Global What?

Climate Change. Just when you think the world has finally got it through its thick blue skull, something happens that just makes you question the IQ of some. Sometimes, however, several things happen to make you do that.

The Hockey Stick Chart

In the US, a Republican Congressman nicknamed Smokey Joe (Joe Barton), has long since made up his mind that all  the science on climate change is “pretty weak stuff”. In order to prove this – somewhat doubtful – claim, he ordered an “independent” report to be written, later known as the Wegman Report, released in 2006. This report refuted much of the findings on Climate Change, including the famous “hockey stick chart”. This report has often been (and probably will be in the future) quoted by those opposed to green measures and environmental policies...

"Smokey" Joe Barton

It now turns out, however, that Smokey Joe’s office might have fed their Independent Scientists much of the information. The writers of the Wegman Report had writing skills reminiscent of those of a high schooler, to the extent that they took the same approach to writing as a relatively lazy teenager might take. 35 pages of the report’s 91 were  slightly tweaked versions of information gotten from a variety of sources (plagiary), including Wikipedia, and were generously sprinkled with small errors, misquotations and changes of meaning.

This finding reveals the lack of scientific truth behind one of the most 'scientific' papers opposing the theory of Global Warming. It is doubtful, however, that this small setback will prevent the staunch opponents to give up their good fight...

Thanks to MNN & John Mashey (the computer scientist who analysed the Wegman Report)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Another IQ questioning story is the one of the Cornwall Alliance. This Alliance is a "coalition of clergy, theologians, religious leaders, scientists, academics, and policy experts committed to bringing a balanced Biblical view of stewardship to the critical issues of environment and development" (Cornwall Alliance Definition), aka a "religious climate change disinformation front group [for the oil and coal industry]", (Climate Progress Definition). 

This ultra-conservative climate change think tank has recently produced “Resisting the Green Dragon”, a 12part series which exposes modern environmentalism as the evil it truly is. “[Environmentalism] is deadly to human prosperity, deadly to human life, deadly to human freedom, and deadly to the gospel of Jesus Christ”, author Janet Parshall states. Apparently the green movement is out to control the world and destroy Christianity...

Thanks to Trendhunter, The Cornwall Alliance and Climate Progress.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

All this climate scepticism could have easily been avoided, though, if only those involved would have spent more time in a hot room, or at least, that’s what Jane Risen, assistant professor at the University of Chicago, has found.
Previously it had already been recorded that people answering a questionnaire on Global Warming were more likely to be aware of the actuality and the dangers of it when the outside temperature was hotter. Apparently, this held true for the indoors as well: the warmer the room the people were in, the more able they were able to relate to a global increase in temperature... Apparently, the heat in the room allowed the people to form a clearer mental picture of what a hot planet would be like, leading to an intensification of their beliefs in global warming...

In a related bit of research, people who were made to feel thirsty by eating pretzels were more likely to agree about the dangers of desertification and the need to do something about it...

Whether this research is to have any actual influence on mankind’s dealings with Global Warming is highly doubtful, but hope springs eternal...

Thanks to University of Chicago for the research and to MNN for bringing this to our attention.