Hurricane Scientist Leaves U.N. Team. U.S. Expert Cites Politics in a Letter

WP ^ | Jan. 23, 2005 | Juliet Eilperin

[FairOpinion]

A federal hurricane research scientist resigned last week from a U.N.-sponsored climate assessment team, saying the group's leader had politicized the process.

Chris Landsea, who works at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's hurricane research division in Miami, said Monday that he would not contribute to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's chapter on atmospheric and surface climate conditions because the lead author had told reporters global warming contributed to intense Atlantic hurricanes last year.

"It is beyond me why my colleagues would utilize the media to push an unsupported agenda that recent hurricane activity has been due to global warming," he wrote. "My view is that when people identify themselves as being associated with the IPCC and then make pronouncements far outside current scientific understandings that this will harm the credibility of climate change science and will in the longer term diminish our role in public policy."

[AZ_Cowboy]

Kudos to Chris Landsea for having the integrity to remain dedicated to science rather than politics. I wish more scientists would act like this, rather than being manipulated by those who are not scientists.

[SunkenCiv]

I loved this -- "as having become politicized" -- the IPCC was exclusively political from the outset. MANY thanks for the ping. I'm going to add it to the GGG catalog because it pertains to ancient climate change, but not going to ping the list.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
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[blam]

Excellent.

I plan to increase my hurricane insurance coverage anyway...Ivan scared the poop out of me. (About 15 miles and a last minute turn saved my butt)

[FairOpinion]

Worthy of your science ping?

A scientist, who won't sell out truth and science facts to politics.

[PatrickHenry]

Thanks for the ping. This isn't quite right for my list, but farmfriend keeps a ping list that may be right.

[Judith Anne]

Michael Crichton has a new "fiction" book out about the politicization of climate science. I just read it, but the name escapes me at the moment. It is OUTSTANDING, not for plot or characters, but for the FACTS that he bases his "fiction" on, clearly expounded in the book

Interestingly, I borrowed it from a university professor, who was thrilled to see the book out too--especially if the author who wrote Jurassic Park and other popular thrillers can get people to read about the literal prostitution of research to the leftist agenda and Kyoto Accords.

Not only was the US correct not to sign, the whole "movement" is nothing but an attempt to economically cripple the United States of America at the expense of each taxpayer here.

[PatrickHenry]

State Of Fear, by Michael Crichton.

[Judith Anne]

Yes, thanks! That's the one.

[Sam Cree]

State of Fear is a fun book, hilarious in the way it points out the flaws in the global warming industry.

[Judith Anne]

I enjoyed it, especially amused by the confused guy who was traipsing all around the world, trying to help stop the terrorism, nearly falling to his death in an ice crevasse in the Antartic, nearly getting eaten by cannibals, etc. etc. Escapist fiction. ;-D

But the science was excellent, and I really enjoyed that.

[Sam Cree]

I suppose the computer models which predict all the scary scenarios are making an assumption that CO2 emissions in the future will be not only increasing arithmetically, but multiplying over the years.

If so, that is probably not the case, as emissions in the US, for instance, have apparently already plateaued.

[Judith Anne]

I can't remember the exact figures, and I've returned the book, but the computer models quoted and footnoted in the book have been politicized also. The actual prediction of warming which can be attributed to total worldwide CO2 emissions was on the order of 0.023 PERCENT, which is like 23 one- thousandth of a degree, if I have my math right.

Global warming is probably (not certainly) occurring because of natural cycles in the sun's energy output. There was, if I recall the book correctly, a "Little Ice Age" from something like 1300s to 1600s. The normal cycle of earth includes lengthy world-wide ice ages interspersed with warming periods, and the energy forces involved are so large as to be completely unaffected by any small variations in human CO2 emissions.

Many caveats in my post here because I can't refer back to the book. I'll buy it when it comes out in paperback, and then I can do more justice to Mr. Crichton's excellent essays, clearly outlined and footnoted, in the book.

[farmfriend]

farmfriend keeps a ping list that may be right.

Yes, I've pinged several similar articles.

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[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[LTCJ]

I've corresponded with Dr. Landsea in the past and was very impressed by him. This is a strong affirmation of my initial assessment.