Checking Cruz's climate science denial clangers [Left hits Cruz when Court blocks Obama's legacy]

The Guardian ^ | February 10, 2016 | Graham Readfearn

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I have no clue how many climate science denial myths a Republican presidential candidate can fit onto the head of a pin, but given these zingers are generally huge it's probably not that many.

But we do now have some clue how many myths one of those candidates, Senator Ted Cruz, can fit into an eight-minute diatribe. At least six.

When asked about climate change at recent hustings, Cruz has been delivering a stock set of answers from the Little Book of Climate Change Denial (not a real book).

At one such event in New Hampshire, the representative from Texas delivered a diarrhea-like splurge (sorry) of talking points, myths and cherry-picked factoids.

[BIG SNIP of idiocy: Graham Readfearn's list]

[6] Pseudoscience

As a sort of climax to his splurge, Cruz has been saying that climate change is the "perfect pseudoscientific theory" because it can "never, ever, ever be disproven."

This is a little bit like saying you can't disprove that there's a small community of genetically modified clown people living on Uranus (I suggest a quick check with a long-handled mirror).

But what would it take to "disprove" human-caused climate change? Well, here's a few things.

You'd have to first overturn the laws of atmospheric physics, and maybe then prove the atmosphere and oceans are not heating up, that the world's plants and animals on the move across the world are reacting to something else (like, say, messages from Uranus), that the oceans are rising just because they fancy it and that all the recent record hot years could have just come along by chance.

Shouldn't be too hard, eh?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

SALON: Climate skepticism is just bad science: "There is no cohesive, consistent alternative theory.."

FR THREAD Dec 5, 2015

To: Cincinatus' Wife A few points in response.

Correlation does not equal causation. If the start of a rise in mean global temperature occurs simultaneously with increased emissions of CO2 from industrialization, it does not mean that the latter caused the former.

The burden of proof is on the supporters of AGW to demonstrate the validity of their model, not on the skeptics to prove them wrong.

In the current debate on climate, the AGW hypothesis is unfalsifiable -- if the mean global temperature rises, it's AGW; if it cools, it's AGW. Any observation can be accommodated to AGW. A model that can be expanded to explain everything, explains nothing.

CO2 levels in the geological past have exceeded several thousand parts per million, long before humans even existed. So clearly, a natural mechanism for an increase in CO2 content must exist.

The most dire predictions of AGW come not from any observation, but from extrapolation of computer models. Chaotic behavior makes reliance on such models questionable.

In contrast to the claims of this article, there are multiple alternatives to AGW for climate change, including variations in solar radiation, the role of cosmic rays in nucleating cloud formation and global cloud cover, wobbles in the Earth's obliquity over geological time, volcanic pulses that inject massive amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere and other geological effects, such as meteorite impact. None of these factors are accounted for in climate modeling because we cannot estimate the magnitude of their influence.

Finally, there is the social aspect of all this. Science in this country is largely funded by the federal government, with grants and contracts being distributed on the basis of peer review. Go against your peers at your peril; it is simply much easier and politically savvy to find errors and faults with the grant proposals of the naysayers and skeptics than it is with those of members of the "consensus." Money makes the world go around.

In my lifetime, I have never seen such a poorly justified, scientifically barren, morally corrupt episode as the current campaign of climate change panic, screeching and idiocy. It's a real psychological case study. Future generations will laugh at our credulity.

7 posted on 12/6/2015, 3:59:33 AM by Cincinatus (Omnia relinquit servare Rempublicam)

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Mother Jones - Feb 10, 2016: The Supreme Court Just Did Serious Damage to the Fight Against Climate Change ~~~President Obama's climate legacy is in trouble.~~~

".....the ruling could throw a wrench in the delicate diplomacy surrounding the global climate agreement reached in Paris in December. One defining feature of the Paris summit that made it the most successful round of climate talks in two decades was the leadership of Secretary of State John Kerry and other US officials. It was the Clean Power Plan that gave other countries confidence that the US was finally willing to do something about its own massive carbon footprint. In other words, the plan was supposed to be Obama's proof that the US would follow through on its Paris promises. Now, the trust of other big polluter - China, India, the European Union - could be shaken. That could have a chilling effect on climate action around the globe.

"I think the stay raises doubts in other countries' minds," said Jake Schmidt, international program director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "I'm already getting a lot of questions and confusion [from policy analysts abroad]. There will be a lot of outreach to explain what this really means."

Their concerns may well be justified - even if the Supreme Court ultimately does rule in favor of the administration. That's because, regardless of the case's final outcome, yesterday's stay will make the Clean Power Plan more vulnerable if a Republican wins the presidential election in November. All of the leading GOP candidates have vowed to roll back Obama's climate agenda. (Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have both promised to carry it forward.)....."

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Mother Jones - Jan 19, 2016: Scientists Explain Why Ted Cruz Is Wrong About the Climate ~~~ Humans are heating up the planet, no matter what the GOP front-runners say~~~

"This story was originally published by Slate and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

"In December, GOP senator, presidential hopeful, and outrageous science denier Ted Cruz held a Senate panel about climate change that could charitably be called a farce. He impaneled a series of people who ranged from lukewarmers (believing the Earth is warming, but it's not dangerous, or not rapid enough to worry about now) to out-and-out head-in-the-sand deniers.

During the hearing, Cruz said a lot of completely false things, but two things he hammered over and again were the reliability of satellite data, and how those data don't show any warming over the past 18 years - the so-called pause.

As I've written many times, that "pause" doesn't exist; we're still getting warmer and have been for decades. He cherry-picked the data, looking only as far back as 1998, when a huge spike in temperature due to an El Niño event made it look like temperatures are flat since then (when you start high, it makes the rest of the graph look flatter). That's hugely misleading, of course........."

[Calpublican]

Nobel Laureate Scientist Ivan Giaever issued statement disputing Obama’s climate claims:

http://www.craighuey.com/nobel_prize_winner_to_obama_you_are_wrong_on_climate_change

[Calpublican]

But why worry, Trump will have the definitive intellectual answer on this, as on all questions.

Let’s just wait to see where the brilliant real estate developer, on whom we so desperately rely, lands on this.

Of course, once he lands, he will shift position any number of times, but we do not care. We simply wait upon his wisdom.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Rush: "The Left always lets you know who they fear."

Rush Limbaugh, EIB - Feb 10, 2016: If Conservatism Is Your Only Priority, There Is No Choice Other Than Ted Cruz

"......Here, let me just say something right off the bat. And I've said this before. I opened the program with it yesterday. When I saw what Jeb and Kasich were doing in New Hampshire at the last minute in order to get votes...

They were going left as fast as Deion Sanders can backpedal. They were moving left faster than anybody I've ever seen go left. And I opened the program yesterday saying, "You will never, ever have to worry about that with Ted Cruz." And then I expanded on it. And let me say one thing: If conservatism is your bag, if conservatism is the dominating factor in how you vote, there is no other choice for you in this campaign than Ted Cruz, because you are exactly right: This is the closest in our lifetimes we have ever been to Ronald Reagan.......

Now, one other thing about conservatives and the problems that we face. The reason why many conservatives think it's got to be Ted Cruz and we've got to be conservative, is because liberalism is the reason we're in this mess. We're not in this mess because of incompetence. We're in this mess because of liberalism, and there is an antidote to liberalism, there is a cure, there is a vaccine. It's called conservatism.

.....for those of you that conservatism's the answer and conservatism is the way, you have no choice here. Ted Cruz has got to be your guy. There's nobody even close. Nobody....

Conservatism is what's gonna have to be implemented here to reverse the direction we're headed. That's why people who are supporting Cruz are supporting Cruz. That's why conservatives get worried when other conservatives do not support a conservative, 'cause the problems we have are directly traceable to liberalism, and the antidote, the cure, the vaccine, the nuclear device to wipe it out is conservatism."...

[Cboldt]

Trump doesn’t buy the man-made climate change myth. On that subject, he and Cruz are in alignment.

[Calpublican]

It is so hard for me to believe the “Conservatives” who have bought into the Trump Con Game. People I thought had principles had none.

These are the very same people who criticized McConnell, Boehner, and Ryan for selling out and they are total sellouts.

They are seduced by the ConMan. What a freaking joke.

[Calpublican]

Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in awhile.

Trump falls every which way on every issue so he’s bound to hit one right.

Sheeeshh.

[Kickass Conservative]

What are you talking about?

Was Trump mentioned in this Article?

Don’t get upset, but Trump agrees with Cruz that this Manmade Climate Change blather doesn’t exist.

Can you just not help yourself going off topic because your rabid TDS is out of control?

There are plenty or Trump bashing Threads out there, go seek them out and let her rip.

Well, back to THIS Thread topic. Geez...

[Eagles6]

Oh, there you go with logic and reason again! Don’t you know those are just constructs of the White supremist, Judeo Christian heterosexualist Western culture designed to keep everyone else down?/ sarc

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Cruz: Climate change issue is 'about government power' --- [what the "writer" calls Cruz's "diarrhea-like splurge"]

[Video of Cruz responding to a "dirty air, dirty water" global warming question]

Sen Cruz begins by explaining that he is the son of 2 SCIENTISTS and then goes on for 8 fact filled minutes to explain that man made global warming is driven by an agenda to have government power over the citizenry - that he Chairs the Science Technology Committee.

Cruz then proceeds to educate everyone about this global warming science fraud and how jobs and our economy have been crippled by Obama's so-called "clean power regulations" [which this week the Supreme court put a hold on, and the reason for the renewed attacks on Ted Cruz - like this thread's "article" - by the Left].

[Cincinatus' Wife]

[LINK to a big Lefty meeting place and clearing house for environmental advocacy and activism - what they call "journalism."]:

SEJ: The Society of Environmental Journalism

~~~Climate Change: A Guide to the Information and Disinformation~~~

Vision

Credible and robust journalism that informs and engages society on environmental issues.

Mission

The mission of the Society of Environmental Journalists is to strengthen the quality, reach and viability of journalism across all media to advance public understanding of environmental issues.

Objectives

SEJ provides critical support to journalists of all media in their efforts to cover complex issues of the environment responsibly. SEJ addresses its mission and vision through effective programs designed by and for journalists who produce environmental coverage. Benefits and opportunities of programs and membership will be extended to journalists on varied beats, to students and all those who will be expanding and defining the field in years to come. SEJ is constantly developing new initiatives to:

educate on emerging issues and beat basics; protect freedom of information on environment-related issues;

build bridges between scientists and journalists; foster peer communication and networks of credible sources;

provide recognition of excellence and support for media projects; and

provide vision and leadership for the field through creative projects and strategic partnerships.

Activities

Omaha World-Herald's Nancy Gaarder, co-chair of SEJ's 2015 annual conference in Norman, Oklahoma, shares why she supports SEJ.

" Through combined efforts of board, staff, members and appropriate partners, the Society of Environmental Journalists offers unique educational programs and services, primarily for professional journalists, educators and students, including annual and regional conferences, tours, meet-ups and training events; daily EJToday headlines and summaries, with supporting links; Twitter feed from @SEJorg; quarterly SEJournal; special editions of TipSheet and other publications; Freedom of Information WatchDog project; SEJ Awards for Reporting on the Environment; mini grants through the Fund for Environmental Journalism; members-only listservs; mentoring program; website-based resources; and a lively membership network of journalists and academics.

SEJ also acts to raise awareness among philanthropists, editors, news managers, publishers, and other key decision-makers in the media on the value and importance of environmental news reporting. Non-members are welcome to participate in SEJ programs, especially the annual conference."

[Impala64ssa]

Why is man-made global warming real? Because modern science tells us so! Modern science is always right isn’t it? When the first railroads were built before the Civil War, the modern science of the day warned of the dangers of rail travel, saying the human body cannot withstand sustained speeds over 30MPH. I’m sure Jeff Gordon and Chuck Yeager, not to mention anyone who travels by plane would have a good laugh over that one. We were at the Baseball Hall of Fame. They have an excellent exhibit in the history of the Negro Leagues. One artifact I remember was an excerpt from a medical journal published at the end of WWII that argued agianst integrating the major leagues on the grounds that Blacks were inferior to Whites. Nevermind that Jesse Owens, Joe Louis and others already blew that assertion to smithereens. This is what “modern settled science” told us a relatively short 70 yrs ago. Obviously Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Roy Campenella, Ernie Banks, Willie McCovey, Lou Brock, Reggie Jackson, etc never received that memo. Which leads to another problem with “modern settled science” how factors unrelated to the subject matter at hand unduly influences the findings. Whether it was the ugly spectacle of racism, or a need to advance an agenda by any means necessary for political and/or financial gain. So when scientists, who derive a significant portion of their livelihood from “government, with grants and contracts being distributed on the basis of peer review” vehemently assert that global “warming”/”cooling”/”hey, we really don’t know WTF is going on, let’s call it man-made climate change and cover our butts” is occuring, it’s as meaningful as Warren Buffet issuing a strong buy recommendation on Berkshire Hathaway.

[ssfromla]

[6] Pseudoscience

[1] It Is A Religion

And against mine.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

"The term Lysenkoism is also used metaphorically to describe the manipulation or distortion of the scientific process as a way to reach a predetermined conclusion as dictated by an ideological bias, often related to social or political objectives."

[snip]

"On August 7, 1948, the V.I. Lenin Academy of Agricultural Sciences announced that from that point on Lysenkoism would be taught as "the only correct theory". Soviet scientists were forced to denounce any work that contradicted Lysenko's research. Criticism of Lysenko was denounced as "bourgeois" or "fascist", and analogous "non-bourgeois" theories also flourished in other fields in the Soviet academy at this time..."

[snip]

....Over 3,000 [scientists] were imprisoned, fired, or executed for attempting to oppose Lysenkoism at one time and overall, scientific research in genetics was effectively destroyed until the death of Stalin in 1953. Due to Lysenkoism, crop yields in the USSR actually declined as well.

Nikita Khrushchev, who claimed to be an expert in agricultural science[citation needed], also valued Lysenko as a great scientist, and the taboo on genetics continued (but all geneticists were released or rehabilitated posthumously). The ban was only waived in the mid-1960s.

Almost alone among Western scientists, John Desmond Bernal, Professor of Physics at Birkbeck College, University of London, and a Fellow of the Royal Society, made an aggressive public defense of Lysenko and some years later gave an obituary of 'Stalin as a Scientist.' However, despite Bernal's endorsement, other members of Britain's scientific community retreated from open support of the Soviet Union, and may have been one of the chief reasons for a retreat from Marxism in that country.".......

[clearcarbon]

"Checking Cruz's climate science denial clangers [Left hits Cruz when Court blocks Obama's legacy]"

AGW climate scientists find themselves threatened with the prospect of being unemployed in an uncertain economic environment in which their former professional work has been discredited.

It's been said that turnabout is fair play.

[M-cubed]

that pretty much sums it up in a nutshell....The supposedly Conservative Trumpbots don’t seem care that Cruz’s positions are about as close to consevative perfection as we will ever get.....Their CDS and anger at the system has risen to the point of true cognitive dissonance...They see a Trump victory as success no mater what his actual positions are or would be...conservatism be damned!!.....there is no shortage of lunacy on either the left or right.....as proof watch the rabid responses on almost every thread on FR

[a fool in paradise]

The Left’s hysteria about man made global warming has been exposed as a fraud and they still won't let it die.

The coordinated messaging, the cooking of the books, the models of doom and gloom that NEVER CAME IN THE PROPHECIED 20 years they warned about.

[Paladin2]

There is no Science of Climate. Only gov’t paid scientists trying to create same.