Here is the question: Even if we admit that man is responsible for higher carbon emissions which in turn are responsible for global warming, should we even want to reduct carbon emissions at all? This is a question being asked by Nigel Lawson who is the former Chancellor of the Exchequer in Great Britain.
The greatest error in the current conventional wisdom is that, if you accept the (present) majority scientific view that most of the modest global warming in the last quarter of the last century — about half a degree centigrade — was caused by man-made carbon emissions, then you must also accept that we have to decarbonise our economies.
Nothing could be further from the truth. I have no idea whether the majority scientific view (and it is far from a consensus) is correct. Certainly, it is curious that, whereas their models predicted an acceleration in global warming this century as the growth in emissions accelerated, so far this century there has been no further warming at all. But the current majority view may still be right.
Even if it is, however, that cannot determine the right policy choice. For a warmer climate brings benefits as well as disadvantages. Even if there is a net disadvantage, which is uncertain, it is far less than the economic cost (let alone the human cost) of decarbonisation. Moreover, the greatest single attribute of mankind is our capacity to adapt to changing circumstances. By adapting to any warming that may occur over the next century, we can pocket the benefits and greatly reduce the disadvantages, at a cost that is far less than the cost of global decarbonisation — even if that could be achieved.
This is a very articulate explanation of why the “decarbonisation” of the world makes absolute no sense, even if we could prove such a thing is even possible or desirable.
The AGW folks want to spend more time labeling skeptics as “deniers” and then hiding data that shows what they have been saying all along may not have been correct. You can read more about how AGW “researchers” have been destroying and hiding data that doesn’t support their conclusions here.
The reality is this: in our current economic situation trying to pass cap/trade legislation and going through the massive expense of trying to decarbonize the world is not only foolish, it’s suicidal. This would cause more unemployment, great instability and higher taxes exactly at the time when we don’t need it.
The good news is that India and China are never going to agree to Copenhagen or whatever other treaty comes out so America is not likely to agree to it either. This provides cover for countries like Canada and the EU who does sign the treaty knowing full-well that we never will and thus they can use the US as a scapegoat. The truth is Canada and the EU would crap a brick the moment the United States did agree to Copenhagen because then they would actually have to abide by the agreement. As long as we use common sense then they have the perfect cover for grandstanding and being morally superior.









November 23rd, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Yes, we should lower carbon emissions. How much and how fast and at what costs ? We need to encourage China and India to also reduce their emissions.
I’m not in a huge hurry, nor do I want the transition to be costly to the American Taxpayer.
November 23rd, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Global Warming isn’t real that’s the simple truth. It was a bogus theory that wakko scientist kept on saying is true and was used to give Al Gore a pay check. Tim I’m ashamed of you simple as that. America along with China and India brought themselves out of poverty by using there natural resources such as lumber and oil. Only so we can see the green piece nut jobs try to there us down. When trying to pass crap and tax obama said and I quote “there is no debate”. 31,000 scientist say this is not a fact. Now the fact is we have oil in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico. We need to drill drill drill.
November 23rd, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Has anybody read about the data hacked from the computers at the Climate Research Unit in England last Friday?
It’s a hoax folks.
November 23rd, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Yeah, I linked to that story about the hacked data in the post above. They were trying to cover up data that shows that there has been no warming. It’s all a ponzi scheme, Bernie Madoff would be proud of the AGW folks.
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Is it just me or does obama want to talk about Global Warming more than the real issues like unemployment going up or Iran.
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Charles.
Ease up.
One can be for a clean atmosphere and not buy into the gerbil warming hype.
I’m all about environmentalism but not in the sense of the marxist socialist package we see being handed to the country that would go to controlling every aspect of human life while handing unlimited powers to the government.
Yeah Monkey.
Its even been known for a while that the IPCC computers generations were based on flawed data.
But you wont hear a thing about it on NBC or any liberal media outlet because it would conflict with all the green advertisement we see being shoved down our throats as if “Climate change” AKA as “global warming” is a given
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Micky:
Well listen I’m all for a cleaner environment, but it should be done purely by the people’s will. I’d support reasonable restriction done by local government, but that’s it. Also my answer to obama on what the Republicans want to do when it comes the environment is simple. Create wealth because in countries where people are rich enough to clean up there messes they do. Also with real wealth people can go out and invest in a company that makes hydrogen cars. The Democrats always say the Republicans are slaves to the oil companies, but they can proudly say were giving all the green agencies $10,000,000,000 for “research”, because we all know nobodies getting rich off of green technology.
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:07 pm
“Create wealth because in countries where people are rich enough to clean up there messes they do. ”
My point exactly.
If they’ve got the industry then they’ve got the funds to clean up behind themselves. But you wont see the UN pushing that idea.
The whole green thing is simply a means to redistribute wealth to poor nations who more than likely will never use that money for its intended purpose.
Its socialism on a global scale.
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Full steam ahead with the “decarbonisation” of the world. Let’s start burning all that coal we are sitting on rather than pay our terrorists for the oil we import!
Then let’s drill for those hidden oil tankers the global warming “scientist” discovered by running their computerized warming models backwards to prove that the model is correct:
The newly enhanced super computer models to predict the climate of the future successfully modeled the past. We now know what happened to the dinosaurs and extraterrestrials. Computer modeling shows they were driving very advanced primary movers which caused a drastic rise in temperature leading to their extinction. Indisputable truth about the model’s accuracy has been found in Saudi Arabia: As of this time one of the fuel tanks of those primary movers is being pumped out. It must be gigantic because 10 years of pumping was not able to empty it yet.
However, based on humanitarian concerns that were raised it would be irresponsible to continue to pump. Sucking out all the oil Saudi Arabia is now slowly swallowed by the sea. Measurable rise in sea levels support that observation, while reality tells us the land is actually sinking or the tectonic plates are moving. (We still have to tweak/enhance our model to zero in on that. But after a voting process we call scientific-consensus/peer-revive we will adjust the data accordingly, no problem).
Certainly we won’t have Saidi’s problem with coal because coal it is a rock and the brother to the diamond.
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:53 pm
I can’t tell if Werner’s post is parody or real, and that frightens me a little bit.
November 24th, 2009 at 2:14 am
All ya gotta do is wait and see. Let’s check back 10 years from now. That is, if we’re not all unda water.
It makes me laugh to hear you conservatives rail and lie about cap and trade, when you know perfectly well it was invented by Pres. Bush Sr. Oh, it was a great thing then. Using business itself to solve the acid rain problem, rather than gov’t regulation. But now, oh no, it’s a terrible thing, now we gots Obama in de White House.
Y’all are gonna pay for all your oh nos.
November 24th, 2009 at 4:38 am
Klo-less, you lead the way. Take a deep breath and then hold it!
November 24th, 2009 at 6:43 am
Global warming PROVEN a HOAX!
http://www.infowars.com/climatic-research-unit-hacked-e-mails-data
November 24th, 2009 at 9:50 am
Richard:
Yah like the liberal media will talk about that and make the Dems look like idiots.
Micky:
You right the UN wont talk about it, because they want a Global Government. That’s what it was designed to do and that’s what it’s leading us to.