Don't Fret, Global Warming's a Goner

By Jim Hopkins

About a year ago, almost to the day, in this column, you may recall a bold prediction, fearlessly made. But lest you don’t, which is highly likely, since most of us wouldn’t remember a Higgs bison if we saw one in a game park, here it is again, much as it appeared 12 months ago:

If you’re worried about all the things you have to worry about, cheer up. Here’s one thing you won’t have to worry about any more. Global warming (remember, this was a prediction) will be the Great Disappearing Act of 2011. It will sink like a stone, exit stage left and generally melt away. Whoopee!

Inspired by the sneaky leaking of all those dodgy East Anglian emails – proof positive of scientific fraud, collusion and deceit – the prediction relied on one basic assumption.

Journalists never admit they’re wrong (see phone hacking). They just stop being wrong. When caught with their sceptical pants down and the spotty globes of their credulity exposed, they simply drop the story and move to something else.

Which is precisely what’s happened. Global warming has left the building.

Where once there were hundreds of horror stories, a daily dose of frightening features, a nightly stack of belching chimneys on the telly (mainly belching steam, in truth, but they still looked really scary) we’ve now got, well, (nervous cough, awkward shuffle) ummm, sweet Fanny Adams, to be frank. There has been a trickle of terror but, by and large, the whole calamitous narrative is a goneburger.

The end isn’t nigh (or nowhere near as nigh as it was). Doomsday’s stuck in the waiting room, reading an old copy of National Geographic and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are back in the barracks.

Read the rest at the New Zealand Herald.

45 Responses to Don't Fret, Global Warming's a Goner

  1. Zen Mermaid December 21, 2011 at 9:36 pm #

    Very interesting article! We can be quite on edge with all the dooms day predictions, and it’s important I think to keep a balanced perspective which is not to let it carry us away. Maybe there will come an end, but perhaps we’ll blow ourselves up and not realize we did it until we hit the pearly gates.

  2. Joe December 21, 2011 at 10:43 pm #

    Nice read. Chance of pushing “Global warming” is slim to none ans “Slim” has already left town leaving Old Al Gore with his mouth gaping wide open as the Chicago Carbon Trade system he developed fades into the night. Goodnight Al as you burn up more electricity than the average small town on a daily basis. What a scheme to make money this is/was.

  3. NEIL F. AGWD/BSD December 22, 2011 at 6:34 am #

    I really like this writers writing style, even though some of the New Zealander terms are lost on me. But still, it was a good read.

  4. Rob N. Hood December 22, 2011 at 7:57 am #

    Ooops… what’s to become of this valuable site?! (note to Joe- Cap and Trade, re: acid rain, was a right-wing conservative idea- a good one as it turned out because it worked- and I’m not saying it would work for global warming, I don’t believe in Cap and Trade for that).

    • NEIL F. AGWD/BSD December 22, 2011 at 9:50 pm #

      Yeah it worked because there was actual polution that was reduced. CO2 is not a pollutant!

      http://www.populartechnology.net/2008/11/carbon-dioxide-co2-is-not-pollution.html
      “Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is not pollution and Global Warming has nothing to do with pollution. The average person has been misled and is confused about what the current Global Warming debate is about, greenhouse gases. None of which has anything to do with air pollution. People are confusing Smog, Carbon Monoxide (CO) and the pollutants in car exhaust with the life supporting, essential trace gas in our atmosphere, Carbon Dioxide (CO2). Pollution is already regulated under the Clean Air Act and regulating Carbon Dioxide (CO2) will do absolutely nothing to make the air you breath “cleaner”. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is actually plant food. They are also misled to believe that CO2 is polluting the oceans through acidification but there is nothing unnatural or unprecedented about current measurements of ocean water pH and a future rise in pCO2 will likely yield growth benefits to corals and other sea life.”

  5. Rob N. Hood December 23, 2011 at 8:01 am #

    I didn’t say it was a pollutant, and we agree on something, it seems, so why the invective? Your making a point… I get that, but still… Anyway, not all, and perhaps few, people actually pose CO2 as a “pollutant.” There are other green house gases that could be targetted for Cap and Trade, but like I said I am not for that. But that’s just me making my point.

    • NEIL F. AGWD/BSD January 7, 2012 at 11:42 pm #

      Invective? I’m sorry you feel abused by my comment. I certainly didn’t mean it as a rebuttle to your statement. And you’re right, I was just making a point. As far as the number of people who pose CO2 as a pollutant may not be that many, but it is the EPA who declared it a pollutant. That is not insignificant.

      • Rob N. Hood January 8, 2012 at 8:46 am #

        Well, Neil, the exclamation point on your first sentence seemed a bit much to me, that’s all (notice no “!”, thus viva la difference). And your point re: the EPA is valid. But what will come of it is a whole other issue, meaning it’s meaningless until they actually try to regulate it for real and truly enforce any regulations, which in my opinion won’t happen any time soon.

        • NEIL F. AGWD/BSD January 8, 2012 at 9:19 am #

          I hope you’re right!!!!!!

  6. Joe December 29, 2011 at 11:46 pm #

    RNH, for once we agree on no Cap N Trade.

  7. Rob N. Hood January 8, 2012 at 11:17 am #

    “Because it is an election year, 2012 will see the ideological battle between the left and right conducted across the length and breadth of America. In this contest the 99 percent, obviously has superior numbers. The October Time magazine poll asked respondents if they agreed with the positions advocated by Occupy Wall Street and discovered extraordinary concurrence. 86 percent agreed that, “Wall Street and its lobbyists have too much influence in Washington.” 79 percent agreed that, “The gap between rich and poor in the United States has grown too large.”

    On the other hand, the 1 percent, has much more money. Humongous multinational corporations have bought the Republican Party (and to a barely lesser extent the Democratic Party also). Recently Mother Jones reported that corporations are gearing up to spend billions more to buy the 2012 election. In the run up to the January 3rd Iowa Republican caucuses millions of dollars were already being spent on right-wing negative “independent expenditure” TV ads.”
    -Bob Burnett- written quote

  8. Rob N. Hood January 9, 2012 at 8:09 am #

    The so-called Tea Party is basically dead, because it has been co-opted by the Republican party. And I don’t say that gladly, exactly. E.g.- where’s Palin and Bachmann, etc.?

  9. Rob N. Hood January 9, 2012 at 2:46 pm #

    Well sort of gladly…

  10. Jan Galkowski January 9, 2012 at 9:04 pm #

    http://xkcd.com/54/

    SCIENCE … It works …

  11. Joe January 12, 2012 at 2:19 am #

    Where is “Our Leader” getting 1 Billion to fund his campaign? Romney has 1/10th of that. Where is the media? Oh I forgot, in Obama’s pocket as well as the SEIU, Unions, Soros and his minions, et al. The Tea Party is the average american that simply wants equal justice V all the entitlements by working for it and paying for it. It is a no brainer but liberals will attempt to analyse them for years and chastise something they dearly fear, honestly, balanced budget, pay your bills before incurring others, equal taxes et al. If this is wacko and extreme then so is more than 90% of the people I talk to. All I can say is the “Our Leader” is in the toilet vote wise come November even if Buffet gives him his 45 Billion! Money will not buy this November! The way it should be, by the people.

  12. Rob N. Hood January 12, 2012 at 3:15 pm #

    Ahhh… there’s what I expected. I could “counter-point” each and every tidbit you just posted, and demonstrate its falseness and/or inaccuracy. But I won’t- because it’s no use and I’ve been there done that. So you are happy that the Republicans co-opted the “average american”?? Oops, there I go again.

  13. Joe January 13, 2012 at 1:11 am #

    You get what you expected and come November I trust you will.

  14. Rob N. Hood January 13, 2012 at 8:26 am #

    You didn’t answer my question. But that’s par for this course.

  15. Joe January 14, 2012 at 1:02 am #

    Question was answered. Made four pars on the course.

  16. Rob N. Hood January 17, 2012 at 8:04 am #

    Oh, silly me, in my parallel universe.

  17. Joe January 18, 2012 at 3:06 am #

    Yes, we live in different worlds don’t you? It is very easy to tell based upon your posts. I’m a capitalist and proud of creating jobs, and you?

  18. Rob N. Hood January 18, 2012 at 9:47 am #

    Pride goeth before a fall. This country is falling and you are thumping your chest… must be nice to be so delusional.

  19. Joe January 19, 2012 at 2:36 am #

    A person with beliefs even if fails dies with honor not being broken. If that may be dellusional to you, so be it. I rest easily but with one eye always open.

  20. Rob N. Hood January 19, 2012 at 9:02 am #

    That’s the type of black and white thinking that makes the rest of us rest uneasily. And no, that is not a racist comment. Although I must admit your first sentence above is almost nonsensical. Just sayin’. To sum up: black and white thinking can be (usually is) delusional.

  21. Al January 20, 2012 at 9:54 am #

    Whether sceptics say it’s gone or not, the fact is in the scientific world few are arguing. It’s the popular media and lazy conservatives who are distorting the facts. Anyway it doesn’t matter what facts are shown, a sceptics business is rarely to have their opinion changed. I would just like to know what evidence would convince the sceptics??

    • Dan McGrath January 24, 2012 at 11:07 am #

      Well, some abnormal warming, for starters.

      • Rob N. Hood February 6, 2012 at 12:23 pm #

        The 8th warmest Jan. on record…? (Granted that is not very alarming).

  22. Rob N. Hood January 20, 2012 at 2:38 pm #

    When markets fail, especially as they have recently, the government must step in and fill the gaps- but nearly two generations of market worship propaganda since the Reagan era have left us helpless to address the problems. With a dysfunctional (and corrupt) political system and a corporate owned propaganda (MSM) machine instead of a free press we have a population that is clueless when it comes to even defining the problems, let alone addressing how to solve them.

  23. Joe January 22, 2012 at 3:44 am #

    You are correct on one statement, the population ..is clueless” They don’t even know their Governor’s, Vice Presidents name and some don’t even know the capital of their own state. “The Goverment must step in and fill the gaps”? Why and how did our kids get this way? Our/your teachers or our “leaders? Oh, I forgot, something called “parents”? From cradle to grave with a hand outstretched with the media reporting “The sorry tale of Johnny or Jane being taken advantage of by corporate America” portrayed by the nightly news. Nice world we live in isn’t it?

  24. Rob N. Hood January 24, 2012 at 8:18 am #

    But the people do wake up sometimes, as per history, and I hope the continue to do so more and more, and not too late to save this experimental democracy is flushed down completely by the elite. My pessimistic nature, however, tells me it is too little too late. The “new revolution” needs to be world-wide. And you’d have to be quite the community organizer (ala Jesus) to do that. And Obama is no Jesus, unfortunately. Of course if he was, he’d be dead already.

  25. Joe January 26, 2012 at 11:10 pm #

    People only “wake up” when they find they are the target. Someone else is always the target, not them. The majority could care less, nor read, nor listen, nor learn until they are affected. Then and only then will they awaken. Hopefully times will change. If not, suggest you start listening and learning?

  26. Rob N. Hood January 27, 2012 at 12:31 pm #

    Teach me oh wise sage.

  27. Rob N. Hood January 28, 2012 at 10:51 am #

    Or not.

  28. Joe January 31, 2012 at 1:11 am #

    I did, but you will not listen. Mitakuye Oyasin.

  29. Rob N. Hood January 31, 2012 at 8:25 am #

    Yes I did. I looked it up. Why is it that some people cannot pratice what they preach?

  30. Rob N. Hood February 3, 2012 at 12:04 pm #

    What about Potlatch oh wise and benevolent one?

  31. Rob N. Hood February 4, 2012 at 11:30 am #

    chirp…..chirp….. (cricket sound effect ala Mr. Neil)

  32. Rob N. Hood February 7, 2012 at 8:24 am #

    chirp

  33. Rob N. Hood February 7, 2012 at 2:43 pm #

    And gosh I’m wondering why Neil (or Joe- hello Joe) hasn’t stepped in to supply us with the definition…?!

  34. Rob N. Hood February 7, 2012 at 4:16 pm #

    He’s usually Johnny on the spot. Guess the lil tyke is just shy sometimes.

  35. Rob N. Hood February 8, 2012 at 8:18 am #

    He could look up “Redlining” too. But neither is directly related to AGW. So he has that excuse, the little scamp.

  36. I.am.GOD March 6, 2012 at 3:23 am #

    I will decide if global warming happens or not. Good read though. Gaffa.

  37. Jan Galkowski June 15, 2014 at 10:26 pm #

    You are a [personal insult deleted – see site posting rules].

    And whether or not you feel climate change matters or not, is irrelevant. As to your sympathizers.

    No problem.

    Just wait.

    And I’ll laugh while your towns and communities are drowning and burning.

    • Neilio June 16, 2014 at 9:29 am #

      Well, Jan. Is that short for Janet? This is the problem with you globalwarmingclimatechangedisruption enthusiasts. You are unwilling to even entertain an opposing view. You don’t even catch on to some simple things like, for example, in one of the videos your URL linked to the retired General was talking about how climate change has already affected some bases and the picture they were showing when he was saying that was of some volcanic activity. How is that climate change? And what the heck does 667 per cm mean? Is it supposed to be 667 cm per something, or 667 something per cm? It makes no sense and I think you are delusional. And did you ever stop to consider that the report from the distinguished retired military gentlemen might perhaps be a way for the military to get more funding from a government that believes in globalclimatechangedisruption? I think you are clueless sir.

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