March 26, 2007
The GOP Vs. Global Warming
The New Republic: Why Are Republicans More Skeptical, Even As Evidence Grows?
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Gore Speaks On Earth's "Fever"
In a triumphant return to Capitol Hill, former Vice President Al Gore spoke to members of Congress about the dangers of global warming. Gloria Borger reports.
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Notebook: Gore And Congress
Only On The Web: Former Vice President Al Gore urged Congress to act on climate change. Katie Couric hopes both parties can work together to avert a potential crisis.
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Calif. Fights Global Warming
Car-happy California has begun to try to combat global warming by promoting energy efficiency in a variety of ways. John Blackstone has more details.
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Global Warming
The greenhouse effect, a look at the Kyoto Protocol and a history of the Earth's climate.
Last year, the National Journal asked a group of Republican senators and House members: "Do you think it's been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the Earth is warming because of man-made problems?" Of the respondents, 23 percent said yes, 77 percent said no. In the year since that poll, of course, global warming has seized a massive amount of public attention. The U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a study, with input from 2,000 scientists worldwide, finding that the certainty on man-made global warming had risen to 90 percent.
So, the magazine asked the question again last month. The results? Only 13 percent of Republicans agreed that global warming has been proved. As the evidence for global warming gets stronger, Republicans are actually getting more skeptical. Al Gore's recent congressional testimony on the subject, and the chilly reception he received from GOP members, suggest the discouraging conclusion that skepticism on global warming is hardening into party dogma. Like the notion that tax cuts are always good or that President Bush is a brave war leader, it's something you almost have to believe if you're an elected Republican.
How did it get this way? The easy answer is that Republicans are just tools of the energy industry. It's certainly true that many of them are. Leading global warming skeptic Representative Joe L. Barton (R-Texas), for instance, was the subject of a fascinating story in the Wall Street Journal a couple of years ago. The bottom line is that his relationship to the energy industry is as puppet relates to hand.
But the financial relationship doesn't quite explain the entirety of GOP skepticism on global warming. For one thing, the energy industry has dramatically softened its opposition to global warming over the last year, even as Republicans have stiffened theirs.
The truth is more complicated — and more depressing: A small number of hard-core ideologues (some, but not all, industry shills) have led the thinking for the whole conservative movement.
Your typical conservative has little interest in the issue. Of course, neither does the average nonconservative. But we nonconservatives tend to defer to mainstream scientific wisdom. Conservatives defer to a tiny handful of renegade scientists who reject the overwhelming professional consensus.
National Review magazine, with its popular Web site, is a perfect example. It has a blog dedicated to casting doubt on global warming, or solutions to global warming, or anybody who advocates a solution. Its title is "Planet Gore." The psychology at work here is pretty clear: Your average conservative may not know anything about climate science, but conservatives do know they hate Al Gore. So, hold up Gore as a hate figure and conservatives will let that dictate their thinking on the issue.
Meanwhile, Republicans who do believe in global warming get shunted aside. Nicole Gaudiano of Gannett News Service recently reported that Representative Wayne Gilchrest asked to be on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio refused to allow it unless Gilchrest would say that humans have not contributed to global warming. The Maryland Republican refused and was denied a seat.
Representatives Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md. and Vernon Ehlers, R-Mich., both research scientists, also were denied seats on the committee. Normally, relevant expertise would be considered an advantage. In this case, it was a disqualification; if the GOP allowed Republican researchers who accept the scientific consensus to sit on a global warming panel, it would kill the party's strategy of making global warming seem to be the pet obsession of Democrats and Hollywood lefties.
The phenomenon here is that a tiny number of influential conservative figures set the party line; dissenters are marginalized, and the rank and file go along with it. No doubt something like this happens on the Democratic side pretty often too. It's just rare to find the phenomenon occurring in such a blatant way.
You can tell that some conservatives who want to fight global warming understand how the psychology works and are trying to turn it in their favor. Their response is to emphasize nuclear power as an integral element of the solution. Senator John McCain, who supports action on global warming, did this in a recent National Review interview. The technique seems to be surprisingly effective. When framed as a case for more nuclear plants, conservatives seem to let down their guard.
In reality, nuclear plants may be a small part of the answer, but you couldn't build enough to make a major dent. But the psychology is perfect. Conservatives know that lefties hate nuclear power. So, yeah, Rush Limbaugh listeners, let's fight global warming and stick it to those hippies!
By Jonathan Chait
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See all 202 CommentsThat, and they are narrow minded morons.
The only way the Republicans will believe man is at fault in global warming is when out atmosphere gets like that of the planet Venus, but by then it'll be too late for everybody!
Once these crooks get that figured out they will jump right on board...Lol
Why not a pre-emptive strike against global warming?
Explain why the world was warmer 1,000 years ago than now. I don't believe that there were a lot of SUVs at the time.
What caused the 'Little Ice Age' of about 1,300 to 1,800?
What happened to the panic of "Global Cooling" in the 1970's?
Explain why the world was warmer 1,000 years ago than now. I don't believe that there were a lot of SUVs at the time.
What caused the 'Little Ice Age' of about 1,300 to 1,800?
What happened to the panic of "Global Cooling" in the 1970's?
Posted by gdw666 at 03:13 PM : Mar 26, 2007
I don't know the answers to any of these questions. Guess I'm a little too young. Care to enlighten us?
What is your evidence that the earth was warmer 1,000 years ago?
After very little research, I did find out that the last "Ice Age" period was "between about 460 and 430 MILLION years ago.
Source: www.museum.state.il.us
Can anyone tell us what would be wrong with clean alternatives beside depriving a corrupt energy industry of it's cash flow that enables it to own and engage our military?
Secondly, would you not let a doctor treat a known disease just because there were other diseases whose cause were unknown? That logic makes no sense. Even if we couldn't explain previous warming periods (most experts believe we can), that wouldn't mean that we can't explain the current warming period.
In short, your antecedent and conclusion are both wrong.
http://www.oism.org/pproject/s33p37.htm
(from http://neoconexpress.blogspot.com/2007/03/petition-project-unless-this-is.html). Grow up people, science is rarely beyond any doubt.
Posted by doctor_jason at 03:48 PM : Mar 26, 2007
Calling people names doc? That is indicative of a small mind you know?
Don't listen to Al Gore, Don't listen to Joe L. Barton. The information that these people are "interpreting" is available for everyone to see. Review the actual temperature data, review the explanations and modeling from both sides. Decide based on logic. This is science, not dogma.
Since you such a smart guy, give us a detailed rebuttal to the key points in the IPCC report. Not your opinion, provide some FACTS.
http://ipcc-wg1.ucar.edu/
Maybe "cons" don't understand that the error bars were reduced on both sides as more information was gathered. The lower estimate was raised and the upper estimate was lowered. I.e., the estimates became more precise.
Unfortunately, the people with the spoons are the Rush Limbaughs and not the scientists. The scientists are the very people who want you to think for yourself.
As for your global warming petition, read the research that's debunked it. Many scientists on that list have denied signing it. Furthermore, their definition of "advanced" is somewhat loose.
Posted by doctor_jason at 03:56 PM : Mar 26, 2007
Or on the playground?
But when it comes to human survival, shouldn't we opt for "Better Safe Than Sorry"?
I mean, this will be your kids world, your grandkids world. Wouldn't it be better safe than sorry for them? Or does anyone not care what we leave our kids?
Why did the Vikings settle in Greenland. Do you know what Greenland is like now? It's covered with snow and ice. 1000 years ago it was green (hence the name).
Also 1000 years ago, Britain was growing grapes for wine. Can't do it now, the climate isn't warm enough - it was 1000 years ago.
The 2000 scientists who claim that global warmiong is manmade is bunk. Several of those scientists had to threaten legal action because their names appeared at the bottom of the document and THEY DID NOT AGREE WITH THE FINDINGS!
Also - for those who believe that mankind is causing global warming - how do you explain the fact that the polar caps on Mars are melting and that Pluto is warming up. Do we have SUVs on Mars and Pluto?
Isn't the answer obvious? The warming is coming from the sun - not from Land Rovers.
Scientists have taken ice samples from the Antartic ice and it shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are on a roughly 1500 year cycle - it gets warm and then it gets cold. It's happened over and over again and it will continue to happen. Man's activities have nothing to do with it.
Cleaning up the environment and global warming are two separate issues and have no bearing on each other.
If you don't believe me - then explain why Mars and Pluto are warming and how the earth has warmed and cooled in the past WITHOUT man driving cars and running factories?
Same challenge for you. Provide your evidence on why the IPCC report is wrong. Not your opinion, provide some FACTS.
http://ipcc-wg1.ucar.edu/
If you want to get the unspun truth, you can start with scholar.google.com or scirus.com. These provide searches that can be constrained to journals. Surprisingly, Rush Limbaugh hasn't published in any of these journals.
Don't listen to Al Gore, Don't listen to Joe L. Barton. The information that these people are "interpreting" is available for everyone to see. Review the actual temperature data, review the explanations and modeling from both sides. Decide based on logic. This is science, not dogma.
Of course if one still wants to defer to "scientists"
Here are 2,660 physicists, geophysicists, climatologists, meteorologists, oceanographers, and environmental scientists http://www.oism.org/pproject/a_sci.htm
And another 5017 Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, and other Life Sciences "scientists" http://www.oism.org/pproject/b_sci.htm
Whose opinion one may wish to consult.
I read the report jim - and I do not see ONE WORD about global warming on Mars - nor do I see anything that says that Greenland was ice covered a thousand years ago.
Maybe YOU better read the report. All the report says is that there IS global warming and that since the amount of CO2 has increased since 1750 that it MUST be the reason for the warming.
Sez who? One does not lead to the other. I can show you a graph that shows a direct correlation between warming temperatures and the number of pirates on earth. In 1750 there were thousands of pirates and the earth was fairly cool. Now there are very few pirates and the earth is warmer. That proves the correltaion. Right?
That's exactly what the IPCC report is doing - reporting one set of facts and another and they trying to give them a cause and effect relationship.
I challenge you to show me in the IPCC (or anywhere else) why Mars and Pluto are experienceing global warming.
I challenge you to prove that the Vikings settled on an island that was ice covered.
I won't hold my breath.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=20070315&articleId=5086;
http://newsbusters.org/search (%u201Cglobal warming%u201D). When Al Bore started his religious movement, a leading MIT scientist mocked his basic premise that there%u2019s complete consensus on the causation issue. + Bore had 8 yrs 2do something, did nothing. Now he wears a collar in the church of liberalism's latest crusade & yet has a less energy efficient home than Oil George & won't take a personal pledge. Another do as I say not as I doer. Fact is 2000 scientists don%u2019t represent all scientists, & the data & science is challenged around the world by people, believe it or not, who aren%u2019t cons, repubs nor "morons." U people want 2 treat this like it's a scientific law, it's not.
AaaBee, agreed, this is a red herring, we should be using alternatives for a million reasons, even if this one is open to debate. However, people like Bore are pushing for absurd regulations that threaten the economy and jobs, so certain measures based on certain BS claims must be criticized.
benhocking, just b/c people aren't towing the line doesn't mean they listen to Rush. Grow up.
Okay, if you are as right as you think you are, this planet is not overloading in pollution and no one has to stop driving their big vehicles.
Respectfully, what happens if you are not correct in your assumptions?
You are clearly not capable of rational thought. You have my sympathy...
Don't listen to Al Gore, Don't listen to Joe L. Barton. The information that these people are "interpreting" is available for everyone to see. Review the actual temperature data, review the explanations and modeling from both sides. Decide based on logic. This is science, not dogma.
Of course if one still wants to defer to "scientists"
Here are 2,660 physicists, geophysicists, climatologists, meteorologists, oceanographers, and environmental scientists http://www.oism.org/pproject/a_sci.htm
And another 5017 Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, and other Life Sciences "scientists" http://www.oism.org/pproject/b_sci.htm
Whose opinion one may wish to consult.
Prominent French Scientist Reverses Belief http://digg.com/environment/Prominent_Fr
ench_Scientist_Reverses_Belief_in_Global
_Warming_Now_Skeptic
During the medieval warm period, known as the Little Climatic Optimum (LCO), 900AD - 1300 AD the average temperature was anything from 1 to 3 degrees centigrade higher than it is today.
* Areas in the Midlands and Scotland that cannot grow crops today were regularly farmed. England was known for its wine exports.
* The average height of Britons around A.D. 1000 was close to six feet, thanks to good nutrition.
* Famine and plague appear to have taken a hike for several centuries. The bubonic plague itself appears to have retreated to its heartland of Central Asia.
* The LCO was the first age of transatlantic exploration. The Vikings discovered Iceland, and Greenland, and a new world even beyond, where they found grape vines, the same as in England.
* Mild temperatures lengthened growing seasons. The result was a near-tripling of European population from 27 million at the end of the 7th century to 70 million in 1300.
But in the late 13th century, it all came to an end.
The climate closed down. The great colonies of Iceland and Greenland faltered and began to fade away. Famine returned to Europe, and with it the plague, in one of the greatest mass deaths ever witnessed by humanity. It remained cold for six hundred years. The chill only lifted in the 1850s, when our current warming actually began.
"You are clearly not capable of rational thought. You have my sympathy..."
Typical ploy - if you can't answer the question about why Mars and Pluto are experienceing global warming, just attack the questioner. That's much easier than "rational thought", isn't it?
My challenge to jimfinster stands - explain to me why two other planets in this solar system are warming. (remember - there are no factories and no SUVs on Mars)
Since jimfinster CAN'T explain why other worlds are warming from the same increase of solar radiance that is warming the Earth - he finds it easier to attack the questioner.
Sheeeesh.
The UN doesn't have to cherry pick anything. Again, go to the source. You obviously don't trust the UN, so where are you getting your information? It's obviously not from the science journals, since they back up the UN's claim.
I imagine a lot of people don't want to be "scared" into changing their lifestyles.
My concern is the degree to which good information is being subverted. You yourself are showing both sides of that coin, believing in alternative fuels but not wanting to be led by Al Gore. How are we to get folks to listen to the realities of needing to adjust our wasteful practices if detractors make Al Gore out to be an alarmist?
The American people are being bombarded with information, a lot of it just plain bad, and few of those same folks are really interested enough to read the volumes of research to formulate an educated opinion. That is why politics is damaging this discussion so badly, and most of Al's detractors (not to include you) are Republican. They are deciding issues by political party, instead of by facts.
By not supporting those parts of Al's arguement you deem correct, you assist the detractors and make it more difficult for folks to be convinced they need to change their ways at all.
I can't say Al is 100% mistake-proof but he is the closest this world has, for a person trying to save something for future generations. He is a Democrat, but Republicans will die right along with him, if this turns out to be true.
No one of us can predict the future, we honestly do not know either way. Better safe than sorry?
Don't listen to Al Gore, Don't listen to Joe L. Barton. The information that these people are "interpreting" is available for everyone to see. Review the actual temperature data, review the explanations and modeling from both sides. Decide based on logic. This is science, not dogma.
Of course if one still wants to defer to "scientists"
Here are 2,660 physicists, geophysicists, climatologists, meteorologists, oceanographers, and environmental scientists http://www.oism.org/pproject/a_sci.htm
And another 5017 Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, and other Life Sciences "scientists" http://www.oism.org/pproject/b_sci.htm
Whose opinion one may wish to consult.
There is no "small number of hard-core ideologues" leading the "thinking for the whole conservative movement", nor does "Your typical conservative" have "little interest in the issue".
A substantial number of conservatives at the grass roots know what is and is not "science" about current global temperature cycles. Unlike the liberal hoi poloi who are led around by the nose by the media, there is no one and no one group leading conservatives on the issue of global warming. They read more actual science and are willing to read outside of simply what the mainstream media is willing to report.
Many New York liberals found the same things when a debate was held in New York City (March 16, hosted by NPR), with scientists on both sides of the issue and the "manmade" global warming position shrank in the audience's view from 57% in favor, 30% opposed before the debate to 46% opposed and 42% in favor after the debate.
There are tons of scientific articles and journals willing to acknowledge there is not a scientific "consensus", but unlike conservatives the children of the media won't even look to find how much they are being lied to.
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