Some "Chief Investment Officer" in the OC got a diatribe of laughable stuff against global warming published as informed opinion in the local business journal. It included these gems:
There is a lot of hype about carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere and its effect on the planet’s temperature. Scientists are talking it up in hyperbolic terms because it draws more attention to them and more research dollars to their projects. If global warming were not a concern, they would be relegated to jobs as weathermen. They seize on anecdotal evidence to support their assertions (this is advocacy, not science).
Yeah, those scientists freezing their asses off at the poles taking ice core samples are in it for the easy lifestyle, unlike an OC investment officer. More samples and my published letter to the editor below the fold.
It is important to separate fact from fiction and what we know from what we do not know. To help with this, let me make some observations.
Ready, Mr. Investment Officer!
It is clear that there is a causal relationship between atmospheric carbon dioxide gas composition and the temperature of the Earth. While scientists jump to the conclusion that carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, causes the temperature to rise, when we examine the chart closely, we see that the Earth’s temperature appears to rise in advance of carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere.
How did cadres of scientists trained in the field miss this?!? You are good, Mr. Very Important Investment Officer.
Could there be a more powerful force in the planet’s ecosystem? Which is the cause and which is the effect?
The Old Testament God, Mr. Christian Investment Officer?
It is clearly the case that the planet is warmer today than it generally has been.
NOW that polar bears are starving, I'll give you that.
It is also true that the planet’s temperature has peaked at about the present level many times in history—then declined. Once again, this peak and decline has happened hundreds of thousand of years before humans contributed carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
And it happened hundreds of thousands of years before humans.
Scientists (with a stake in the race) argue that the polar ice cap is receding. This is true, but only for the northern hemisphere; the southern ice cap is growing. They argue that industrialization in the last 150 years has caused the planet to warm. At the same time, the temperature of Mars also has warmed by about the same percentage amount. But there obviously are no people on Mars. Could it be that some more powerful exogenous force has caused it—perhaps flare-ups on the sun?
You apparently haven't seen the Martian widget factory -- we'll outsource anywhere these days.
And on and on. My response which was published:
Chuck Martin’s Nov. 2 viewpoint on global warming would be hilarious if he didn’t represent so many people’s "thoughts." He derides the science while his scientific credentials as an investment officer seem a little lacking.
All seven of the world’s top academies of science crossing all political boundaries and disciplines agree global warming is real and man-made. Since 2007, not one scientific body of any national or international standing has maintained a dissenting opinion. Even the Bush administration admitted as much in the last two years of its presidency.
But while Americans such as Martin try to slow any real progress on solving the problem, China is moving ahead of us on supplying the world with renewable
energy solutions.
I thought conservatives were all about the cold, hard facts of business and life and the liberals lived in a fantasy world. Well, this continuing fantasy of the right that all the scientists are wrong and they’re right is going to get America left in the dust of the green technology revolution.
What’s funny is I’m guessing if Martin’s doctor recommended a life-saving medicine researched and validated by every major scientific body, he wouldn’t come up with his own "research" on why the scientists were wrong.
Sorry, Chuck. Turn off the rant radio and Fox News and start thinking for yourself.
Hey, shooting conservative fish in the barrel is one my few vices living here in the great OC. It amazes me, though, how he can publish this in the full light of day and still get anyone to invest in his companies.