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The Upsider, by Patrick Tepoorten
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 When my son brought home the latest awareness raising literature on
global warming, I was shocked to find this phrase: "Some experts say it
is happening naturally." That was a first, and when it finally hit me.
2008 will be the Year of the Skeptic.
There were other signs. For
instance, a New York news outlet recently did a story on the state's
heat wave, and didn't mention the "greatest threat to mankind" even
once.
The Year of the Skeptic is underway, but it wouldn't be
possible without ‘07, which set the table splendidly. Among other
things:
• Over 400 scientists (including many current and former
members of the U.N.'s IPCC) came forward to challenge the orthodoxy, an
unprecedented number that, in favor of the science could only be a
"consensus."
• The film, "An Inconvenient Truth," was
determined to contain nine major errors by a British court. The film is
still shown in England's schools, but must be accompanied by a warning,
like cigarettes.
• Awareness raising events LiveEarth and the
Bali conference generated more CO2 than small nations, dashing all hope
those who insist climate change is a crisis will ever act like it.
•
Nations that signed Kyoto were reported to have increased emissions by
over 20 percent, non-signers by 10 percent, and the U.S. less than 7
percent, making Kyoto earth's most polluting treaty.
• Issues
linked to climate change jumped the shark. Divorce causes it, obesity,
war, and suicides, result. Governor Pawlenty dove right in, suggesting
it makes fish bite earlier.
• Both of the following statements proved true: Arctic sea ice at lowest levels ever! Clear evidence of global warming. Arctic sea ice reach highest levels ever! Clear evidence of climate change.
•
A famous Australian climate change soothsayer claimed the Brisbane area
would run out of water by year's end. By year's end, water levels in
the three dams were higher than at any point in the previous year.
•
NASA fixed a glitch, causing 1998, "hottest year ever," to be
de-throned. The new hottest year? 1934. 2007 also refused to cooperate,
failing to fulfill "hottest year" predictions - falling somewhere
behind 2001. In fact, there hasn't been discernible warming since ‘98,
birthing the theory of global stagnance.
• All this depressing
news had climate change journalist Dave Lindorff looking for a "silver
lining" last month, claiming that the "end times" would kill or
displace primarily the nation's "troglodyte" conservatives. It knows if
you've been bad or good, you see.
The Year of the Skeptic has
already started with a bang. The IPCC was forced to release comments of
reviewers for it's 2007 assessment, and they - in number and criticism
- cast serious doubt on the IPCC's claim that "2,500 scientists" agree
climate change is human caused. Writing in the Canada Free Press,
climate data analyst John McLean and Tom Harris said, "That the IPCC
have let this deception continue for so long is a disgrace."
On Jan. 3, scientist Oleg Sorokhtin said we've peaked, and cooling
is now the concern, leaving many, like me, wondering what to do with
that stock of thong bathing suits. Last week, the U.N. took another
blow when researchers at Leeds discovered, contrary to claims, there is
no "long term net decline" in tropical forestation, which is integral
to the theory of global warming.
Predictions for the future
rarely work out, which, come to think of it, is one of the key problems
with climate change. But I feel pretty good about this one. As they
might say, models point to increasing doubt, and 2008 looks to be the
"most skeptical year ever."
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