I would urge people to read Steve Koonin’s new book “Uncertain”. Koonin was appointed Undersecretary for Energy Research by President Obama following ten years as Provost at Cal Tech. Climate change is “forever”. There was the medieval warm period when the Vikings were growing grapes in Greenland, followed by the little ice age when Hans Brinker was skating on the frozen canals in Holland and Joshua Turner was painting scenes with the Themes frozen over in London. As long as data are only shown back to 1880, there is a steady rise in temperature…except for a period of lowering temperatures between 1940 and 1970. The rise since 1880 is about 1 degree C. The scientific question remains, “how much of that is caused by human activity?” I have seen at least two recent papers that suggest that the effect of CO2 is “saturated”, meaning where there is 400 ppm or 800 ppm makes no difference. As at the start, 'Uncertain" is the word. Richard Feynmann once stated that Religion is all about faith, science is about doubt.
It seems to be a book by a contrarian who doesn’t have a degree in atmospheric science/climate science.
There is plenty of evidence about global warming and its effects, but preciously little to properly quantify the effect of increasing CO2. The only reason we are even have this conversation is because a few scientists declared that the same amount of solar energy in one 42 year time-span could not possibly contribute the same amount of warming as a previous 42 year time-span. The great ‘CO2 is the cause of global warming’ stems from a proclamation that the sun couldn’t have done it, with no real evidence to back that up. So, let’s stay focused on providing proper evidence.
Nice contribution.
I would add that while religion is differentiated by faith, it is faith that drives a desire to do the right things and seek the truth in all matters.
It is ok to be critical if there is an alternative explanation that can explain the observed facts as well as the prevailing explanation.
I’m not an expert but my readings of the climate change suggest that the current explanation of climate warming explains the observed facts well and has made predictions that have proven to be fairly accurate. Computer models have sometimes given too conservative predictions for the consequences of warming but making the climate models more realistic have improved the accuracy of estimates. I do not know any alternative explanation that would explain the facts equally well. That is the reason why the vast majority (>>95%) of scientists agree that emissions of CO2 and comparable stuff are a very likely cause of the current climate change.
The causes of climate warming are discussed in another thread, so there is no reason to have the same debate here. No matter what is causing the ongoing warming, it has consequences that lead to ‘the great climate migration’.
The ‘wait and see’ approach is fully, exactly analogous to the approach to civil rights, social justice, the righteousness of God, by southern white Christians in the early 60s. It is the same issue in fact. Injustice, inequality, unrighteousness ennobled by faith is at the heart of AGW. Now is the time.
Part of the BioLogos ethic is to avoid “labeling” people with words like “contrarian”. As an excuse to ignore what they say. If you would like to read something from a climate scientist, here is a link to Judith Curry’s web site. Her research is in atmospheric thermodynamics and clouds. It is clouds that have been the biggest uncertainty for climate models for well over half century.
Very true. I believe that was the gist of Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” That is to say, we can’t wait.
But BioLogos is also supposed to promote good science. They already, in my opinion, go too far in granting a free platform for people to promote junk science.
You will find that BioLogos has the same discussions in multiple threads, for a variety of reasons.
William. Curry is right about Extinction Rebellion. They seriously undermine the credibility of environmentalism, of being God’s stewards, dressing and keeping the Earth with equality of outcome for all. I’m all for bringing everyone up to our level and making our level level and sustainable, because we’re all damned if we don’t. Even the plutocrats.
This topic was automatically closed 6 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.