Just in case you were wondering what was happening at the central Oregon coast, here’s a video update, shaky and wind-noisy it may be. The short answer is that nothing has changed since the last update a month or so ago. Except that on Dec. 16 the weather was sunny and mild, very nice. The main thing: No rise in the sea level is evident, global climate change and all kinds of hysterical warnings to the contrary notwithstanding. OK, OK, I know it’s not supposed to be visible or noticeable until maybe 30 or 40 years from now. What with a lively surf and the ever-changing tides, I’m not sure if we’ll ever actually notice a change. But as long as we don’t, it can’t be all that significant. No?
OK, we all know that the sea isn’t rising – the polar bears are safe, warm, and fuzzy – that the ice capes are actually growing – and that, for the last 17 years, the planet has actually been cooling. Yet people on the left still insist that global warming is a major hazard.
We’ve seen you report on these things many times. What we haven’t seen is an indepth account of just why the left persues this train of thought. Why do they do that? What’s their motivation? What’s in it for them to continue the charade of AGW? Do you know Hasso? Care to enlighten us?
The reasoning goes like this: If human activities are changing the climate for the worse, governments are justified in imposing controls to reduce the harmful activities, and indeed are obligated to do so. Often that involves restricting people’s choices — in housing, energy use, transportation, lifestyles, occupations, and probably in other ways. And if you believe government should tell people how to live, or to force people to live a certain way, then anthropogenic climate change gives you ample justification for your belief. Whether global warming is taking place or not, you need it as a means to transform society. So when there’s a clue that warming is taking place, you jump on it and promote it. When there is evidence to the contrary, you poo-poo it and denounce its advocates as “deniers” of reality. (hh)
OK – For sake of discussion, take out any connection/context with government intrusion as part of the mix. What scientific information would imply anthropogenic climate change is happening, over what period of time, and over what portion of the planet, makes that an accurate statement (or not)? I cannot fathom how anyone can say that just because they don’t “see” it in their local area can make a valid statement that it is or is not happening on a global scale…
Ray’s right: Just because it’s not evident in a locality does not mean its not happening elsewhere. But the global warmers often cite local phenomena — flowers blooming earlier, migratory birds hanging around longer in the fall, that kind of stuff — as yet another indication of warming or change. Multnomah County recently issued a report on what should be done to prepare for the effects of warming. To warrant action, those effects have to be local and noticeable. If they’re not, then it makes no sense to react to them or prepare for them. So what is noticeable locally does become important to the issue.
I really appreciate Hasso’s continued reporting on this issue. I’m happy the city Council denied the city manager’s request to join a gov’t employees group to develop a strategy to deal with the doomsday predictions of man made global warming. There is no scientific reason why atmospheric carbon level exceeding 500ppm will cause what the loons are predicting.This is not a rule of physics like the speed of light or absolute zero or the boiling point of water. I’m in favor of cleaner air and water which are being managed reasonably well. The hyper green thing is an attempt by the political class to gain greater control of spending to grow gov’t