carboncat’s Recent Comments

• Click here to view comment in original post

  yes, they're rising, but

  at the rate of 1 mm per year. expect that there is a very real possibility that all these horrendous sea rises you keep predicting might not happen.
  what will you do? turn to god? become a republican? pack your bags and travel the (perfectly healthy) world? nobody knows...
  On A must-read article from Science on the underestimation of climate change impacts posted 2 years, 2 months ago 7 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  the science is settled (again)

  The vast majority of the scientists in the relevant research areas say so.

  Oh yeah, I forgot. "the science is settled."  
  Argument by authority pure and simple.
  

  But we don't need to know the details of the science. We have scientists for that. All we need to do is listen to them

  Um, that's called religion, not science.
  They're not communing with God or anything, you know. The whole thing is 100% transparent.
  But at least you're honest. Not interested in questioning what you are told, because you trust them, and because it fits with your worldview. Can't say I blame you, because quite frankly, that's a potent combination.
  However, I get tired of discussions ending in either "the science is settled, don't you know" or "hey you must be a Republican". Time to go. It's been fun, folks. For the most part you've been quite enjoyable to debate with.
  On Some reviews and criticism of Bjorn Lomborg's new book Cool It posted 2 years, 2 months ago 18 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  god might exist

  and if he does, he will smite all non-believers and condemn us to eternal damnation.
  or, he might not.
  Gee, you might say, a very big "might." Every time someone denies God, they're gambling with their soul.
  Likewise for global warming. Although I'm gambling with Baby Earth if I'm wrong, I refuse to believe until I'm presented with compelling evidence for the global danger.
  Argument by fearmongering needs to stop.
  (btw what's the single most compelling piece of evidence that the Earth's climate is in danger? I want to know)On Some reviews and criticism of Bjorn Lomborg's new book Cool It posted 2 years, 2 months ago 18 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  good answer

  sounds like the core argument for you is Monbiot's 4 points. Fair enough. I would suggest to you that the weakest point is 2, followed by 4. 2 because the value, importance, and durability of the effect can vary from minuscule to enormous.
  4 because all animals produce carbon dioxide, and always have- we're just doing it in a different way.

  re "climate catastrophe", I think the biggest issue surrounding climate science is the massive misinformation campaign evidenced in the work of Al Gore and others. Scientists have been too slow to call bs on flagrant exaggeration, oversimplification, and frankly, fearmongering.
  Talk to non-scientists about the climate. Mostly they have a vague idea that "global warming will get us all in 20 years" (I heard that exact sentence last week).
  Crichton was right: science should be banishing demons, not creating them, yet here we are.
  Therefore, when I see the anti-skeptic brigade on one hand tacitly supporting the most extreme, outrageous, and unsubstantiated claims and on the other hand, weazeling out of making such claims themselves ("catastrophe? who said anything about a catastrophe?")
  I'll stop here, without addressing the economic question. another time.On Why do documented liars and dummies get taken seriously about climate change? posted 2 years, 2 months ago 28 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  uncertainty

  we may very well cross some temperature threshold

  ...or we may not. However, I'm glad to see that the doomsayers are starting to admit that they might be wrong. That can only be good for public debate, and for science.On Some reviews and criticism of Bjorn Lomborg's new book Cool It posted 2 years, 2 months ago 18 Responses