Saturday, May 19, 2007

"Climate Change Myths" Explained

A quick link to a recent New Scientist article that exposes the myths behind many of the climate change sceptic arguments. Useful pub conversation material - whenever climate change is mentioned in a group of people most of the following with be smugly raised at some point. Be tooled up and ready (to be called a smart a***).

*"Alec" is the missing word I think.

Climate change: A guide for the perplexed

You find the answers to the following questions (links to primary sources included). Recommended reading.

Human CO2 emissions are too tiny to matter

We can't do anything about climate change

The 'hockey stick' graph has been proven wrong

• Chaotic systems are not predictable

• We can't trust computer models of climate

• They predicted global cooling in the 1970s

• It's been far warmer in the past, what's the big deal?

It's too cold where I live - warming will be great

• Global warming is down to the Sun, not humans

It’s all down to cosmic rays

• CO2 isn't the most important greenhouse gas

• The lower atmosphere is cooling, not warming

• Antarctica is getting cooler, not warmer, disproving global warming

• The oceans are cooling

• The cooling after 1940 shows CO2 does not cause warming

• It was warmer during the Medieval period, with vineyards in England

• We are simply recovering from the Little Ice Age

• Warming will cause an ice age in Europe

• Ice cores show CO2 increases lag behind temperature rises, disproving the link to global warming

• Ice cores show CO2 rising as temperatures fell

Mars and Pluto are warming too

Many leading scientists question climate change

It's all a conspiracy

• Hurricane Katrina was caused by global warming

Higher CO2 levels will boost plant growth and food production

• Polar bear numbers are increasing

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