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Relax, the planet is fine
National Post ^ | April 21, 2007 | Linda Frum

Posted on 04/25/2007 2:27:27 AM PDT by jsh3180

Money is partly to blame for the global warming hysteria, Professor Richard Lindzen says Linda Frum, National Post Published: Saturday, April 21, 2007

This Earth Day, Professor Richard Lindzen, an atmospheric physicist and the Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Meteorology at MIT, wants you to calm down. The Earth, he says, is in good shape. "Forests are returning in Europe and the United States. Air quality has improved. Water quality has improved. We grow more food on less land. We've done a reasonably good job in much of the world in conquering hunger. And yet we're acting as though: "How can we stand any more of this?" A leading critic on the theory of man-made global warming, Professor Lindzen has developed a reputation as America's anti-doom-andgloom scientist. And he's not, he says, as lonely as you might think.

Q You don't dispute that the globe is warming?

A It has never been an issue of whether the Earth is warming -- because it's always warming or cooling. The issue is: What are the magnitudes involved? It's a big difference if it's warming a degree or two or 10, or if it's warming a few tenths of a degree.

Q And it's inconclusive how much it's warming?

A Sure it's inconclusive. It's a very hard thing to analyze because you have to average huge fluctuations over the whole Earth, and 70% of the Earth is oceans where you don't have weather stations. So you get different groups analyzing this. And they're pretty close. One group gets over the last century a warming of about .55 degrees centigrade. Another group says it's .75 degrees.

Q Is there any scenario in which global warming could be beneficial for the planet?

A Of course. Canada looks like it will benefit considerably if it were to happen. And it might very well happen -- but it won't be due to man.

Q You charge that the hysteria that's been created around global warming is an enormous financial scam. It's all about money?

A Well, how shall I put it? It's not all about money, but boy, there's a lot of money floating in it. I mean, emissions trading is going to be a multi-trillion dollar market. Emissions alone would keep small countries in business.

Q Are you suggesting that scientists manipulate their findings to get in on the gravy train?

A You have to differentiate the interests of different groups. In the scientific community, your interest is for your field to be recognized so that it will have priority in government funding.

Q So you are not accusing your scientific colleagues of corruption?

A No, I'm accusing them of behaving the way scientists always behave. In other words, some years ago, when Richard Nixon declared war on cancer, almost all the biological sciences then became cancer research. I mean, I don't call that corruption, I'm saying you orient your research so that it has a better chance to get resources.

Q And i thelps if your findings suggest something catastrophic is about to happen?

A In this case it certainly has helped. First of all, the funding increased so greatly that it exceeded the capacity of the existing field to absorb it. You'll notice that Working Group 2 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change came up with lots of scary things, but everything was always preceded by could, might, may, all these qualifiers. And the reason it was is those studies start out assuming there's a lot of warming. They assume all the science is in, and then they say, 'Well, how will this impact my field of insect-borne diseases, or agriculture, or health?' So they are almost, by definition, going to generate catastrophic scenarios, but they will never be based on anything other than the hypothesis that this will already happen.

Q I read that you betone of your colleagues that the Earth will actually be colder 20 years from now?

A I haven't bet on it, but I figure the odds are about 50-50.

If you look at the temperature record for the globe over the last six years, it's gone no place. That's usually the way it behaves before it goes down. In fact, I suspect that's why you have this tsunami of exposure the last two years, with Gore's movie and so on. I think that this issue has been around long enough to generate a lot of agendas, and looking at the temperature records there must be a fear that if they don't get the agendas covered now, they may never get them. Q Did you watch Al Gore ge this Academy Award?

A No! Bad enough I watched his movie.

Q He would appear to have the support of the majority of your scientific colleagues.

A Not really. This is an issue that has hundreds of aspects. The very thought that a large number of scientists all agree on everything is inconceivable. Among my colleagues, I would say, almost no one thinks that Gore's movie is reasonable. But there will be differences. Some believe it is possible that warming could be a serious problem. Others think it's very unlikely. People are all over the place.

Q Some suggest that Roger Revelle, Gore's scientific mentor, would not have agreed with the movie?

A Well, he's dead.

Q Yes. So that makes it harder for him to speak out.

A It's a horrible story. Before he died, Roger Revelle co-authored a popular paper saying, 'We know too little to take any action based on global warming. If we take any action it should be an action that we can justify completely without global warming.' And Gore's staffers tried to have his name posthumously removed from that paper claiming he had been senile. And one of the other authors took it to court and won. It's funny how little coverage that got.

Q How cynical do you think Gore is?

A It's hard for me to tell. I think he's either cynical or crazy. But he has certainly cashed in on something. And 'cash in' is the word. The movie has cleared $50-million. He charges $100,000-$150,000 a lecture. He's co-founder of Global Investment Management, which invests in solar and wind and so on. So he is literally shilling for his own companies. And he's on the on the board of Lehman Brothers who want to be the primary brokerage for emission permits.

Q That sounds more cynical, less crazy.

A I think his aim is not to be president. It's to be a billionaire.

Q What do you find to be the attitude among your MIT undergraduates on global warming?

A I find that they realize they don't know enough to reach judgments. They all realize that Gore's book was a sham. They appreciate that Michael Crichton at least included references.

Q That's encouraging. Because I find the indoctrination at schools to be pretty relentless. On a recent Grade 7 test my daughter was asked something to the effect of, "How are you going to educate your parents about global warming?"

A I know. It's straight out of Hitlerjugend.

Q Having said that, are there any behaviours we should be changing, as a society, in order to protect our planet?

A Yes. We should learn math and physics so we don't get fooled by this idiocy.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: climatechange; globalwarming
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1 posted on 04/25/2007 2:27:30 AM PDT by jsh3180
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To: jsh3180

Bump


2 posted on 04/25/2007 2:38:22 AM PDT by Fzob (In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. Jefferson)
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To: jsh3180
A It's a horrible story. Before he died, Roger Revelle co-authored a popular paper saying, 'We know too little to take any action based on global warming. If we take any action it should be an action that we can justify completely without global warming.' And Gore's staffers tried to have his name posthumously removed from that paper claiming he had been senile. And one of the other authors took it to court and won. It's funny how little coverage that got.

Never heard that.

3 posted on 04/25/2007 2:38:44 AM PDT by Always Right
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To: sneakers

bttt


4 posted on 04/25/2007 2:54:02 AM PDT by sneakers
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To: jsh3180
Nice catch, THANKS! I just passed it along to one of the news anchors where I work. He's howling moonbat when it comes to global warming. The story's gonna raise >his< temperature a few degrees, and it'll make my day! Hehehehehe...

prisoner6

5 posted on 04/25/2007 3:05:25 AM PDT by prisoner6 (Right Wing Nuts hold the country together as the loose screws of the Left fall out.)
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To: jsh3180
We should learn math and physics so we don't get fooled by this idiocy.

I couldn't agree more. However, I know of certain people who alegedly have learned math and physics, and they still got fooled by this idiocy and can't discuss it rationally.

6 posted on 04/25/2007 3:07:11 AM PDT by pbmaltzman
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To: Always Right
"Never heard that."

Neither have I, but I'm planning on looking for that paper and information on Gore's attempted deception. This should be interesting.

7 posted on 04/25/2007 3:11:45 AM PDT by VRWCtaz ("Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness." - Thomas Paine)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

ping


8 posted on 04/25/2007 3:16:59 AM PDT by jsh3180
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To: jsh3180
Q Having said that, are there any behaviours we should be changing, as a society, in order to protect our planet?

A Yes. We should learn math and physics so we don't get fooled by this idiocy.

Thanks, best laugh I've had in a week.

9 posted on 04/25/2007 3:31:45 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets ("We will have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us.")
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To: jsh3180

“All propaganda has to be popular and has to adapt its spiritual level to the perception of the least intelligent of those towards whom it intends to direct itself.”

—Adolf Hitler


10 posted on 04/25/2007 3:32:29 AM PDT by lag along
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To: jsh3180
"I mean, emissions trading is going to be a multi-trillion dollar market. Emissions alone would keep small countries in business."

And at least one country that lost its "Empire" is really pushing the global warming business.
11 posted on 04/25/2007 3:34:08 AM PDT by familyop (former cbt. engr. (cbt.))
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To: VRWCtaz

If you are looking for info about Roger Revelle’s paper and the lawsuit that followed, links can be found here:

http://motls.blogspot.com/2007/04/interview-with-richard-lindzen.html


12 posted on 04/25/2007 3:34:23 AM PDT by jsh3180
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To: jsh3180
A No! Bad enough I watched his movie.

ROFL!

13 posted on 04/25/2007 3:36:05 AM PDT by dan_s
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To: jsh3180

Excellent!


14 posted on 04/25/2007 3:43:57 AM PDT by metesky ("Brethren, leave us go amongst them." Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnston Clayton - Ward Bond- The Searchers)
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To: jsh3180
Thanks for this. You inspired me to post the following: The Revelle-Gore Story: Attempted Political Suppression of Science.
15 posted on 04/25/2007 4:28:31 AM PDT by Oeconomicus
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To: jsh3180

Thanks for posting this article & related links!!


16 posted on 04/25/2007 4:29:23 AM PDT by shove_it (old Old Guardsman)
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To: familyop

Who would that be I wonder?


17 posted on 04/25/2007 4:41:59 AM PDT by Vanders9
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To: jsh3180

Eventually, Lintzen will get tired of carrying the ball against the great weight of the politically-correct green movement.

When he gives up, there won’t be many truth tellers left.

Like religion used to force everyone into saying “I believe in God”, the global warming movement has forced everyone into saying “I believe in global warming.”


18 posted on 04/25/2007 5:22:12 AM PDT by JustDoItAlways
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To: jsh3180
Q How cynical do you think Gore is?

A It's hard for me to tell. I think he's either cynical or crazy.

I pick both. They are not mutually exclusive.

19 posted on 04/25/2007 5:35:59 AM PDT by Ditto (Global Warming: The 21st Century's Snake Oil)
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To: jsh3180

Nice post. Nice find. I like keeping up on this fraud (Socialism by another means)

I liked the Protest Warrior sign VOTE GREEN -SO WE CAN BE POOR AND MISERABLE TOGETHER -as I remember it. It speaks volumes.


20 posted on 04/25/2007 5:37:15 AM PDT by IrishCatholic (No local communist or socialist party chapter? Join the Democrats, it's the same thing.)
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