Holes in Global-Warming Theory Put Mitigation Effort at Risk

Wall Street Journal ^

[reaganaut1]

Has global warming stopped? The Earth's temperatures have held steady since 2001, says a veteran science writer, a pattern that raises questions about the intense efforts under way to stem the impact of greenhouse gases.

What is indisputable, says David Whitehouse on the Web site of the New Statesman, a generally left-leaning British weekly, is that the amount of gases such as carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere has been increasing steadily for decades as humans burn more fossil fuels. Scientists believe those gases absorb outgoing infrared radiation from the Earth's surface, causing heat to be retained. In principle, that produces the greenhouse effect that is the fundamental theory behind global warming.

The world's temperatures rose sharply from 1980 to 1998 but have leveled off since then, according to Mr. Whitehouse's reading of U.S. and United Kingdom government statistics. In other words, he says, global warming has ceased.

While scientists have proposed a variety of theories for the recent plateau in temperature, those explanations are inadequate, says Mr. Whitehouse, who spent 18 years covering the sciences at the British Broadcasting Corporation and holds a doctorate in astrophysics. The working hypothesis of global warming remains a good one, says Mr. Whitehouse, but it doesn't fully explain what is occurring in the Earth's atmosphere. "Something else is happening and it is vital that we find out what" or risk wasting billions of dollars on the wrong solutions.

Mr. Whitehouse's observations didn't go over well with many New Statesman readers. While a few posted comments to the Web site applauding his skepticism, others said factors such as melting glaciers and rising sea levels had to be taken into account. They also criticized Mr. Whitehouse for drawing conclusions based on a short time frame.

[reaganaut1]

The New Statesman (Dec 19, 2007) article "Has global warming stopped?" by Whitehouse is at http://www.newstatesman.com/200712190004 .

[Red Badger]

Consensus trumps science every time......

[mainerforglobalwarming]

‘short time frame’, heck man has only been on this planet for a short period of time. And to suggest that human beings have to power to cause global climate change is absurd. That about if energy that we produce is minuscule compared to the sun’s output.

[SengirV]

Obviously it’s Global Dimming that is causing the slowdown. Please try to keep up with the latest in desperate justification.

[Red Badger]

Yeah, we just got here.............

[facedown]

Direct link: Has global warming stopped?

[TomGuy]

The Earth's temperatures have held steady since 2001, says a veteran science writer, a pattern that raises questions about the intense efforts under way to stem the impact of greenhouse gases.

Heretic!

Burn him at the stake!!!

That'll make more carbon, thus more global warming!

That'll show him!!!!

[Red Badger]

Global Dimming of the minds of the true believers......

[gridlock]

Kyoto was negotiated in 1997 and Global Warming stopped in 1998.

Coincidence? I think not!

_{(PS. I am not this stupid. I am being sacrastic)}

[mainerforglobalwarming]

The so called experts are always so arrogant and smug about their beliefs. I’d like to know as to how many of today’s global warming nuts were on board for the global cooling nonsense in the 1970’s. Imagine that, in 30 years man has gone from causing another ice age to causing temperatures to rise to the point that the polar ice caps are disappearing. Boy, aren’t we all powerful. What a bunch of crap.

[Bob]

Consensus trumps science every time......

If consensus really did trump science, we'd still be living on a flat Earth with the Universe revolving around us. (Of course, we'd have plenty of Flogiston so I guess it would be OK.)

[BenLurkin]

"Gorebal warming DENIER!"

[wastedyears]

Global warming wouldn’t have allowed us to live the way we do.

I <3 global warming.

[saganite]

Could it be the SUN? Nah! Couldn’t be!

http://news.independent.co.uk/sci_tech/article3223603.ece

[Democrap]

The truth is that the world owes thanks to me for stopping Global Warming. I spent a fortune buying enough carbon offsets to cover every man, woman and child (yes even the poor) in the world.

http://organicoffsets.com/

[gridlock]

Enviro-Weenies have been consistent, throughout, that mankind needs to reduce the consumption of energy and the standard of living of the Industrialized West, and the United States in particular, must decline precipitously.

They may have a new “scientific basis” these days, but the goal has never changed.

[Don W]

bflr

[Paperpusher]

While a few posted comments to the Web site applauding his skepticism, others said factors such as melting glaciers and rising sea levels had to be taken into account.

Uh...what rising sea level?

[Lander]

yes.......and since nasa now says 1934 was the hottest year in the US

we've had cooling for over 70 years

hee hee hee

[The Great RJ]

Gee does this mean the cartoon depiction of drowning polar bears in Al Gore’s movie is a hoax??? (sarcasm)