Opinion July 5, 2012

The Global Warming Blame Game Continues

From The Heritage Foundation, I’m Ernest Istook.

A big storm around Washington, DC, and huge wildfires in Colorado. Global warming alarmists rush to claim that these supposedly prove that mankind has ruined our climate.

Yet at other times, they tell us that cool weather proves nothing. The only consistency from the alarmists is their never-ending desire to restrict our freedoms,to tax fuel and energy, and to limit our lifestyles—and of course they want to be put in charge of our decisions.

They jump at any excuse to blame things on global warming. It has been publicly blamed for asteroid strikes, for cannibalism, for cold weather in India, for smaller harvests and for bigger harvests, for more street crimes, and of course for crabgrass.

The very fact that the sun comes up is seen as proof of global warming. Yes, we should all be good stewards of our environment, but not every good thing in life is green.

From The Heritage Foundation, I’m Ernest Istook.

[audio:http://trns.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Istook1061The-Global-Warming-Blame-Game-Continues.mp3]

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About Ernest Istook

View all posts by Ernest Istook

Ernest J. Istook Jr. brings extensive congressional experience to bear on public policy issues as a Distinguished Fellow at The Heritage Foundation. He also hosts the talk radio show “Istook Live!” from Heritage’s Robert H. Bruce radio studio. Istook served 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives before joining Heritage in 2007. Follow Ernest on Twitter @ErnestIstook

Anonymous

Yes, and glaciers and ice fields are not melting, sea levels are not rising, arctic tundra is not thawing, arctic sea ice is not diminishing, flora and fauna are not moving to cooler habitats (higher elevations and north), oceans and lakes are not warming, extreme weather events are not increasing, the number of new highs is not now twice the number of new lows, and May was not the 327th consecutive month when global average temperatures exceeded the 20th century average. Since when does being a conservative mean rejecting scientific data?
But if it’s warming, it must be due purely to natural causes, right? Well, none of the known natural causes of climate change can explain the current warming trend. The sun has not bathed us with more radiant energy. We’re not in a part of the Milankovitch cycles that would start warming. And scientists have known for years that the tiny amount of greenhouse gases keep in the atmosphere keeps Earth about 60 degrees F warmer than it would be without them. Greenhouse gas concentrations have risen about 40 percent since 1800. If it’s not causing warming, that would be astonishing.
If warming were caused by natural phenomena, heating of the atmosphere would be uniform. Instead, the lower atmosphere is warming while the upper atmosphere is cooling. Why? Because greenhouse gases stop the heat from rising into the upper atmosphere and into space.
Given the available evidence, it is highly probable that we are warming the planet to dangerous temperatures. (What exactly is the DATA that shows that the probability is low?) Think of it as a problem of managing risk. Global warming presents us with RISKS of serious harm.
But if I don’t like what must be done in order to reduce the risks of global warming, then it must not really present us with serious risks, right?
I thought that conservatives were hard-headed realists. I guess that I was mistaken.
- http://twitter.com/SheilahDavis Sheilah T. Davis
  
  Do you like to read? Google Dr. Roy Spencer. He’ll put your worries at ease. Political Global Warming Propaganda is nothing short of a means to over tax those among us with the least. It’s a fraud. It’s a tax scheme.
  
  Enough with the fake science and consensus building…..this is nothing short of a means to destroy our way of life via fear tactics. Learn about the science, you’ll sleep better at night.
  - ozonator
    
    Roy’d-rage’ Spencer on a good day can predict a free corporate lunch while violating at least 3 commandments.
  - http://www.facebook.com/bobert.bell Bobert Bell
    
    Dr. Roy Spencer debunked for the irresponsible denier he is: http://www.skepticalscience.com/Dessler-2011-Debunks-Roy-Spencer-And-Richard-Lindzen.html You will not be learning climate science from Spencer, but PR mastery. Try some credible climate scientists like realclimate.org if you want actual science.
    - Anonymous
      
      so … comparing observation to climate models is rather unscientific? I fart in your general direction
- ozonator
  
  Conservatives are only trying to conserve modern slavery.