The Hard Look

An Intelligent Global Warming Debate

Last week, the John Locke Institute hosted a debate between John Christy and William Schlesinger on global warming.  Both respected members of the climate change academic community, Christy is the climate scientists and Schlesinger is the biologist.  Christy has been a lead author on the IPCC climate change reports, so he may have a leg up with regard to credibility on predictions of climate change. 

Their debate was fascinating from the perspective that Christy, the climate scientist, no longer agrees with the IPCC alarmism, while Schlesinger, the biologists, buys into the fears. 

As scientific debates go, it is fascinating, and embodies Mark Twain's old saw that:  in all matters of opinion, our adversaries are insane. 

Go here to view the entire debate, or you can use the links below to view it in eight 10 minute YouTube webcasts. 

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCGlcAfxNjI

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=616JwgSANdo

Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACo2OCSJnBI

Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI7sfX6iC4Q

Part 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOs0q69SywE

Part 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qWZqXy0Ol4

Part 7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08hd141-Hac

Part 8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-rlCd9PgqU

Center for Environmental Stewardship Presentations

The Center has made the following presentations and they are posted here for immedaite internet access.

Download COVES - Schnare Environmental Justice

Download COVES - Schnare Non-Reg Alternatives

Download Geo and the 4 climate change truths - RTI 18Nov08

Download Four Truths About Climate Change final

Download The Economy and the Environment

Download Emergency_Preparedness_for_Climate_Change[1]

A Growth Opportunity

While the rich nations of the earth spin out of control over climate change, the poor nations are about to erupt, and in Haiti food riots have already begun.  Fact is, we have exported everything but agricultural self-sufficiency.  On top of that, we are shifting resources from food production into fuels production.  A fifth of the nation’s corn crop is now used to brew ethanol for motor fuel, and as farmers have planted more corn, they have cut acreage of other crops, particularly soybeans. That, in turn, has contributed to a global shortfall of cooking oil, as well as corn meal.

You can expect to see an expansion in agriculture and an increase in farm subsidies.  In some perverse way, this may make sense because it is far less expensive to subsidise farmers to ensure enough food for the world than it is to put down regional food riots and wars.  Oh - and there is the moral element.  I'm not prepared to take responsibility for starving the poorest people on earth so that I can feel good about my 85% ethanol fueled car. 

I note in passing, by the way, that many environmental activists quietly rejoice over the potential of millions (billions?) of starving people.  They think we need population control and food riots prove their point at the same time that it reduces population.  These activists are very sick people and they constitute the leadership of most of the national environmental movement.  But we've known about that for years, so I don't suppose any of us should be particularly surprised about that.

In any case, here are a couple of news reports that show the mainstream media is beginning to get the picture.  NYT and the Telegraph.