The Global Warming Religion

With the recent Live Earth concert and the continuous trend in "global warming awareness", light has been brought to the radical alarmist position many environmentalists and, now, quickly, the average person is taking on the issue. Many scientists and/or environmentalists have become very dogmatic in their belief that global warming is real and is an effect of human industrialism. I would liken this unquestionable belief in global warming to those who believe in radical Islam. Like the demonizing of non-believers in radical Islam, if one questions the validity of global warming they are called out as 'moron' or 'a corporate shill.' Moreover, the people who publicly question global warming are treated with disdain and are often shunned by the scientific community. For example, notable climatologist Timothy Ball who came out in being skeptical of the degree to which humans were affecting the climate has received numerous death threats.

This narrow-minded type of thinking is described as consensus science. If everyone said that global warming is real and the issue is settled, does that make it necessarily true? No. Science is based on facts... not on what everyone BELIEVES is true. Michael Crichton (yes, the guy who wrote Jurassic Park and directed Westworld) made an excellent speech on the issue of consensus science and global warming (here). The global warming theory is just that, a theory; it does not make it indisputable. The scientific community has an obligation to question its own theory of global warming and not to reproach those who do so.

But more apropos, the recent Live Earth event was organized in order to raise awareness of global warming and did so by playing music. What the hell? I am I supposed to be persuaded purely by admittedly good music (Say what you want about Bono, but The Joshua Tree is up there as one of the best albums ever). If one wants to raise my awareness on an issue, show me logical arguments based on objective data, don't serenade me. But the data for global warming has up to this point been dubious (refer to Crichton speech). Am I saying that global warming does not exist? No, if that was my position I would be as dogmatic as the alarmists. But AIDS, suitable drinking water, literacy, malaria, and malnutrition are issues that are occurring right now that we can do something about. Why not take our limited resources and instead of applying them on something that is so equivocal as global warming and apply them to where the are really needed and pragmatic (Check out an earlier post on the 2004 Copenhagen Consensus and global warming.)