Lemmings! Lemmings!

Mr. Gunter has an excellent column today about NASA's Goddard Institue for Space Studies recent, and quiet, correction of some data that enabled people to claim that there has been a rise in global temperatures.

From Mr. Gunter:

"The hottest year since 1880 becomes 1934 instead of 1998, which is now just second; 1921 is third. Four of the 10 hottest years were in the 1930s, only three in the past decade. Claiming that man-made carbon dioxide has caused the natural disasters of recent years makes as much sense as claiming fossil-fuel burning caused the Great Depression. The 15 hottest years since 1880 are spread over seven decades. Eight occurred before atmospheric carbon dioxide began its recent rise; seven occurred afterwards."

Of course, you won't find any global warming harpy trotting out these facts, as they fail to match the current zeitgeist. The ever-increasing problem I have with this is that oft-repeated line that the 'debate is over' and the assumption that we all have to fall in line. Any time anyone says that, something hard-wired into my brain repels at the thought. The debate isn't over on anything and any 'scientist' who claims that is should give their degree back. The true nature of science requires vigorous debate and constant testing to challenge any given assumptions. To claim that global warming has been settled and we all have to goose step into line and replace light bulbs and eat food grown from out flower beds is leading us down a very dangerous path.

(For a good article on food miles, see Food That Travels Well that looks at the numbers and crunches some notions we have accepted about eating locally)

I've also been questioning such faddish movements as Flick Off which are trying to convince us that turning down the lights will somehow prevent the 'coming disaster'. (Also check out a sloppy piece of work about global warming deniers that starts with the premise that they are wrong and provides proof by asserting that they are wrong. As I like to say, don't let facts stand in the way of a good argument). If global warming is so dire and coming so quickly, shouldn't we be required to massive change our way of life? Turning your monitor off at work when you go to lunch and installing crappy light bulbs that hurt your eyes would seem minor changes that you could do, yet organizations like these are presenting them as the cure-all. Turning it into a fad alongside Pokemon and the Amazon rain forest means that eventually people will get bored with and move on the next craze, which I predict to be: Fat Chicks in Party Hats.

Then again if the consensus came out and said that there wasn't any global warming (or go back to what the same crowd was saying in the '70's -- that the world was getting cooler) then I would swing the other way and start wearing clothes made out of hemp and holding my breath to reduce my carbon footprint. I am that difficult to get along with.