Thursday
Mar262015
by 
Bishop Hill
Bishop Hill Quote of the day, unconvincing edition
In a remarkably clear-sighted article at The Federalist, David Harsanyi seems to put is finger on why the illiberal left have failed quite so badly to convince anyone that they are right on climate change.
By declaring the conversation over, you’re done trying to convince anyone.
Reader Comments (19)
Apart from every scientific institute and government on the planet, and 90% of everyone else, you mean.
We don't really need the 10% of dead-enders, so in practical terms, it's over.
The left use this suppressing tactic on any contentious topic they choose. Shut the debate down and there's - literally, nothing to discuss. Ergo they claim victory by default.
Race.
Immigration.
Religion.
Climate.
NWO.
EU / Euro / Europe. etc, etc.
Gubulgaria, which is why CO2 is now falling so fast... oh hang on, it's rising, even here in the UK. Up, down, warmists get those two mixed up all the time. Sure, the majority are convinced enought to tick a box on a form. Not as many a believe in ghosts or aliens mind but if it's a tick in a box you're after then the climate debate is over. When it comes to more taxing demands, people require something more substantial.
Correction to Gubulgaria: "Most of the scientific institutions on the planet and their pliable governments who know a plausible swindle of untrammelled longevity when they see one........".
By declaring the conversation over you've announced that you like the conclusion. Why do so many people WANT CAGW to be true, and would be devastated if it turns out to be false?
It's a good article but will roll off the duck's back.
@Mikky, they cannot rescue us and pull us out of the hole, if there is no hole in the first place
Just like right-wingers behaved to anti-war protestors before the futile and highly costly Iraq war and also how right-wing economists behaved prior to the financial crisis to those naysayers who thought that maybe debt and deficits really did matter after all. This tribalism will end only when nature decides to start cooling again.
@TinyCO2
"CO2 is now falling so fast... oh hang on, it's rising, even here in the UK"
Fell by 9.7% in the UK last year, actually, and rose by 0% globally.
Gubulgaria: "Apart from every scientific institute and government on the planet, and 90% of everyone else ..."
And your evidence for these interesting assertions?
It should be remembered that on Wimbledon Common, Great Uncle Bulgaria was the ultimate voice of wisdom and authority.
Times have changed, and so has Wimbledon Common, apparently.
'why the illiberal left have failed quite so badly to convince anyone that they are right on climate change.'
A nasty mixture of arrogance in that they consider no one could be has smart has them so they could never finger out they were being lied to , and an inability to understand what the meaning of chicken little story is .
The simply never caught on to the idea that is not just the way your selling it but what your selling that is the problem , thankfully .
Gubulgaria, cosmetic change. Reduced coal and a warm winter. Previous similar reductions have been wiped out by increased population, imports and a return to colder weather.
Globally CO2 is still rising.
In engineering circles most people are skeptical and ive heard a lot of very derogatory commentary especially around the proxy stuff. The inverted proxies have been a source of huge amusement at a number of meetings and "Mannian" stats has taken on a highly derogatory term to be thrown at somebody making questionable claims with dubious evidence :)
http://www.emissions.leeds.ac.uk/chart1.html
Consumption emissions were down on 2007 levels but very similar to 1990 levels. We are only just coming out of recession and consumption is still depressed. Much of the gains could be reversed as our nuclear power stations are phased out in the coming years and consumer confidence returns. Apparently driving is up now fuel is cheaper. Similarly other countries are switching to gas but consumption is rising. Only certain countires are still in the doldrums and most of us have no desire to emulate them.
http://co2now.org/Current-CO2/CO2-Now/
Gub
"Apart from every scientific institute..."
Who still want continuous research funds, despite their assertion that no more is required!
Gubulgaria, How does the burning biomass in the UK being declared CO2 emissions free factor into your 9.7% reduction in UK emissions?
"CO2 emissions were unchanged last year"....That must be one of those post normal homogenizations to hide unpleasant data.
Well tell NOAA to get the stuff together:
http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/
CO2 still trending up slowly.
And the latest UK stats do not seem to agree either:
"This publication provides the latest estimates of UK greenhouse gas emissions by source only from 1990 to 2013.
In 2013, UK emissions of the basket of seven greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol were estimated to be 568.3 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e). This was 2.4 percent lower than the 2012 figure of 582.2 million tonnes.
Between 2012 and 2013, the largest decreases were experienced in the energy supply sector, down 6.8 percent (13.8 MtCO2e) due to a decrease in the use of coal and gas for electricity generation, and the waste management sector, down by 14.1 percent (3.7 MtCO2e) due to a reduction in emissions from landfill waste.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main greenhouse gas, accounting for 82 percent of total UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2013. In 2013, UK net emissions of carbon dioxide were estimated to be 467.5 million tonnes (Mt). This was around 1.8 percent lower than the 2012 figure of 476.3 Mt."
From the most current: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/final-uk-emissions-estimates
The new troll is still in its learning curve, apparently confusing its smug snark with intelligence.
Gubulgaria : Apart from every scientific institute and government on the planet
All of whom are in the pocket of government. And of course stands to gain from alarmism. Therefore, for their own good, governent science lackeys need to say they are convinced.
That's the dead-end that the dead hand of government in science produces.