Climate Alarmism Takes Off in a New Direction

American Thinker ^ | June 09, 2010 | F. Swemson

[neverdem]

NASA has just voiced its concern over the threat that our modern technological society is now facing from "solar storms."

Now it's true of course, that our society has become quite dependent on new technology, such as satellite communications and GPS mapping, that is vulnerable to the effects of major solar storms, but NASA seems to be a bit too worried about how big the threat really is. Fortunately for us, legitimate climate scientists believe the next solar "maximum," which is due in four to five years, is not expected to be anything unusual. In any event, while major solar storms could screw things up pretty well for a while, they're not potentially fatal to mankind, as the AGW alarmists claim that global warming is.

According to my friend Dr. Ed Berry of climatephysics.com, there's a good reason why NASA is making a big deal out of it. It's called "Grantsmanship." If they can convince Congress that this is a serious threat, which they're obviously best-positioned to research and plan for, then there's a chance that they can get Congress to increase their funding. There's a good deal of exaggeration here, of course, as the "super maximum solar flare" that they're talking about, while possible, is no more likely to occur within the next few years than a hundred-year flood.

But it is possible, of course. So it doesn't seem at all unreasonable for them to want more funding so that they can enhance their forecasting capabilities, which have already come a long way, thanks to our existing satellites.

There's another aspect to this story, however, that might be more interesting for us to consider right now, as it may help us to understand how the global warming hoax arose. While NASA is talking about the issue, they're doing so in a relatively calm and reasonable manner. We can see this from the title of their latest release on the subject: 

NASA: "As the Sun Awakens, NASA Keeps a Wary Eye on Space Weather"

Within 48 hours, however, as the media began to report on the story, it quickly began to morph into another pending apocalypse:

Washington Post: "Do Solar Storms Threaten Life as We Know It?"

Gawker.com: "The Newest Threat to All Human Life on Earth: Solar Storms"

It seems that Fox News isn't quite as over-the-top.

Fox News: "Solar Storms Could Be Threat in 2013"

Why does the media do this?

The simple (historical) answer, of course, is that catastrophes sell newspapers. William Randolph Hearst may have given formal birth to "yellow journalism," but he wasn't its only practitioner. I wrote about this back in January in my article "159 Years of Climate Alarmism at The New York Times."

In the last part of the 19^th century, newspapers like The Times were warning us of an imminent new ice age. By 1940, they were worried about excessive warming; however, after the next 35 years of cooling, they were quick to transition to hysteria over another approaching ice age. By the late 1970s, after the earth began warming again, people like Maurice Strong, along with some other blossoming environmental extremists, politicians, and U.N. officials, began to see the huge potential for power and wealth that was built into the issue. This, along with the added fantasy of AGW, brought us to the brink of Cap & Trade and the fraudulent EPA classification of CO₂ as a pollutant.

Of course, the warming stopped in 2002, and we've been cooling steadily since then. Now, as the AGW house of cards begins to crumble, we're already hearing rumblings about another ice age. It could happen, and if it does, we should be worried this time, because while warming was never any kind of threat at all, extreme cooling is. People starve when crops don't grow very well.

The obvious question is: "If they've been wrong each and every time in the past, why on earth would anyone still be listening to them today?"

H.L. Mencken answered it best when he said, "The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."

The public has a short memory, to be sure, but rather than blaming the politicians alone for the current AGW hoax, we should be aware of the media's complicity in this sordid affair. They're still not reporting the news honestly. Like Hearst, they're still making it up as they go. Just to sell "newspapers."

[HiTech RedNeck]

And if the sun does happen to develop one of these super sunspots pointed our way, just what are we going to DO about it?

[Lancey Howard]

Funny stuff.
It’s all about the money with these liberal, big government scumbags.
It’s always about the money.

[dr_lew]

These people are under continual disquietudes, never enjoying a minutes peace of mind; and their disturbances proceed from causes which very little affect the rest of mortals. Their apprehensions arise from several changes they dread in the celestial bodies: for instance, that the earth, by the continual approaches of the sun towards it, must, in course of time, be absorbed, or swallowed up; that the face of the sun, will, by degrees, be encrusted with its own effluvia, and give no more light to the world; that the earth very narrowly escaped a brush from the tail of the last comet, which would have infallibly reduced it to ashes; and that the next, which they have calculated for one-and-thirty years hence, will probably destroy us.

Gulliver re the Laputians

[Islander7]

And if the sun does happen to develop one of these super sunspots pointed our way, just what are we going to DO about it?

Simple, raise taxes.

[caww]

I’m under the impression whenever money is “called” out of the pockets of the people the most effective way is create alarm and fear of the unknown...

“Islands will sink or be overrun”....”Land will turn to dustbowls”... and of course it must come from a source we have no control of.

It’s all about “IF” we don’t have monies to prepare for this then “that” might happen. Just keep the cash flow going.

[TChad]

And if the sun does happen to develop one of these super sunspots pointed our way, just what are we going to DO about it?

The most important thing will be to feel guilty about it, because we will all share the blame for the sunspot.

As for what we should to, it is clear that we need to raise awareness of the issue. The best way to do that is to wear colored ribbons.

[PA Engineer]

Actually a little fear in this area may pay off in a hardened electrical/communication system that is more resistant to an EMP attack. The Compton Effect will have the same results from either a flare or nuke. This would be valuable if the dollars are spent in effective defense program versus wasted in academia.

[Trillian]

Maybe if al gore gets fatter he can shield us from it and save us all.

[i get it]

And if the sun does happen to develop one of these super sunspots pointed our way, just what are we going to DO about it?

Obvoiusly Bush/Cheny/Rove need to be sequestered on the side of the planet not facing the sun as to not piss it off further.

[Psalm 144]

How perverse, that NASA has joined the dirt cult Luddites.

[neverdem]

And if the sun does happen to develop one of these super sunspots pointed our way, just what are we going to DO about it?

Will shutting down the grid and turning off appliances avoid some trouble, if we have forewarning? I'm asking. Or are we doomed to current or voltage overload and fried circuits anyway?

[Lancey Howard]

Precisely. It's always about the money.

I remember a couple of years ago, when the "global warming" scam was peaking, Rush mentioned on his radio show that DC law firms were adding literally scores of "climate litigators" in anticipation of legislation that would hand them the next tobacco settlement-size jackpot. The politician rat bastards never pulled it off, however, and the email leak that exposed the scam and killed Copenhagen has saved American taxpayers literally billion$, if not trillion$, over the long haul.

We must stay vigilant, of course, because that sick communist p.o.s. Ubama is still squeaking about "climate legislation". His and the rats' agenda of socialism and reparations depends on that money, so it won't die completely without a fight.

FRegards,
LH

[21twelve]

I suppose unplugging your stuff from the grid might help. Of course the grid might be down for a long time so you won’t get the next day’s brew of coffee going anyway.

I suppose they might be able to save parts of the grid by shutting things down and disconnecting things on a regional scale so as not to have it all inter-connected.

I’m not sure I want to be the one to pull the plug on Los Angeles or New York because I think our grid might get knocked out by a solar flare that maybe is headed our way and perhaps could do some damage. I think!

[steelyourfaith]

 

Beam me to Planet Gore !

[Nepeta]

Before dismissing the possible effects of a major solar flare, do a search of the 1859 Carrington Event.

[gogogodzilla]

Perfect description of the modern day liberal.

Democrat - party of Laputians

[maine-iac7]

Hurray - sun spots are coming back! the solar maximum cycle is overdue, but looks like it's on its way - hurray...the next 10-11 years with warmer weather - I can take...especially at my age. ;o)

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/05/solarcycle/

That is not to say that, if the flares get too disruptive there isn't going to be problems - maybe big ones - across the globe as we are all so vulnerable now on all things electrical.

Past solar flares and their disturbances give us a hint of what could happen. (Glad I have my wood stove, my well and my kerosene lamps ;o)..)

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2008/06may_carringtonflare/

[maine-iac7]

Actually a little fear in this area may pay off in a hardened electrical/communication system that is more resistant to an EMP attack. The Compton Effect will have the same results from either a flare or nuke. This would be valuable if the dollars are spent in effective defense program versus wasted in academia.

Exactly.

trim the wicks and fill the lamps.

[Condor51]

'Solar Storms'? Harrumph, mere child's play.

If you want to REALLY worry about something. worry about Super Gamma Ray Bursts. If a Red Giant star goes Super Nova in some far off place in the Universe, and its axis is aimed at us, we're all cooked. Literally.

In fact it *may* have already happened and those Gamma Rays have been coming right at us at 186,000 miles per second. And they could be here next week. Or next month. Or in two years.

So for all the Chicken Littles, grab your pillow and bury your head.
We're all GONNNA DIE!

Gamma Rays. The Original Global Warming.