“Climategate” is the real myth

Michael Ivey’s recent letter chastised one of your writers for being “behind the info-curve" on the subject of global warming [“‘Man-Made’ Global Warming,” Dec. 1 Xpress]. His evidence for this position is that the planet has supposedly been cooling since 1998 and that the "Climategate" scandal showed that anthropogenic global warming is a myth.

Neither of these assertions could be more ill-informed. To begin with, choosing 1998 as a starting point is a classic cherry pick — that year was very warm due to an unusually active El Niño. The few years after this were moderate El Niña conditions, which had a cooling effect. A well-explained, short-term drop in temperature for reasons unrelated to carbon dioxide does not refute the existence of global warming, even if it did occur. Moreover, the work of Murphy, et al, in 2009 shows that, even if atmospheric temperatures had dropped after 1998, oceanic temperatures did not. Since ocean warming comprises the bulk of warming, the planet clearly continued to heat after 1998. And as if that wasn’t enough, Fawcett and Jones’ [report] showed in 2008 that the linear trend in global temperatures remained upward for the years 1998 to 2007.

Mr. Ivey's reason for why climate change is supposedly a "myth" never even actually happened!

It is claimed that “Climategate” exposed global warming as a myth. Surely Mr. Ivey doesn't mean the same Climategate in which all researchers were subsequently cleared of all accusations in not one, not two, but three different investigations?  Surely he doesn't mean the same Climategate in which [it] was found that "the honesty and rigor of the Climate Research Unit as scientists is not in doubt [and] we have not found any evidence of behavior that might undermine the conclusions of the IPCC assessments," because that would be an awfully flimsy argument.
[For more information about the reports referenced in this letter, visit the following URLs, shortened for convenience: avl.mx/15; avl.mx/16.]

— Jacob Nunn
Asheville

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Webmaster
Mountain Xpress Webmaster Follow me @MXWebTeam

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

7 thoughts on ““Climategate” is the real myth

  1. Dionysis

    “Surely Mr. Ivey doesn’t mean the same Climategate in which all researchers were subsequently cleared of all accusations in not one, not two, but three different investigations?”

    Oh, but surely that is exactly what he means. It appears that since Fox ‘News’ never bothered to correct themselves after the scientists were exhonerated, the letter-writer was unaware he was spouting discredited nonsense.

  2. Peter

    “Surely Mr. Ivey doesn’t mean the same Climategate in which all researchers were subsequently cleared of all accusations”

    All of the investigations were done by people who had a vested interest in promoting the religion of man made global warming. They were a white wash.

  3. Joshua Daley

    That’s funny, Peter. At first I skimmed it and thought you wrote, “They were white trash”. Ha ha ha.

  4. Tom Sullivan

    Investigation or no investigation, the words “hide the decline” still haven’t been erased from the memories of those who have woken up to the climate-change scam.

    Any problem for which the only solution is more government theft by way of taxation isn’t a problem, it’s a downright lie.

    As I trudged through knee-deep snow today, I couldn’t help but remember the words of David Viner, Senior Research “Scientist” at the Hadley Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia when he hysterically predicted back in 2000 that “within a few years winter snowfall will become a very rare and exciting event” and that “children just aren’t going to know what snow is”.

    Climate “science” is not science, but outrageous religious hysteria that takes attention and money away from solving real, tangible environmental issues.

  5. Daniel G

    “/Climate “science” is not science, but outrageous religious hysteria that takes attention and money away from solving real, tangible environmental issues. ”

    I’d be interested to read what you think some of those “real, tangible environmental issues” are.

  6. Raconteur02

    “Investigation or no investigation, the words “hide the decline” still haven’t been erased from the memories of those who have woken up to the climate-change scam.”

    That’s mostly because you’re not well-informed enough to know what “hide the decline” actually means. Educate yourself: http://www.skepticalscience.com/Mikes-Nature-trick-hide-the-decline.htm

    “Any problem for which the only solution is more government theft by way of taxation isn’t a problem, it’s a downright lie.”

    Appeal to Consequences is a logical fallacy.

    “As I trudged through knee-deep snow today, I couldn’t help but remember the words of David Viner”

    A media quotation by a single scientist, even a well-known one, does not challenge the science of global climate change. And his prediction is not at all the mainstream opinion.

    See here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123671588

    And here: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=79547

  7. genealogymaster

    More and more scientists are now speaking out against global warming. A very significant fact and maybe one day we will have a proper investigation.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.