Washington Reports on Climate Change

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The recently leaked climate report is undoubtedly those people’s best effort to make the case for the inevitability and impact of global warming, but for those who know how Washington produces such reports it’s less than convincing.

First, everyone working on it was a true believer. No skeptics, deniers, or even neutral folks need apply.

Second, even though it was touted as a multi-year, multi-administration effort, it’s still the report of one side.

Third, when asked a question in Washington, the question implies the answer. We called it “gaming the system.” It’s the way things are done inside the Beltway.

Finally, have all those folks sworn off flying? Parked their gas guzzlers? Charge their Prius’ only from solar panels? Live in zero-carbon condos? Grow their own food? Heck, no. They’re hypocrites just like you, me, and Al Gore.

That is not to say that the weather isn’t getting warmer, nor that human activity didn’t contribute to it, nor that the impact won’t be huge this century. It’s just to agree with Benjamin Disraeli that the worst kind of liars are statisticians.

Reporting Higher Temperatures Explained … Sort Of

While minus four degrees was recorded at our local Hanover County (Virginia) Industrial Airport early February 20th, the “official” low for Richmond, Virginia was four degrees above zero, as recorded at Richmond International Airport.

The local NPR radio voices patiently explained the discrepancy between all the surrounding reports and the airport numbers was due to the industrial build up around RIC unnaturally raised the temperatures recorded on National Weather Service instruments there.

(Pause for contemplation.)

These same voices failed to note the irony that their explanation of why the RIC “official” temperature was not representative of the real temperatures also applies to reported rising global temperatures.

I’m not a denier of Global Warming (though I do quibble over what it means and what we should do about it), but it was ironic to hear this explanation applied to a one-time low but not to recurring higher temperatures.

Get a (Cold) Grip

The current record cold and snow in New England is not proof that Global Warming is wrong.

One storm; one season; one year do not make a trend. GW is about a trend, and what caused it, and what to do about it.

Successive warmer years or receding glaciers and ice caps may indicate a trend, but even that doesn’t close debate on the last two questions. (It often depends on where the trend is drawn from. Have you noticed those charts touting how much you’d have made if you bought a specific stock or commodity always start at its lowest price?)

Hot Air from Washington, D.C.

Not able to win the climate change debate by executive order ( ref.: the State of the Union message), now the administration resorts to name calling. (ref.:  Secretary of State Kerry’s labels those opposing the party line as “flat earth society”). How mature.

Actually, I agree that weather is warmer now than fifty years ago. It’s why and what’s to be done where I fall out with Big Brother.