is needed to get to the step where what actions are best and necessary is made clear. The degree of warming that we can prevent by reducing emissions is vital to understand, but it's much harder to quantify and IS still under active research(debate). The cost of reducing emissions and the costs saved by the temperature increase averted need to be quantified, and that is still in a fledgling stage of research.

      A lot is settled, but a lot also is not. If you can expand or drill deeper into more of the picture that is indisputable for us that'd be very helpful. As it stands, spending a trillion dollars on emission cuts is anything but trivial to justify as scientifically proven to be worthwhile.

    2. Re:can we please stop calling it skepticism? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As a proud skeptic I notice today the leftists are bemoaning the 0.2% GDP growth and blaming in on the harsh winter. Global warming or cooling, which is it?

    3. Re:can we please stop calling it skepticism? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Skeptic" implies that one's mind could be changed with a little more reason or evidence. These people have NO intention of changing their minds no matter what, 'cause to them there's a lot more at stake than just, you know, facts.

    4. Re:can we please stop calling it skepticism? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When even the leader of a cult that believes you can eat and drink the body of your dead god comes to realize this, its probably time to pack up your dog and pony show.

      On the contrary, when cultists start pushing the same message, it's time to reconsider whether that message is propaganda or not. Your move.

    5. Re:can we please stop calling it skepticism? by riverat1 · · Score: 1

      We have less than 60-70? years of observed CO2 concentration records again showing CO2 concentrations have been steadily climbing through that entire record.

      Continuous observations of CO2 concentration go back to 1958 but before that there have been measurements taken on a more ad hoc basis since at least the middle of the 1800's. On top of that we have accurate observations of CO2 concentrations going back nearly 800,000 years from Antarctic ice cores.

  28. Think Tank Meet Foot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Perhaps its just me but telling the Pope to butt out on something that affects the well being of the entire human race because it not his pervue strikes me as a fast way of getting at least 1.2 billion folks and their friends to disagree with you. On some occasions it might be worth it but this isn't one of them.

    Strikes me that the size of the foot they are trying to swallow is the size of a very large elephant.

  29. Headline Hype by pipingguy · · Score: 1

    "Attacked".

    Really?

    C'mon mods, downvote this comment to Hell, you know you want to.

  30. Sounds like... by Bonzoli · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sounds like the Heartland Institute is getting a lot of Koch lately.

    1. Re:Sounds like... by Tablizer · · Score: 1

      They want to replace the Pope with an H1B of their choosing.

  31. Re:I agree with them by plopez · · Score: 2

    What is those Scientific questions may mean life or death for millions? Or prevent good stewardship of the planet, which is a biblical imperative?

    --
    putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
  32. Matters of Theology? by Nidi62 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Well, correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't the Bible say that Man has dominion over all living things, and even the Earth itself? If God commands us to be the stewards of the Earth, then it seems to be climate change is well within the purview of the Pope.

    --
    The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
  33. Re:I agree with them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Putting aside the debate on climate change, I agree that a religious figure has no business opining on science issues (and vice versa). It's irrelevant whether he's on the right or wrong side of an issue--science and religion should never mix.

    "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."

    Albert Einstein 1941

  34. fossil fuel spokesman by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    | The Pope has great moral authority but he's not an authority on climate science. He's a learned man but the IPCC has got it wrong

    Says the paid spokesperson for the fossil fuel industry, which stands to lose trillions if carbon emissions are regulated.

  35. Well, the Pope is on the right side by HBI · · Score: 0

    After all, the Catholic Church has always supported bad science. Think of Galileo being punished for his assertions of Copernican theory, or the belief that masturbation causes blindness?

    Being for AGW is just par for the course for Catholicism.

    --
    HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
    1. Re:Well, the Pope is on the right side by MightyMartian · · Score: 2, Insightful

      For chrissakes, that was four hundred years ago. Jesus christ, is that the best defense of the lying sociopaths at the Heartland Institute, that one of the Pope's predecessors, centuries ago, screwed over an astronomer?

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    2. Re:Well, the Pope is on the right side by HBI · · Score: 1

      They were telling kids not to jack off when I was a kid, dude.

      --
      HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
    3. Re:Well, the Pope is on the right side by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So who started this global warming cycle 10,000 years ago? Those cavemen must have lit huge bon fires to melt the glaciers.

    4. Re:Well, the Pope is on the right side by MightyMartian · · Score: 0

      Have you even the vaguest notion of what AGW is?

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    5. Re:Well, the Pope is on the right side by meglon · · Score: 2

      You need to go back read a little history on why Galileo was punished.

      Yes, the church has been on the wrong side of a whole lot of science, but Galileo's predicament was largely his own fault, and had little to do with science. Giordano Bruno might have been a better choice for an example, although his BBQ wasn't entirely about his stance in science.

      That said, the church also accepts natural selection, and when it's been faced with evidence of it's incorrectness, it does come around (eventually). The ones here on the wrong side are the ones who are being bought and paid for mouthpieces for industries that stand to lose lots of money should humanity start taking corrective action. As we've seen, the scientists who populate that side tend to have minimally connected area's of study at best, and at worst are nothing more than common people with no education in any field at all, but they just want their uneducated and ignorant opinion to be heard as loud as possible.

      --
      Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
    6. Re:Well, the Pope is on the right side by meta-monkey · · Score: 2

      Bruno was a mystic who thought the stars and planets had souls, and wrote books on magic. He was right about the infinite nature of the universe the way a broken clock is right twice a day.

      No one should be persecuted for their religious beliefs. But, to hold Bruno up as an example of the Church's "anti-science attitude" (if you believe it has one) is false, as while yes he was persecuted, he was persecuted for his religious ideas (like denying the divinity of Christ, magic, etc) and not his scientific ideas.

      His ideas were also not particularly scientific, as they derived from reason, not observation and experiment. More Aristotle than Democritus.

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
    7. Re:Well, the Pope is on the right side by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      And the reason that the church gave you for avoiding masturbation is because it will make you blind? Which pope said that?

      I can't even find a reference for how that myth started, other than "Victorian era".

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    8. Re:Well, the Pope is on the right side by riverat1 · · Score: 1

      So who started this global warming cycle 10,000 years ago? Those cavemen must have lit huge bon fires to melt the glaciers.

      If you cared to actually do a little research on the subject you would understand that the warming started around 25,000 years ago and ended 6,000-8,000 years ago and that changes in the Earth's orbital parameters (collectively known as Milankovitch Cycles are what drives the changes. Instead you just display your ignorance.

  36. The Earth has been warming since the Ice Age ended by QuietLagoon · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Of course the Earth has been warming since the last Ice Age, that's why we call it the Ice Age. duh...

    .
    However, the rate of warming has increased, with a correlation to the increase of the warming gases.

    Is the correlation 100%? No. However, if we wait until the correlation is 100%, then it will be too late to do anything about the problem.

    On the other hand, even if global warming were not caused by humans, shouldn't we be trying to mitigate its effects anyway? Should we be planning for the effects of rising sea waters, instead of (as the skeptics want) just do nothing and let the waters rise?

  37. Re:I agree with them by itzly · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I agree that a religious figure has no business opining on science issues

    The pope doesn't opine on science issues. He takes it for a scientific fact, which is perfectly reasonable.

    The pope opines on how people can improve their lifestyles so as to minimize the climate impact.

  38. Re:I agree with them by BradMajors · · Score: 1

    Possibly, but I would prefer if he used his resources to tell people about the importance of eating more fibre.

  39. Re:Pope Attacked By Climate Change LIARS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Seems more accurate.

  40. Re:I agree with them by OneSizeFitsNoone · · Score: 1

    The Pope himself takes no position on scientific matters. The Pontificial Academy of Sciences does.

  41. Re:I agree with them by Gr8Apes · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."

    Science without religion is science. Religion is blind.

    --
    The cesspool just got a check and balance.
  42. Re:The Earth has been warming since the Ice Age en by itzly · · Score: 1

    Of course the Earth has been warming since the last Ice Age, that's why we call it the Ice Age. duh...

    That phase ended about 8000 years ago.

  43. Re:The Earth has been warming since the Ice Age en by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 2

    On the other hand, even if global warming were not caused by humans, shouldn't we be trying to mitigate its effects anyway? Should we be planning for the effects of rising sea waters, instead of (as the skeptics want) just do nothing and let the waters rise?

    Is that their claim? The seas have risen by something like 200m in the past 13000 years.

    I thought their claim was that human-produced CO2 is a minor contributor and that the vapor feedback cycle is limiting, so humans should focus on adaptation to change rather than trying to prevent it since they can't.

    Is this a misrepresentation of the claims?

    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  44. What a great place to debate climate change... by Karmashock · · Score: 0

    ... The Vatican. Because of all the places that conversation should be had, lets have it with some guy walking around in an absurd outfit that thinks invisible super beings talk to him.

    Why is this relevant? I mean... why does anyone care one way or the other what the Vatican might say? What is the Vatican's influence at this point? South Americans listen to the pope still I think... that's about it.

    The American evangelicals that make the left crazy don't give a shit what the pope says... they're protestants... their entire faith is defined by not giving a shit what the pope says.

    And as to Catholics outside of south america... most of them are lapse Catholics that don't especially care what the pope says either.

    And if we go with the argument that this is all about getting the south americans on board, they're not signing Kyoto. It won't happen. The business interests in south america will pay this religious stuff the lip service it deserves and then go back to doing whatever they wanted to do in the first place.

    Lets talk about relevance here. When was the last time the Pope stopped a war? Last time he in fact changed ANYTHING of global significance? I'm thinking no pope has really made much of an impact for about 500 years.

    So... Who gives a shit what the pope thinks? I say that with all due respect to the pope and I have no animosity towards his religion. But climate change isn't going to do anything for the catholic faith. No one is converting to Catholicism or donating to the Vatican or supporting Christianity because of the pope's position on climate change.

    There are Christians in the middle east and Africa getting genocided as we speak. No one cares about the christians in the middle east getting killed. No one cares about the christians in Egypt and Somalia etc getting killed. No one cares. These people are writing messages in English BEGGING for help and then getting the media to take pictures of them. No one is coming. If no one cares enough to help people getting genocided, then exactly what is the pope's position on climate change going to do?

    Nothing. This is a non-issue. Everyone should just ignore it. It is of no relevance.

    --
    I've decided to stop wasting my time responding to AC trolls/sockpuppets... so if you want a response from me... login.
    1. Re:What a great place to debate climate change... by JustNiz · · Score: 1

      >> And as to Catholics outside of south america... most of them are lapse Catholics that don't especially care what the pope says either.

      I understand he's very important in The Congo.

    2. Re:What a great place to debate climate change... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If the choice is to address Christians dying in the Middle East or addressing climate change, then you're right. We should address Christians, anyone really, being killed anywhere. However, I have great Faith that the Holy Father can multitask on these things.

      What the Pope can do is get media attention (which has to have worked since we're commenting on /.).

      The question you have to ask is why aren't governments addressing these issues? Why do these issues need the PR that the Pope provides?

    3. Re:What a great place to debate climate change... by Karmashock · · Score: 0

      I don't question whether he can multitask. I question the relevance of him taking a position on this at all.

      First off, the developed world is cutting carbon emissions and really putting in a pretty good faith effort to cut back. Contrary to the extremists, we're doing as well at that as ca be expected.

      The issue is the developing world and they are not going to listen to the likes of the Pope.

      Does china care what the pope says? Not at all. If anything, he creeps them out and they might even be inclined to go the other way just to demonstrate how indifferent they are to him.

      What about India? Same thing... Hindus don't give a shit.

      What about South America? They'll give you lipservice. The economic and political pressures they're under are too great to even begin to take that seriously.

      What about Africa? The parts of Africa that might listen have been busy killing each other for decades. I think I saw something about the civil war in the Congo costing something like 5 million lives and counting. And really I don't think the emissions from Africa are that great anyway.

      Here's my point. If his holiness wants to accomplish something, he should focus on something that actually matters to people of his faith. Something that that he will focus on for more than two seconds.

      I've been watching this pope and he flits around from one sappy progressive issue to the next. Which makes progressives happy but most Catholics are not progressives because most progressives are atheists. Is there any chance that his progressive pandering is going to make atheist progressives turn catholic? None.

      So what does this accomplish for HIS faith? Nothing. He's wasting his time with one issue that is irrelevant to his faith after another.

      The effective Popes, the ones that people remember, they each had a primary thing they wanted to do in office. Maybe that was expanding the faith. Maybe that was cleaning up corruption. Maybe that was correcting a pattern of injustice in the faith. Sometimes there is a great enemy that the church has to crusade against. Something.

      This Pope though... he talks about everything and in talking about everything talks about nothing. There's no focus and with no focus there is no purpose... just aimlessness.

      --
      I've decided to stop wasting my time responding to AC trolls/sockpuppets... so if you want a response from me... login.
  45. Re:The Earth has been warming since the Ice Age en by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    yes, and correlation is not causation. There is more evidence to link autism to vaccines and pesticides than there is to link "global warming" to human activity.
    I am very surprised that people who claim to be scientific thinkers support this nonsense. I am so surprised in fact, that I smell a gatekeeper and some shills.... I wonder if the company that own Dice is invested in carbon exchanges.

    But hey, what do I know about psyops and critical thinking. FYI grammar dbags, I'm not writing a paper for a journal here.

    Just so you know, the money is behind "climate change". It is very lucrative to charge people for carbon emissions AKA breathing.

    I won't say that I'm smarter than you, but well, your know.......

  46. Re:"pressure group" huh? by MightyMartian · · Score: 2

    Good thing we don't have to go to Soros for information on AGW.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  47. "He's a learned man but the IPCC has got it wrong" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Then prove it.

  48. The Pope has a good intelligence service by mbone · · Score: 1

    The Pope has always had access to excellent advice from more-or-less anyone he wants (invitations to join the Pontifical Academy of Sciences are rarely turned down, and are by no means restricted to Catholic men). I may or may not agree with him, but I would never assume that he is being mislead by, or even has to rely on, outside advisors.

  49. Re:I agree with them by Tablizer · · Score: 2

    a religious figure has no business opining on science issues

    What to do or not do about climate change is a moral issue, and therefore a religious issue. Science doesn't dictate human actions; it only describes consequences of actions. But obviously consequences should affect decisions.

    If there are moral decisions to made over climate change, then religious leaders are obligated to look into the science behind it to make sure they have the base facts correct.

  50. Re:The Earth has been warming since the Ice Age en by phantomfive · · Score: 1

    . However, if we wait until the correlation is 100%, then it will be too late to do anything about the problem.

    How do you know? Did you read it on the internet?

    Reducing our CO2 output to zero at this time would be costly with today's technology, if it's even possible.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  51. You want the Pedophile Shuffler back? by FreeUser · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Bring back Pope Benedict. At least he was rational. And while we're at it, arm him, and give him troops so he can do something about persecutions of Christians in the Middle East.

    You want the pedophile shuffler back? Really?

    His resignation was timed to deflect attention from that issue, coming as it was the very week HBO's documentary linking him (and his soon-to-be-sainted predecessor) directly to the pedophile scandals in the US, Ireland, and elsewhere came out.

    And it worked. Instead of public outcry at the documented link between the then-reigning popes and the pedophile coverup, everyone was wetting their pants over a shiny new pope who wasn't to the right of Genghis Khan.

    That said, it takes a really hardcore right-wingnut to want Ratzinger back.

    --
    The Future of Human Evolution: Autonomy
    1. Re:You want the Pedophile Shuffler back? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not only do I want him back, I want him armed! That other stuff is a lot of hullabaloo. Restore the rightful Pope!

    2. Re:You want the Pedophile Shuffler back? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thank You.

    3. Re:You want the Pedophile Shuffler back? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dude, the person you're replying to is arguing for a militarized vatican. They are a long ways off from any kind of logic or reality, even on an appeal to moral authority on such issues as child abuse.

  52. Anti Climate Change Denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We have already decided to allow the earth to warm up, the Anti Climate Change lobby is just in denial of that fact. Humanity has made the decision that it is too expensive in terms of wealth, health and population to reverse or arrest climate change, we will just have to deal with the problems it brings going forward. Climate change has been a side effect of our rapid growth and development, but we are not going to go bak to the middle ages, just so world temperatures are just what some people think they ought to be. Live with it.

  53. Re:I agree with them by dave420 · · Score: 2

    He is in charge of his followers' spiritual well-being, which would be tested to the extreme should they be subjected to famine, loss of their homes, pestilence, and so on. The fact he's on the side of science and attempting to help billions of people should be applauded, not condemned.

  54. Re:Pope Attacked By Climate Change LIARS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Seems like a strawman BS argument. Creating an associative link between the holocaust and climate change is a master stroke of propaganda; It's too bad you are just parroting the mainstream media talking points, and thus cannot take credit for such clever insidious rhetoric.

  55. The Pope is the person who should be preaching by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If our religious leaders don't promote the moral high ground then what are they there for?

  56. And India by nten · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The four most populous countries use the death penalty and in total over 50% of the world population lives in nations where state aurhorized executions occur. Capital punishment is not unusual even among the worlds economic leaders. There are many good arguments against capital punishment but this isn't one. Instead cite 4% of those executed being innocent or the higher cost relative to incarceration.

    --
    refactor the law, its bloated, confusing and unmaintainable.
    1. Re:And India by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      high cost is a poor arguement. That is just an argument agaisnt due process and for cheeper executions.

    2. Re:And India by serviscope_minor · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The four most populous countries use the death penalty and in total over 50% of the world population lives in nations where state aurhorized executions occur.

      Note how the parent poster specified civilised. China, India and Indonesia are not exactly renowned for the quality of their justice systems. Then again, neither is the US.

      Also, if you chuck the EU in there instead of having the countries separately (not an insane choice given there are common laws they must abide by in order to be members, including on the death penalty), it comes in at number 3 on the list of most populous.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    3. Re:And India by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm more interested in looking at the quality of life and living conditions in those four countries and comparing that, than comparing the number of people who live there. That seems a pretty poor metric.

      Those countries tend to have poor quality of life compared to developed countries. I'm looking at China, United States, Indonesia and India. China and India are improving socially, financially, politically and militarily. US continues to drop drastically in everything but its military, you could say its improving financially but that is skewed by the gap between top earners and everybody else. Indonesia is improving financially but I have no idea on other aspects.

      All in all, I prefer safer saner countries with no death penalties.

    4. Re:And India by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, some uncivilized hellholes have a lot of people. And some of those people are rich. So what? We're supposed to be *better* than that!

  57. Poverty and the morals of climate change by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The real issue is the morality of climate change. The pope says the poor will bear the brunt of a warmer planet.

    But the real thing the poor in the third world needs are cheap access to energy. This is what Indian and China are using to lift billions out of poverty, coal mostly.

    You can say this pollutes, but it is better than heating your yurt or cooking with smokey dung in your kitchen.

    The earth has not warmed significantly in the past 18 years depending on which data series you look at. (despite rising CO2, the models are diverging farther from reality every year) The ones that still show warming are the heavily "adjusted" ones. A few degrees won't hurt as much as bone crushing poverty as cold weather kills more than hot weather.

    1. Re:Poverty and the morals of climate change by dave420 · · Score: 1

      Translation: "I don't know how this stuff works, but as I don't like the idea of me and those like me being responsible for the rise in temperatures (which I will pretend didn't happen), I will deny the evidence, and spout the same old tired nonsense as thousands before me have, hoping that this time it'll work".

      You are embarrassing yourself.

  58. Be on the safe side by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Agnostics often make the argument that believing in God is the safe option, that way be true, but what a terrible waste of resources. And what if a real God actually punishes belief?

  59. In a way, yes. If the science is wrong about ACC by jpellino · · Score: 1

    and we clean things up, we've depleted some money and gained a cleaner environment. If the deniers are wrong and we let things go past a tipping point, we've saved money and depleted the environment. Last I checked it was easier to create wealth than it was to create water, air and life.

    --
    "Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
  60. Environmental Religion by TheSync · · Score: 0

    I am as scared as religious environmentalism as I am of any religious tinged political issue.

  61. Most of these people are not skeptics by DrXym · · Score: 2

    I find it hilarious that the one "leading climate change skeptic" they name is Christopher Monckton who is basically a climate change denial kook. The Telegraph seems to have an obsession for climate change denial and hosts columns from two other prominent denialists - James Delingpole and Christopher Booker.

    1. Re:Most of these people are not skeptics by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      This is a newspaper that, as recently departed political commentator Peter Oborne pointed out, willfully buried numerous stories about HSBC facilitating tax evasion and money laundering. It's almost insanely pro-industry, and basically gives Christopher Booker, a guy who has openly supported Intelligent Design, claimed asbestos is safe, and even defended the tobacco industry. Booker frequently writes editorial pieces attacking climatologists, that and attacking the UK's social service system seems to be just about the only things he does write about. His articles are frequently fallacious in nature, invoking non-experts and cranks.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    2. Re:Most of these people are not skeptics by DrXym · · Score: 1
      The Telegraph is just a mouthpiece for the views of the Barclay brothers. Its profoundly anti science, anti immigration, anti EU, mysteriously silent on matters of taxation, offshore accounts, and pro big business. Until recently, it's been trumping up UKIP like theyre the second coming of Jesus and now they've served their purpose it's desperately trying to undermine them to put votes back to the Conservatives.

      It's shame it's gotten this way since it used to be a good paper with good journalists. Now it's just clickbait.

      And Christopher Booker is a blithering idiot. I suspect he actually believes the shit he's spouting even though it doesn't pass a cursory fact check. I mentioned those two but there are several more there spouting some highly questionable views.

  62. why is this news? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Refuseniks attack people who don't agree with them. More news at 10.

    1. Re:why is this news? by Hartree · · Score: 1

      Because we've already started a US presidential campaign even though the vote is over a year away. Both sides are trying to prepare the ideological battlefield already.

      Translation: Prepare for a year and a half of stupid from all sides.

  63. Slashdot... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    My favorite liberal/"progressive" echo chamber since 1999.

    The science is settled. Because that's what science means, right. Idiots.

    Consensus reality is best reality.

  64. Purely primitive... childish... legends. by denzacar · · Score: 1

    âoeThe word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weakness, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still purely primitive, legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation, no matter how subtle, can change this for me.â

    Some Einstein guy said that about a year before he died, back in 1954.
    http://www.lettersofnote.com/2...

    --
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
  65. I have an idea by GameboyRMH · · Score: 1, Funny

    "...the Earth has been warming since the end of the last Ice Age."

    I should set a climate denialist's house on fire at midday and tell them that it's not my fault, it's been warming since sunrise!

    --
    "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
  66. Sophistry by s.petry · · Score: 2

    Rhetoric is not some magical thing owned by only one group. The same types of arguments to sway emotion and ignore information harming your argument have been around for at least 2,600 years. Socrates hated the Sophists because they were masters of manipulation, and cared nothing for truth and honesty.

    Why do you think that we have named fallacies, which very few people learn? Oh.. because if people know to look for them the Sophistry begins to fail.

    --

    -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

  67. "Attacked" ? by cyberchondriac · · Score: 1

    Aren't we tiring of the over-sensationalistic verbiage yet? Did they mob they guy and hit him with clubs and kick him ? Beat him up? Isn't "attacked" over the top? ..or of course, that's the point. Everything these days is an "attack"; we see headlines like "Bush *slams* Obama, or "Obama *destroys* Boehner", when it was really nothing like that.. it's really getting kind of 3rd grade mentality, yellow journalism is enjoying quite the resurgence.

    --

    Look back up at my post, now look back down, you're on the Internet. Now look back up. I'm a signature.
    1. Re:"Attacked" ? by MightyMartian · · Score: 2

      Fine, the Heartland institute, a well known fossil fuel propaganda production facility, made baseless criticisms on the Pope, invoking several of their well known fallacies, lies and distortions.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    2. Re:"Attacked" ? by meta-monkey · · Score: 1

      To be fair, politics would be a lot more entertaining and would reach more people if it were conducted in the Wrestlemania format.

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
    3. Re:"Attacked" ? by cyberchondriac · · Score: 1

      Fine, the Heartland institute, a well known fossil fuel propaganda production facility, made baseless criticisms on the Pope, invoking several of their well known fallacies, lies and distortions.

      There, was that so hard? :)

      --

      Look back up at my post, now look back down, you're on the Internet. Now look back up. I'm a signature.
  68. Horrible argument by s.petry · · Score: 1

    Climate has 'changed' since before humans were on this planet and will continue to change regardless of what we do with our current level of technology.

    People have died since the beginning of time as well, does that mean we can no longer investigate murders and accidents? I wonder why you can not see how idiotic your argument is..

    --

    -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    1. Re:Horrible argument by cheesybagel · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Your argument assumes that the current climate 'change' is harmful for humans. Those claims are patent bullshit. There is plenty of evidence that if the CO2 levels increased the world's deserts would recede and the habitable area would actually increase not shrink. Some people would need to move. So what. It would happen over hundreds and thousands of years.

    2. Re:Horrible argument by itzly · · Score: 1

      There is plenty of evidence that if the CO2 levels increased the world's deserts would recede

      Feel free to cite it.

    3. Re:Horrible argument by s.petry · · Score: 1

      You are ignoring all of the various causes for Global warming to make your broken case. Go ahead and live in a Landfill and see how well you are in a few months. Go ahead and breath exhaust for a while, or coal dust, or hang out near some radioactive waste for a while.

      In other words, this argument is worse than your last. The only way to make your claim is to ignore reality. Pollution is a huge problem, look at the great Pacific garbage dump as one example. Then remember that EVERY ocean has the same problem. Look at the pollutants in the Great Lakes, and realize that EVERY river and lake in the US has similar problems. Look at the massive deforestation in the US, Africa, South Americal, etc.... Man does not have impact in your fantasy land? Really now....

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    4. Re:Horrible argument by cheesybagel · · Score: 1
    5. Re:Horrible argument by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      Pollution has nothing to do with CO2 mitigation or climate change.

      I'm in favor of decreasing pollution but *not* CO2.

    6. Re:Horrible argument by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Those aren't examples of humans changing the climate, those are natural processes that are misunderstood. Besides I don't see therefore does not exists. How big is that plastic in the ocean? Tiny. The oceans have ways of fixing itself like the invisible hand of economics. Out of sight out of mind. Lalalalalalalalalala can't hear you lalalalalalalalala.

    7. Re:Horrible argument by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just because you imagine them, you can't go claiming "patent bullshit".

      There's fuck all evidence the deserts will recede. They're expanding.

    8. Re:Horrible argument by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is plenty of evidence that if the CO2 levels increased the world's deserts would recede .

      Uh WTF? The CO2 has increased, and the deserts have advanced. How wrong can you get?

      No one debates humans have an impact on the environment but only by clutching at straws can you even consider that the impact is that significant.

      Really? Got any data to support that? No, I thought not. The CO2 goes up and down with the Milankovich cycles; it has done for millions of years. Amazingly, climatologists do actually know about these cycles. CO2 goes from 160ppm at the bottom of a cycle, to 280ppm at the top. . We're more or less at the top now, going down, but but now we have 400ppm in the atmosphere. It should be a bit colder than it is. Do you know when that much CO2 was in the atmsosphere? Thought not. Big clue: shortly afterwards, the first plants colonised the land.

    9. Re:Horrible argument by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      Do you know when that much CO2 was in the atmsosphere? Thought not. Big clue: shortly afterwards, the first plants colonised the land.

      Bullshit:
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J...

      More megafauna than you shake a stick at.

    10. Re:Horrible argument by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In the Jurassic there was also 130% of todays O2 in the atmosphere which enables megafauna to exist

    11. Re:Horrible argument by dave420 · · Score: 1

      So you found one positive aspect and hand-wave all the negative aspects away, aspects which do far more harm to humans than the benefits of a receding Sahara ever could. Brilliant. You sure are a clever one, aren't you!

    12. Re:Horrible argument by dave420 · · Score: 1

      Then you clearly have no understanding of what CO2 in the atmosphere means to humanity. Thanks for clearing that up.

    13. Re:Horrible argument by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      If the atmosphere did not have any CO2 humans couldn't live on this ball of dirt. That's how important it is.

    14. Re:Horrible argument by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      It's not just the Sahara. The Gobi also was more green back when CO2 was higher.

  69. Heat as by product of fire by MrJones · · Score: 1

    You take a liquid that is under the surface, burn that liquid and the by product is heat. You store that heat in the atmosphere. And that heat does not rise the temperature of the atmosphere.

    So, it is a fire that generate heat that does not increase the temperature of anything. I see a math and physics evidence there.

    --
    Get my e-mail after a captcha test in: http://tinymailt
  70. Progress against global warming will start ... by Rambo+Tribble · · Score: 2

    ... the day you make it illegal for billionaires to use air conditioning.

  71. Pope's authority by CauseBy · · Score: 1

    "The Pope has great moral authority but he's not an authority on climate science."

    Isn't he -- for Catholics -- the authority on literally everything?

    1. Re:Pope's authority by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "The Pope has great moral authority but he's not an authority on climate science."

      Isn't he -- for Catholics -- the authority on literally everything?

      No. He has the ultimate moral/theological authority in all things pertaining to the Roman Catholic Church.
      And I know it will come as a surprise but the Vatican has astronomical observatories, has accepted the theory of evolution since the beginning of the XXth century etc...Being a Roman Catholic doesn't turn you into some kind of science denier bigot. Now christian fundamentalists as you find in the US are very different. Their faith is based on a very litteral interpretation of the Bible (old testamente only), they deny evolution, and climate science.

      Politicians are not scientists, yet if they are intelligent enough when it comes to taking decisions about science policy they are helped/informed by scientists. The same thing for the Pope. He's not a scientist, yet when it comes to understanding scientific issues he is informed by scientists (not crack pots).

  72. Not Our Opiate! by Bob9113 · · Score: 1, Funny

    "We need our opiate to manipulate the masses! It is hard enough to get ordinary people to accept self-destructive falsehoods when we package them with a message that the left is anti-religion. How can we sell our bullshit if we lose the church?!?" - Heartland Institute

  73. Head line is misleading by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This doesn't read to me that he is being "attacked".
    Rather just given another view. Those who are believers will know he has the grace of GOD on his side and will make the correct choice. After all everything always works out because its gods plan. Who are they to question GODS plan to have the Pope full informed?
    Maybe the Pope knows exactly how much of Global warming is Man Made global warming and how much tax money it will take to reverse the warming that's been happening since the last ice age.

  74. Bad headline. Better headline: by Culture20 · · Score: 1

    [font size=0.001]Character of[/font] Pope Assassinated by Climate Change Deniers!

    "Attacked" in a headline implies battery or at least assault. Maybe some verbal $&%# spewing. Not a polite "we believe the pope is mistaken".

  75. Irony, or hypocrite? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    > "The Pope has great moral authority but he's not an authority on climate science"

    NEITHER ARE THAT GROUP OF SHILLS FROM YOUR "INSTITUTE" WHO ARE DENYING THE VAST MAJORITY OF SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS ON THE SUBJECT.

    Dear filter: I know caps is like yelling. That's why I used it. It conveys the emotion.

  76. what to do next by White+Yeti · · Score: 1

    Yes, there needs to be a separation of climate-change-deniers from climate-change-root-cause-skeptics. (Does this distinction exist?) The latter group can still work on answers to the question, "Now what do we do?"

  77. Attacked? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So they came after the pope with broken glass bottles and baseball bats?

    It seems like when believers reproof skeptics, they're "setting them straight" or "persuading" them. When it's the other way around, the skeptics "attack" and "excoriate."

  78. Anyone see the irony in this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Climate deniers calling out the pope for embracing science too much?
    doubtless if he agreed with them, the deniers would all stand by his holy authority over all Creation, but when his holiness disagrees with them the deniers see fit to stuff him back into his little religious box 'cause this is about SCIENCE!

  79. Re:I agree with them by neoritter · · Score: 1

    Science can purify religion from error and superstition; religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes. Each can draw the other into a wider world, a world in which both can flourish.

    Pope John Paul II

  80. So what about law? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Law only exists because enough people believe in it. If enough people stop believing in it, it absolutely goes away.

    And yet, if most people believe in it, but only a few people don't, it becomes a very harsh reality for those few people.

    So....is law part of reality or not, by your definition?

    1. Re:So what about law? by sl3xd · · Score: 1

      Your strawman is unimaginative.

      Law is a human idea, and is by definition mutable. It's a whim and nothing more.

      The reality is the bullet, bludgeons, bars, and bindings. They don't care what you believe. Law is just an idea of when it's acceptable to inflict those pieces of reality.

      In the same way, the climate doesn't care what anybody thinks. It just reacts to the physical realities of energy flux.

      --
      -- Sometimes you have to turn the lights off in order to see.
    2. Re:So what about law? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So your answer then is "Law is not part of reality?" That is what you seem to be saying.

      I will counter with this:

      Neurons are part of reality. The patterns with which they fire are part of reality. All ideas (including Law, by your classification) are just patterns in the firings of neruons. That would imply that all ideas are part of reality.

  81. Re:I agree with them by neoritter · · Score: 1

    I fail to see how being a religious figure and a scientific figure are mutually exclusive. I think George Lemaitre would disagree.

  82. Different question by s.petry · · Score: 2

    I get GPs point, but believe they asked the wrong question. The question should have been, "What do Democrats DO differently than Republicans?" The answer to that is where people say "nothing" and see that there is no difference between the parties.

    Example: Barack Obama claiming "I want peace in the Middle East" is not the same thing as him continuing and extending bombing, drone campaigns, funding and arming rebels, and toppling governments that "The US does not like"

    His _actions_ are not different from GW Bush in terms of actual "peace". I don't count any politicians speeches as their actions, I count their actions as their actions.

    --

    -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    1. Re:Different question by garyisabusyguy · · Score: 3, Informative

      President Bill Clinton placed limits on CO2 and mercury emissions on Coal power plants and regulations that any new plant that were built include scrubbers to eliminate those products

      President George W Bush rolled those regulations back in the first year of his Presidency

      Since you seem intent to draw this far afield, I would take particular notice of President Obama NOT shoving a few hundred thousand more troops into the middle east while removing most of the existing troops as a valid difference between him and the prior rep President who seemed to have a fetish for 'boots on the ground', a gentle euphemism for getting US troops killed

      --
      Wherever You Go, There You Are
    2. Re:Different question by s.petry · · Score: 2

      You really should start looking at the broader picture and use your head a bit. Bush rolling back regulations took more than his pen stroke, and was in the works since the regulations were passed in the 1970s (Clinton did not initiate anti-pollution laws, Carter and Ford did [kind of]). Obama has made the Middle East complete chaos for now at least a half dozen countries instead of the 2 Bush put us in. These guys are not different, you just refuse facts. Perhaps you believe that all of the chaos is purely accidental, and these politicians are really just idiots that don't know what they are doing..

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    3. Re:Different question by garyisabusyguy · · Score: 0

      troll is troll

      Are you demonstrating the 'I'm rubber you're glue', the 'I know you are,but what am I' style of debate now?
      It's been so long since I was in grade school that the differences seem minute

      Don't tell me, next you are gonna fling poo

      --
      Wherever You Go, There You Are
    4. Re:Different question by s.petry · · Score: 2

      No, I'm claiming that there is no difference between Democrat and/or Republican in the US. There has been no difference for as long as I have been aware of politics (lat 80s) but other people point out that this goes further back (50s/60s).

      If the rhetoric claimed by one politicians is X, and the other claims Y they both end up doing Z. Not once, but with anything that matters.

      This is factual, volumes of books have been written on the subject. You just don't want to see it because "your guy" could not possibly want to screw you over.

      I gave the example of the Middle East and you simply denied it because we pulled out a few US Military people. Which completely ignores the fact that we have increased arming and funding rebel groups, increased bombing campaigns against countries we are not at war with, increased drone operations, and increased the amount of Mercenary companies getting paid by the US Government to be there in place of Uniformed Military.

      You are blind!

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    5. Re:Different question by garyisabusyguy · · Score: 1

      Blind, eh?

      Not really I am pretty aware of the tactics used by the Birchers since the 50's

      It starts with advocating radical action as a 'conservative' value
      Then, when it is widely demonstrated as a failure, you attempt to smear everybody else as a failure, because 'they are all the same'

      It is perfectly demonstrated by the last round of neo-cons at the wheel when they ran the country into a ditch like drunken teenagers

      Of course it was not completely random since it did give the monied powers behind the neo-cons billions and billions of dollars, while the rest of us are left holding the check

      It would be bad form to gloat publicly, so we just get disappointed clucking and redirection of blame, because 'they are all the same'

      But you know the koch bros (the ones trying to buy the next election for the repubs) are the revered sons of the former head of the Birchers, and they figure that all these millenials haven't seen their daddy's shoddy tricks and are ripe for the plucking

      Sorry, but you are not fooling anybody

      --
      Wherever You Go, There You Are
    6. Re:Different question by s.petry · · Score: 1

      Ignore everything and stuff a different label on it to make it true, right? You really believe that the Koch brothers have different interests than lets say David Rockefeller? Do you really believe that they would be allowed to manipulate the system against someone with that much influence? You are sadly wrong on all accounts.

      Proven wrong about the Middle East you simply ignore the content and move the argument back to childish labels... truly sad.

      Why not read one of the thousands of books written on the subject? Because facts hurt your beliefs right? No sense arguing further.

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    7. Re:Different question by garyisabusyguy · · Score: 1

      You mention books, 'thousands of books' that back you up, but you cannot be bothered to list even a single title

      You bring up Rockefeller, a man with less than a 20th of the koch bros wealth, as what? a boogey man
      But then the birchers have always had an obsession with Rockefeller
      http://www.jbs.org/about-jbs/m...

      re, the Middle East? You make no solid comparison, there are vast differences between landing hundreds of thousands of troops there and tactically withdrawing ourselves

      You have nothing, that is why you want to end the conversation

      --
      Wherever You Go, There You Are
    8. Re:Different question by s.petry · · Score: 1

      'Hundreds of thousands of troops in the Middle East' happened in your imagination only.

      Koch brothers having more wealth than Rockefeller is another pathetic delusion. Do a damn Google search.

      It is impossible to argue facts against your fantasies.

      Oh, and you could also Google search books discussing political conspiracy. That is much harder than Koch wealth and Rockefeller wealth, and takes much more reading. I'm sure hell would freeze over before you attempted to read something that challenged your deluded opinion.

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    9. Re:Different question by garyisabusyguy · · Score: 1

      Troops in Middle East:
      "How many U.S. troops were stationed in and around Iraq when Baghdad fell?
      The Pentagon said April 8 that some 340,000 U.S. servicemen and women were under the authority of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which covers a region stretching from the Horn of Africa through the Persian Gulf and into Central Asia. GlobalSecurity.org, a defense information website, estimated that about 235,000 of these troops were engaged in the Iraq war."
      http://www.cfr.org/iraq/iraq-u...

      Wealth:
      David Rockefeller $3 Billion
      http://www.forbes.com/profile/...

      Charles Koch $42.6 Billion
      http://www.forbes.com/profile/...
      David Koch $42.6 Billion
      http://www.forbes.com/profile/...

      Their combined wealth is 28.4 times the wealth of David Rockefeller

      Your conspiracies have eaten holes in your brain, just deal with reality and you will find that you have been deluded and distracted

      --
      Wherever You Go, There You Are
  83. Skeptics should stick to stuff they know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's a bit 'pot calling kettle' of these skeptics. The generally have no proper scientific understanding, yet demand to be heard regardless. Then when someone in a position of influence offers a different point of view, but is not a professional scientist, they demand that the other person 'stops talking about science and goes back to their day job' or something like that.

  84. Re:Catholicism + Climate Change = Totally Appropri by randomencounter · · Score: 1

    This has the ring of deliberate lies.

    Get bent.

    --
    Forget diamonds, copyright is forever.
  85. Does the source of the warming make a difference? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Regardless of whether you believe that mankind has had a pivotal role in global warming or not, we as the dominant species on planet Earth must be prepared to deal with the consequences. There is a strong moral imperative to look out into the future and begin planning for what we will do with the people who will be displaced by rising sea levels, encroaching deserts or changes to regional growing seasons and crop yields. If the Pope, as the leader of a major world religion, didn't speak out about this, then we would have to question why.

  86. fucking merkin assholes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    will sell \destroy anything for a dollar!

  87. Re:Pope Attacked By Climate Change LIARS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The post you are responding to said nothing about the holocaust.

  88. Re:Catholicism + Climate Change = Totally Appropri by gtall · · Score: 1

    Hmmm...CO2 and Methane are greenhouse gases. Pump lots of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Watch temperature increase. Reference: see Venus. Let's know how the trip went.

  89. Koch Brothers Science. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I so want to ask the Koch Bros "You Mad Bro's???"

  90. When the monster you created turns on you... by mjm1231 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It was corporate interests that sold Americans on the idea that Capitalism went hand in hand with Christianity. I love the irony of Christianity arguing back. (It isn't just the pope, there have been some fundamentalist groups making the same basic argument recently).

    --
    Ideology: A tool used primarily to avoid the bother of thinking.
  91. Re:Catholicism + Climate Change = Totally Appropri by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Could please point out the lies?

  92. Maybe the gods told the pope about thermometers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Pope has great moral authority but he's not an authority on climate science.

    Sorry, but if you acknowledge a pope's authority on anything, then it must necessarily be unlimited authority. The whole point of popeness is that he has privileged mystical knowledge and contact that you don't, so it's absurd to say that you are personally aware of the content of that knowledge. Whenever you do that, you're violating the premise.

    If I tell you that Yog-Sothoth has revealed to me, knowledge of the word to bring upp ye legions from underneathe, you can call bullshit on me. That's totally cool (and I'm pleased that when I take over the world, you will be caught so unprepared). But if, instead, you accept my claim of successful sorcery but then later refute my next claim (that Yog-Sothoth has also revealed to me, knowledge that Comcast is involved in possibly-illegal uncompetitive behavior), you don't get to call bullshit. (Not unless you are claiming to be Yog-Sothoth yourself, or you're claming to have MitMed my communications with The Beyond-One.)

    So what's it going to be? Are you now willing to accept that the pope's opinion on this matter is the infallible word of God?

    No? Fair enough. (That's actually the correct position. You're right that he's not an authority on the matter; he's just some dude who, perhaps due to his personal experiences, has taken sides on that apparnetly controversial and highly-disputed subject of .. uh .. whether or not thermometers work.)

    But with that, you also need to shut the fuck up with the complete bullshit about the pope being some kind of moral authority. He's just some dude who got elected CEO.

    Either take a common sense position or take a paranormal position, but when you try to mix them together EVERYONE can spot your bullshit. The mystics know you're full of shit, and the realists know you're full of shit. So just who the fuck do you think you're impressing?

  93. Galileo and Title IX by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just keep in mind the Church of the Vatican and its Pope convicted Galileo of heresy of supporting heliocentrism as opposed to "God's" geocentrism and was placed under house arrest for the remaining years of his life. See Wikipedia for a synopsis.

    A way to bring all this current ridiculousness of the Vatican and the UN to a screeching halt is to get Title IX violations on Bon Ki-Moon and de-thrown him from the UN (think of the Indian Railroad engineer who was the Pontiff of the IPCC until he harassed a female employee and is now in hiding in a hospital looking for a benefactor like the Ecuadorian Embassy to claim sanctuary before the trial gets going).

    Ha ha

  94. If the Pope endorses carbon warming by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 1

    Then is he ready to bless our new reactor fleet?

  95. Re:I agree with them by dywolf · · Score: 1

    There is that whole bit about "I give this world to you, with stewardship and dominion over it", etc etc.

    Would be rather rude to trash God's gift of creation.

    --
    The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
  96. Re:Catholicism + Climate Change = Totally Appropri by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    The "ring of deliberate lies"? Is that some kind of divination skill you're practicing? Or are you just employing *feeelings* instead of science?

    Let's be clear, the OP stated 3 facts stated above:

    1) Climate has never not been changing since the formation of the Earth. TRUE
    2) The data for anthropogenic warming is weak. TRUE
    3) Those who disagree with it are ex-communicated from the scientific community. TRUE

    Please tell us exactly which one of those has said mystical "ring" of deliberate lies, and why.

  97. Creation Care by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There is a growing movement amongst many Christians around the issue of environmentalism. Creation Care is a serious matter for many evangelicals and that the Pope is adding some clout to the matter is a really good thing. Even if man-made global warming wasn't real, the practical measures being recommended by many are good ideas in and of themselves: diversified power sources, lower pollution outputs, etc.

  98. blame game by k6mfw · · Score: 1

    Well let's see here, California mountain snowpack is 5% of normal levels (where much of the drinking water comes from besides. Some argue, ITS ALL POLITICS! Oh c'mon you guys (or "alpha hotels"), in a perfect world we'd be debating how to mitigate this situation. There are other places in the world that are undergoing climate change and like California we are seeing it in person. Why are there deniers? We can debate if it is human caused (I think so as CO2 levels are much higher that can tip climatic balance). I wonder if Mayans debated politics including human sacrifices rather than organize a migration or deal with crops needing less water?

    --
    mfwright@batnet.com
  99. What a fucking moron. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Climate has always changed!" Yes, for a reason. Not magical. Not gaia wanting a change of clohtes. For a reason. CO2 being one. CO2 we are producing now at a massive rate.

    It's up to you to show that unlike any time before, this increase of CO2 won't cause ~3C per doubling of CO2 warming.

    "The question is, how much of it is man-made?" More than 100% of the current warming is due to us. Because the sun is dipping down and getting cooler and our orbital forcing is going down again.

    "THAT is the part that you leave out." Nope, you just want someone to prove all over again what's in the IPCC reports. Go see for yourself, stop demanding people repost the entire fucking thing because you want them not to bother telling you you're wrong.

    http://www.ipcc.ch

    1. Re:What a fucking moron. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      All the CO2 readings are taken on top of Mt Mauna Loa in Hawaii. An Active Volcano!

      If weather != Climate change then the CO2 readings from a single source != the whole climate CO2 reading.

    2. Re:What a fucking moron. by mean+pun · · Score: 1

      All the CO2 readings are taken on top of Mt Mauna Loa in Hawaii. An Active Volcano!

      If weather != Climate change then the CO2 readings from a single source != the whole climate CO2 reading.

      I've seen quite a number of desperate last-ditch refutations of the obvious on /., but this one takes the biscuit.

    3. Re:What a fucking moron. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just doing my best to point out the obvious. I do it to both sides equally.

  100. Why do Deniers Give a Fuck About Climate Change? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So, the deniers say either a) the world isn't warming, or b) it is, but human activity has nothing to do with it. Ok, nothing to see here. What's so fucking huge that they have to get the Pope on board?

    Is all this just about sticking-it to "scientists" and know-it-all Al Gore types? What's so bad if Climate Change is a real thing? People might do something they otherwise wouldn't do, like invest in clean energy? cut down emissions? close down heavy-polluters? stuff we ought to be doing anyway??? Would any of the things we would do in response to Climate Change be, actually, bad for anyone (besides the wealthy asshats neck-deep in coal and oil)?

    I wanna know what climate deniers get out of all this, besides a free trip to Rome.

  101. Re:Catholicism + Climate Change = Totally Appropri by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Who gives a shit how it got there before us. We're putting it there now. YOU prove that our CO2 doesn't do what natural CO2 does.

  102. Most skeptics believe they are correct by Theovon · · Score: 1

    There are a lot of "skeptics" who are really motivated by their own special interests, like not wanting reduction in coal mining to impact their home state's economy. They are set up to be biased. But a lot of skeptics are true believers that climate science is some kind of grand conspiracy. Now with those people, I don't really know what their motivation is for being skeptics, because they're not scientists. They just repeat some stuff they've been told by other people that sounds plausible to them. But anyhow, this is the problem we face. Most of the skeptics are not "lying." They are simply misinformed.

  103. Democrats =/= Republicans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Fine, I'll bite. It's almost a fair question, your flamebait addendum aside. You're European, I'd no more expect you to be paying close attention to U.S. domestic policy than you would expect me to understand the issues in parliamentary elections in the various EU member states, or have any idea why (for example) Jobbik, the National Front Party, Syriza, Svoboda and the Scottish National Party have been much in the news this year. Oh, wait...

    Generally, Democrats (Dems) and Republicans (Reps) are deeply divided over whether issues such as poverty and imbalances in negotiating power in various types of markets allow the government to be an effective (or superior) actor in response. Some concrete examples of this and other divisions:

    Whether, in a historically low-interest-rate borrowing environment, to pursue debt-funded infrastructure investment (Dems) or austerity led by cuts to programs supporting the poor (Reps; recent large cuts to SNAP, also called "food stamps", were an impressively cruel touch, though not as large as the Rep-led House wanted).

    Whether climate change (1) is occurring, (2) is significantly affected by human activity and (3) whether we should do anything about it. Dems for (see recent major rulemaking by the EPA), Reps against (see recent lawsuits and expected attempts to override the EPA through legislation).

    The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), passed without a single Rep vote, has increased health insurance enrollment in the U.S. by about 15 million people and drastically reduced the rate of increase in total U.S. medical services cost. Reps want to repeal it, have no clear plan to replace it, and refuse to expand Medicaid (low-income insurance) in most states whose legislatures they control (even though U.S. law makes it more expensive to public funds not to extend Medicare - see, e.g., EMTALA).

    The Dodd-Frank Act, passed in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis without any Rep votes, contains provisions to prevent banks from using deposits to trade on the banks' own accounts, other provisions to make a repeat of 2008 less likely, and to create several administrative entities including the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Reps and their major donors frequently suggest Dodd-Frank should be heavily weakened or repealed.

    The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, which Reps have tried hard to emasculate, is doing yeoman work making various types of financial instruments (e.g., mortgages, credit cards and student loans) fairer.

    Whether the over 11 million currently resident undocumented immigrants should be integrated into U.S. society (Dems), or either deported or made a separate reduced-rights resident class (Reps). Our Democrat president has issued an executive order, currently stayed by a Texas judge (the stay is being appealed), heavily limiting Federal deportation of otherwise law-abiding undocumented immigrants. Reps have called this tyrrany.

    And that's just a few of the quickly-relatable domestic headline issues that have vast impact on individuals and markets. It's fashionable in some quarters to pretend that Democrats and Republicans are equally corporate-beholden faceless, heartless monoliths. This is a false equivalence and an oversimplification. Educate yourself.

    1. Re:Democrats =/= Republicans by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      I think that is the first sensible AC comment I read here. Maybe it was the right decision not to surf at +2 after all...

      I'm still not convinced they're different enough for me. I'm used to a political spectrum that reaches from the far right (think Rep, but more Ayn Rand and less compassionate conservativism) to infra-red leftism that makes anarchy look like a fascist ideal.

      But yes, I can see the difference between your two parties now.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  104. Re:"pressure group" huh? by mbkennel · · Score: 2

    | In the whole recorded history of the planet, CO2 *follows* the heat patterns

    Except for the very important exception of now, when humans have dug up fossil fuels and burnt them in a mechanism never previously active in geological history. We have CO2 first, and now the heat's coming.

    If something different is happening now, the results may be different.

    The causal mechanism from CO2 to temperature is not derived from historical correlations but direct quantitative observation and physical experiments. The importance of the paleoclimate is that there may be natural feedforwards in which extra heat releases additional CO2 which would increase heat more still.

  105. Re:The Earth has been warming since the Ice Age en by mbkennel · · Score: 1


    Exactly! And just as predicted by those pesky laws of physics, the climate was, until modern period, slowly cooling from about 6000 BC to now as the Milankovitch cycle of orbital forcing proceeds on its predicted path. It takes a Milankovitch peak to get out of the Ice Age.

    Until humans started releasing greenhouse gases in mass, and that is now causing much more rapid warming.

    http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/globalwarming/holocene.html

  106. Why do we care? by kuzb · · Score: 0

    I don't get why the Pope is even relevant to the conversation. The Vatican has absolutely no power to implement policy in these matters, their opinions on the issue - good or bad - shouldn't have any sway on anything.

    --
    BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
  107. 'Climatedot' clickbait bullshit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "attacked" indeed. So the Pope was "attacked"?
    Oh, you mean "heard some words that he didn't agree with". Oh, the humanity!

    That's the same as being "attacked", isn't it! Well it sure is if you're an insane Left wing 'climate change' bullshitter.

    Oh, did you mean "Catastrophic man-made global warming"? Then why didn't you say so?

    www.climatedepot.com
    www.wattsupwiththat.com

  108. Authority by yakumo.unr · · Score: 1

    "The Pope has great moral authority but he's not an authority on climate science."

    Ok, but you as the Heartland Institute purposefully ignore all the authorities on climate science to push a financial agenda over a global one, so, what's your point again?

  109. to be fair by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    they dont sound like climate change skeptics (guy said the earth has been warming since the ice age), theyre agw skeptics.

    but eh, who's for terms?

  110. Way to go Heartland.... by oh_my_080980980 · · Score: 1

    ..attack the Pope and look more foolish then ever.

  111. Re: Catholicism + Climate Change = Totally Appropr by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    dumbfuck: venus would fry with or without CO2. no magnetic field. much too close to tbe sun. Mars is freezing cold and the atmosphere is nearly 100% CO2.

  112. MAKE A BRIDGE OUT OF 'EM! by TiggertheMad · · Score: 1

    I think we should just call the 'Heretics', because then we could just burn them. Because that is what you do with heretics, right?

    Of course, that would be a bad idea in practice, as it would just release more greenhouse gasses...

    --

    HA! I just wasted some of your bandwidth with a frivolous sig!
  113. THATS WHAT A LIBERTARIAN WOULD SAY..... by TiggertheMad · · Score: 0

    The libertarians (among others) are very, very scared of having an honest discussion about those issues, which is why they continually attempt to deny that climate change exists or has an anthropogenic cause. .

    That is a interesting generalization, why would a libertarian in particular have a problem with the topic? Is there something in the secret libertarian manual that says that they cannot be honest about global climate change?

    --

    HA! I just wasted some of your bandwidth with a frivolous sig!
  114. Re:Catholicism + Climate Change = Totally Appropri by khelms · · Score: 2

    Please tell us who exactly who was "pumping" all that CO2 and Methane into Earth's atmosphere back when CO2 levels were higher and temperatures were much warmer?

    Volcanoes

  115. Credibility by Livius · · Score: 2

    Nothing could be better for Pope Francis's credibility and demonstrate better that he is raising valid points than being attacked by climate change so-called skeptics.

  116. Not skeptics. Deniers. Paid shills and liars. by the_B0fh · · Score: 2

    Seriously? At this point in time, you are going against all current peer reviewed science on this? You aren't a skeptic. You're a denier. And/or paid shills and/or liars.

  117. skeptics? no by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm really tired of hearing and reading of people who disbelieve the evidence of climate change as "skeptics". A skeptic is someone who needs evidence in order to believe something is true. These people have ample evidence that climate change is true but they stubbornly refuse to accept it. They aren't skeptics, they are climate change deniers.

  118. Re:I agree with them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."
    Albert Einstein 1941

    People often take that quote out of context. In context, Einstein was talking about "religion" in the sense of man's curiosity and desire to know the truth, he wasn't talking about the Catholic Church, etc.

    Einstein wrote that in support of the "overlapping magisteria" idea that any knowledge science gains can't be in legitimate conflict with religion, if religion is about finding truth and understanding.

  119. Hottest years bla bla bla by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The repeated drum beast of the hottest years in the record for the 21st century are useless.

    It is like a 30 year old man says he is the tallest he has ever been in his life for the past 9 years.
    Yet this does not prove he is getting taller.

    Likewise the hottest years do not prove it is getting warmer as the alarmist models predict.

    And it says nothing about the cause , if humans have anything to do with it.

  120. Re:I agree with them by Coren22 · · Score: 1

    Considering that at the root, abortion is murder, I would have no problem with him doing that.

    --
    APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
  121. Re:Catholicism + Climate Change = Totally Appropri by mbkennel · · Score: 1

    | Please tell us exactly which one of those has said mystical "ring" of deliberate lies, and why.

    | 2) The data for anthropogenic warming is weak. TRUE

    This one. It's a deliberate lie.

    There has been a very large increase in greenhouse gases in the industrial period. It is from fossil fuel mining and burning. This has caused changes infrared emissivity in the atmosphere---this is a measured fact, that the atmosphere is shining more in infrared. It is physically impossible for the climate not to warm.

    Extensive data, geological and biological, show this is what has happened.

    All other plausible non-anthropogenic mechanisms have been investigated and do not explain the observed data. Every aspect has been investigated every which way for decades.

    | 3) Those who disagree with it are ex-communicated from the scientific community. TRUE

    At some point, which is about now, they don't have good arguments or data. When they try, their arguments are quickly refuted. It now appears that they are willfully incompetent and motivated by achieving a non-result instead of actual scientific inquiry.

    Particle physicists who disagree with conservation of relativistic momentum are similarly "ex-communicated" as they have nothing productive to add.

  122. "skepticalscience" is BS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A very poor website with lots of propaganda.
    WUWT has shown how skepticalscience deletes comments that it finds inconvenient, edits blog posts without any notice that they have been changed.

    * Due to (1) deletion, extension and amending of user comments, and (2) undated post-publication revisions of article contents after significant user commenting.

  123. slack jawed faggots by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The pope is a sexual tyranosaur compared to those limp wristed slack jawed faggots at the Fartland institute. I ain't got time to bleed for them.

  124. In other news . . . by flug · · Score: 1

    In other news, "Climate Change Skeptics Reveal Selves As Opportunistic Self Promoting Media Grubbing Asshats".

  125. Moral Authority? by JThundley · · Score: 1

    The Pope has great moral Authority? Says who? Just because he's old, rich, and prays doesn't mean he knows right from wrong.

  126. Heart (land) Attack by DanielRavenNest · · Score: 1

    Just ask them how they feel about Elon Musk - his companies are manufacturing and installing solar panels, batteries, and electric cars, and he's worth billions personally.

  127. As long as they didn't use weapons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's all good until one of those skeptics use a small pistol or a knife to attack the Pope, or try to murder the king of Belgium. (Thank You distant relative, for this opportunity for being in a public Purgatory for the duration of this message.)

  128. Re: Catholicism + Climate Change = Totally Appropr by djdarko · · Score: 1

    Well-said and I agree completely. I wish that I had mod points to award you.

  129. Re:Catholicism + Climate Change = Totally Appropri by Kim0 · · Score: 2

    All other plausible non-anthropogenic mechanisms have been investigated and do not explain the observed data. Every aspect has been investigated every which way for decades.

    Claiming data and mechanisms are not the same as providing data and mechanism.
    You have just claimed, not provided, thus hinting that you are wrong.

  130. the Catholic church has not been not known... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... as a truth teller in a historic context. Gallileo Gallilei, anyone? It took them several hundred years to acknowledge that Gallileo was right and they were wrong.

    On matters climate change, what people refuse to recognize is that the earth's climate has been changing forever, and will continue to do so, with or without humans.

    The current fight is about whether there is any man made influence on the clinate, and if yes, whether that is good or bad. And, if deemed bad, who has the auhority to tell everyone else what to do about it. In other words, it's just another power struggle, with one side feeling particularly proud of themselves because, hey, "we're the good guys".

  131. Why don't they threaten him? by Stubbyfingers · · Score: 1

    Like Ted Cruz threatened (yes, thinly veiled) NASA Director Charles Bolden.

    Tedder called Maj-Gen (RET) Bolden with replacement for directing entirely too much of NASA's science work TOWARD EARTH instead of Outer Space.

    C'mon! Threaten the Pope! Tell Francis I he can be replaced with a more pliant Archbishop!

  132. A serious but simple question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A question for everyone who thinks that CO2 controls the climate. How long with rising CO2 and flat or falling temperatures before you admit your theory is wrong? 20 years? 30? Never?

    All 5 of the major datasets (RSS, UAH, HadCRUT4, GISS, NCDC) show no warming for between 15 and 18+ years. In that time CO2 has risen 8-10%.

    The IPCC climate modelers said there would not be "a 15 year period with rising CO2 and temperature not following" and they added that they had a "95% confidence" in that statement. Santer et al said 17 years.

    So the idea that CO2 controls the climate has been proven wrong by empirical evidence.

    Here are 2 predictions. First I predict that CO2 will continue to increase because China and other countries don't care about CO2. They don't even care about real pollutants much less CO2. Second I predict it will get colder over the next 20-30 years. Why?

    Dr Libby in the 1970s said that "looking forward it will stay cold until the mid 80s (it did), then it will warm by about 1/4 degree F until the end of the century it did), then it gets cold". When asked how cold she was predicting a 1-2 degree F drop with an outside chance of a 3-4 degree drop.

    Dr Easterbrook in 2001 said the PDO was done it's positive warm cycle and that we were in for 25-30 years of cold weather. How cold? We have his good, bad and ugly predictions based on previous negative cold phases of the PDO.

    Why do I join with them and side with their predictions? While past performance is not a guarantee of future correctness it is a lot better record than the IPCC and their dozens of models of which none have been accurate. They are all based on CO2 controlling the climate and the other 2 are all cyclical natural cycles. I'll go with those who have a good track record at predicting future climate. Dr Libby is the most impressive as her prediction is 30+ years going and still
    accurate.

    If you want to read a great explanation of why the IPCC models are broken beyond belief there was a great article describing that and all the other problems with climate science by Dr Brown of Duke university

          http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/10/06/real-science-debates-are-not-rare/

    Too bad the pope didn't get his facts straight.

  133. Due Diligence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Even if you believe that humans don't play a part in Climate Change or are on the fence, are you willing to bet your life and the lives of your great great great grandchildren on it?

    If there's even the slightest chance that we can slow climate change by decreasing emmisions, growing more plant life to store carbon, etc. then we should do it. The worst that can happen is we spend a ton of money and end up with cleaner air in our mega-cities, cleaner and more plentiful fresh water, and an abundance of trees and other plantlike and more animals walking/swimming the planet. This would allow us to support a growing population.

    If we work together we can turn the worlds desserts green again, store carbon, increase natural habitats for animals. Don't believe me? Watch this with an open mind...

    http://www.ted.com/talks/allan_savory_how_to_green_the_world_s_deserts_and_reverse_climate_change?language=en#

  134. Skeptics, schmetics, ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "British and American skeptics say the Pope is being fed "mistaken" advice from the UN and that he should stick to speaking out on matters of morality..."

    I think of saving the planet and the humans that inhabit it as well within the Pope's right to speak to it as "matters of morality".
    Funny how some 'skeptics' seem to always want to shut down people with a view different than their own and by using invalid arguments.
    If their arguments aren't valid, then how can their viewpoint be?
    Follow the money as they say.

  135. Re:Pope Attacked By Climate Change HEATHENS by Citizen+of+Earth · · Score: 1

    Presumably, you mean "Climate-Change Heathens".

  136. Galileo Says: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "If there is one thing that the Roman Catholic Church knows, it's science"

  137. Pope ack-acked by climate change "skeptics" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Disappointing - I expected two yobs in a three-wheel delivery truck to knock him down in the street, then cosh him. A la the Costa-Gavras movie Z. Silkwood?

    There has _got_ to be a crime family associated with the worldwide Thugs-for-Hire movement: Punks from out of town to light up Baltimore, quasi-intellectual diss the Pope on global warming, pimply-faced kids throwing cigarette butts on my lawn . . .

    Wish I'd been in since the beginning - I'd have $100 today, easy.

  138. dum dum dum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Umm, Obama specifically funded building infrastructure. Try again. And really, giving women, blacks, and gays rights was common in the Bronze Age? Again, try again- with more feeling this time

  139. Re:Not skeptics. Deniers. Paid shills and liars. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    see http://www.drroyspencer.com/

  140. When the first con man met the first fool by NewYork · · Score: 0

    Religions are ~2000 years old;
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
    Humans are ~200,000 years old;
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
    Religion was born when the first con man met the first fool;
    Every religion claims Earth is Flat;
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

  141. Well it makes sense, sorta... by DarthVain · · Score: 1

    If you believe that some thinking being actively and purposefully constructed the Earth, it isn't that much of a real leap to presume they might not like us trashing the place...

    Also he could really just play the Pope card. He is the voice of God on Earth right?

    "I was recently talking to God just the other day and he mentioned to me that as it turns out Climate Change is real, and that we are the ones causing it! So there!"

  142. They're based in Chicago? by Pherdnut · · Score: 1

    Is it a coincidence that Chicago is among the farthest from any coastal shoreline? If you're a member of the Heartland Institute and you aren't filled with self-loathing you're a !@#$ing sociopath.

  143. Politics, Religion and your Grandma by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've got an idea: Lets fight over Who, What, When, Where and How Climate is or is not a problem. We're all in this boat together as it drifts towards (or away ?) from the falls. Make no mistake. The falls are REAL.