Bad news for climate change hysteria-mongers

Bad news for climate change hysteria-mongers November 28, 2015

Today’s Wall Street Journal contains a summary of the latest research on climate change.  Unfortunately for those who want to change public policy to combat climate change, the latest research does not support their politics.

In fact, their policy prescriptions will actually hurt the poor.

Here are some choice selections from this important article:

“World temperatures . . . have gone up only very slowly, less than half as fast as the scientific consensus predicted in 1990 when the global-warming scare began in earnest.”

“On a global scale, as scientists keep confirming, there has been no increase in frequency or intensity of storms, floods or droughts, while deaths attributed to such natural disasters have never been fewer, thanks to modern technology and infrastructure.”

“We are often told by journalists that the science is ‘settled’ and there is no debate. But scientists disagree: They say there is great uncertainty, and they reflected this uncertainty in their fifth and latest assessment for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).”

“A new study by a leading climate economist, Richard Tol of the University of Sussex, concludes that warming may well bring gains, because carbon dioxide causes crops and wild ecosystems to grow greener and more drought-resistant.”

Mr Tol: “Statements that climate change is the biggest problem of humankind are unfounded: We can readily think of bigger problems.”

“Yes, but if there is even a tiny chance of catastrophe, should the world not strain every sinew to head it off? . . . If decarbonization were easy, then sure, this would make sense. But the experience of the last three decades is that there is no energy technology remotely ready to take over from fossil fuels on the scale needed and at a price the public is willing to pay.”

“Meanwhile, there are a billion people with no grid electricity whose lives could be radically improved—and whose ability to cope with the effects of weather and climate change could be greatly enhanced—with the access to the concentrated power of coal, gas or oil that the rich world enjoys. Aid for such projects has already been constrained by Western institutions in the interest of not putting the climate at risk. So climate policy is hurting the poor.”

“The mood in Paris will be one of furious pessimism . . . . they dare not mention the reassuring news from science lest it threaten their budgets.”

“One recent survey by Rasmussen Reports shows that 27% of Democrats in the U.S. are in favor of prosecuting climate skeptics. This is the mentality of religious fanaticism, not scientific debate.”

“The best we can hope for is a toothless agreement that will satisfy most governments yet allow them to pay lip-service to action. In all likelihood, that’s exactly what we can expect to get in Paris.”

Here is the whole article:  http://www.wsj.com/article_email/your-complete-guide-to-the-climate-debate-1448656890-lMyQjAxMTI1MjI5ODcyNzg0Wj

 

 


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