Dickster's Random Thoughts: Another Blow to Consensus

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Another Blow to Consensus

The Journal of Geophysical Research, after a six month peer review process, has published a new paper that argues that nearly all changes in global temperatures since 1958 can be attributed to natural causes. It is another study that calls into question Al Gore's so called consensus that the science of climate change is settled.

Chris de Frietas, a climate scientist from Aukland University in New Zealand, along with Australian scientists John McLean and Bob Carter are the publishes of the study. Their conclusions are that at least 80% of climate change can be attributed to internal climate systems, specifically El Nino and La Nina. The trio found that their was a direct corelation between those systems and temperature change. Changes in the El Nino and La Nina patterns were followed consistently by changes in temperatures. They also conclude that increases in volcanic activity will have a measured cooling effect on temperatures.

Their conclusions are that there is very little impact by humans on climate change. They do not dispute that there are increase in CO2, but question whether it has an impact or poses any danger. Studies like this should give rise to serious debate, but as de Frietas states the debate has been degraded by politics, ignorance, alarmism, and the claims that the science is settled. He adds that the idea of consensus is unscientific. One thing that probably isn't open for debate is that these three gentleman most likely won't be invited to dine any time soon with the ultimate political alarmist Al Gore.