Global Warming Skeptic

The problem is, the more I understand, the less I am willing to buy into the Global Warming theories. That’s especially true of the global scale models used in the forecast, and the shortcuts they have to take.

I am a non-believe in the James Hansen Goddard ISS/NASA theories concerning global warming. They receive lots of press, and Hansen is an excellent advocate.

I interviewed him in his little office at Columbia University in Morningside Heights around 20 years ago. He made a good case, accompanied by graphs and charts and his famous colored dice.

I tried to explain forcings and chaos with colored dice. One die represented normal climate for 1951-1980, with equal chances for warm, average and cool seasons. The other die was

2 thoughts on “Global Warming Skeptic”

  1. Geoff,

    I have read your very interesting global warming comments over the years, and you’ve convinced me to remain agnostic, especially since I have no expertise whatsoever in this highly complex area. But I think you’d do a service to all of us non-experts if you would explain what is really at stake from a practical perspective. What difference does it make, in a practical, public policy sense, whether Hansen or Gray is correct? What are the potential costs and consequences of being wrong about Hansen’s or Gray’s theory of global warming? What are the potential costs and consequences of adopting the Hansen or the Gray model? If the costs of taking action on Hansen’s theory are not great, should we act as if it is true, even though we’re not convinced? And if the consequences of Hansen being correct are indeed catastrophic, wouldn’t the prudent course be to act as if the Hansen model was true, even while being skeptical? I think this kind of costs/consequences/benefits analysis is what is needed, and is the only kind of analysis regarding alleged global warming that is not overly political. You’re very good at explaining this complicated science stuff to us non-scientists, so you’d perform a worthwhile service by taking us through a practical costs/consequences/benefits analysis of adopting or rejecting the competing global warming theories.

  2. Sorry Geoff, I respectfully have to disagree. The Arctic ice shelf, according to a UN study, is melting three times as fast as previously reported. 3 cat. 5 hurricanes in the same year have never happened. We have had one of the warmest January’s on record, in fact according to the UN, 2005 was one of the warmest on record.

    I definitely think global warming not only exists, but is getting worse. I know the weather goes in cycles, but there is just too much evidence here to ignore.

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