Does Sterling Burnett actually believe what he says about global warming?

Sterling Burnett, a "senior fellow" at the oil industry friendly National Center for Policy Analysis is claiming in a release today that global warming is a hoax because it is cold in Minnesota this winter. Really?

If only Burnett were right, we could move on and forget about this whole global warming thing. Unfortunately, Burnett is way off base which is no surprise considering this is the same Fox News pundit that compared Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth to Nazi war-time propaganda. It looks like Burnett has a penchant for making grandiose claims, most likely because they get him face time on Fox News.

Burnett and the NCPA's press release today declaring that "global warming is likely not a result of man-made activities" conveniently omits two key facts that seriously bring into question Burnett's understanding of the basics:

1. Climate versus weather: the Nobel prize-winning climate scientist Dr. Andrew Weaver recently opined in a news article that, "Every time there is a freaking snowfall, it seems like everybody is going, 'What's going on?' It's frustrating as a climate scientist."'

It's frustrating for Weaver because people (i.e. Sterling Burnett) get climate and weather confused. In the article "Snowstorms don't mean climate change threat has passed" Weaver describes weather as "what is here and now, like the sun shining or rain falling. Climate, on the other hand, is more long-term."

Weaver explained climate change as a "shift in the distribution of the likelihood of the occurrence of weather events towards the warm". He continued, "What that means is it doesn't mean that it will never be cold; it means that the likelihood of it being cold diminishes with time, and the likelihood of it being extremely warm increases with time."

You would think that someone like Sterling Burnett, who goes around touting himself as a "leading authority" would understand something so fundamental as the difference between weather and climate.

2. It is "global" warming, not "United States" warming: using a cold snap in Minnesota as an argument that the entire earth is not warming is just ridiculous. The bottom line is that when you look at the global trends, the average temperature of the planet continues to rise. Here's a graph of the global temperatures over the last 126 years:

And here's a great video made by the famous broadcaster and Naturalist Sir David Attenborough (of Planet Earth fame) explaining very clearly what is happening with the earth's global temperature:

Now I'm not a scientist and neither is Burnett, but all of this commonsense information about climate versus weather and global temperatures leads me to believe that *gasp* maybe Burnett is not the "leading authority" he claims himself to be. Nothing new here, sorry everyone, but regardless of what Burnett wants us to think, global warming is happening, human activity is to blame and the best science is telling us that the consequences will be dire.

UPDATE: NASA has released it's 2008 temperature data finding that last year was the ninth warmest year since 1880.

Comments

[Michale32086]

Can anyone point to ANY actions by any of the major proponents of the Human Caused Global Warming(Yet The Planet Is Cooling) religion (Gore, Branson, etc etc) that may indicate that they actually believe that we are facing the End Of Days?

Any actions at all?? Any changes in their lifestyles, their businesses, their activities that would indicate that they honestly believe the end of the world is ney??

Anything???

Nope....

So, if they are the High Priests of this Human Caused Global Warming(Yet The Planet Is Cooling) religion and they aren't taking any steps, why should anyone else??

Like I have always said... I would be willing to live as Al Gore says we should live when AL GORE starts living as Al Gore says we should live.

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

@Cassandra2

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We can't do anything about sun cycles.
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Exactly... By jove, I think she's got it!!

And, since it is the sun's cycles that apparently is the dominating factor in the planet's climate, then trying to "do something" about it is foolish, as you yourself concede...

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We can do something about human-produced waste (whether solid, gaseous or liquid). Nobody's suggesting reducing human-produced waste will produce a Garden of Eden; that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.

Yeesh....
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Fair enough..

If you want to argue that pollution control and elimination is a good thing, then I am there..

If you want to argue we need to eliminate dependency on the finite quantity that is the planet's oil supply, then let's do it..

But if you want to argue that the planet is doomed in 10 years, then you are on your own...

Like I said before...

Show me the Human Caused Global Warming(Yet The Planet Is Cooling) model that accurately predicted the 2008/2009 record cold temps and I say you have a logical argument.

If you can't??? Well, then you don't....

I can't make it any simpler...

Michale.....

[Freecelladdict]

Michale...

You are an equal opportunity sh*t-stirrer, and you know it. But that 's not my point.

De sunspot-argument has been debunked elsewhere, and you know that too. It's a scientific argument, and I don't want to waste too much time on the willfully (pretending to be?) ignorant.

But when you dare people to show how a theory about CLIMATE-change could predict a record-cold SEASON, you are seriously off your rocker.

Climate DOES NOT EQUAL wheather! This has been pointed out so many times, that I have no doubt that you actually know the difference, but conveniently choose to ignore it. Just like you choose to ignore the fact that 2008 (the whole YEAR!) has been the ninth-warmest year since 1880.

If anyone could show you how any climate model could predict the wheather in any specific year, he (or she) would not have a logical argument, but a logical falacy.

[Michale32086]

So you are saying that Climate Change models cannot predict the climate??

Hmmmmmmm.....

And yet, the entire Human Caused Global Warming(Yet The Planet Is Cooling) religion is completely based on models..

And now you are saying that those models cannot predict the climate in a given year??

Then I would say that you have just completely decimated the so called logic of your religion.

As for 2008 being the ninth warmest year on record, I thought it was the 10th? And before that, it was the 70th.

NASA is cooking data again, right??

Or is it more of the same..

Like the snows of Killamanjaroo melting PROVES the Human Caused Global Warming(Yet The Planet Is Cooling) religion...

Oh wait, that's been refuted..

Like the polar bears eating their own PROVES the Human Caused Global Warming(Yet The Planet Is Cooling) religion...

Oh wait, that's been refuted..

Like the glaciers of Greenland melting PROVES the Human Caused Global Warming(Yet The Planet Is Cooling) religion...

Oh wait, that's been refuted..

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point...

The "science" is nothing but hysterical conjecture and fear-mongering supposition.

My position stands.. If you can show me a Human Caused Global Warming(Yet The Planet Is Cooling) model that accurately predicted the "climate" in 2008, then I will concede that there may be cause for alarm..

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

And some scientists are calling climate change a natural phenomenon and advising the UN Secretary-General: "Attempts to prevent global climate change from occurring are ultimately futile, and constitute a tragic misallocation of resources that would be better spent on humanity's real and pressing problems."
http://www.nationalpost.com/most_popular/story.html?id=164002

http://engram-backtalk.blogspot.com/2008/01/has-earths-warming-trend-peaked.html

[Michale32086]

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global warming is happening, human activity is to blame and the best science is telling us that the consequences will be dire.
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Did the computer models back in 2001, 2002, 2003 etc etc accurately predict the 2008 record cold temps??

No??

Then what's all the fuss about???

Michale......

[Michale32086]

It's a documented fact (documented by NASA/GISS no less) that the earth's average temp peaked in 1998...

In other words, temps have been dropping for the last 11 years...

I understand the embarrassment that those who follow the teachings of the Human Caused Global Warming(Yet The Planet Is Cooling) religion must feel...

But it's time to face facts..

The planet is now cooling.. Your 'god' was wrong. You've been conned.....

Michale.....

[Kevin Grandia - Huffpost Blogger]

What? Did you look at the graphs I included? The huge peak in 1998 was due to extraordinary warm El Nino.

NASA just released new temperature data today finding that "2008 is the ninth warmest year in the period of instrumental measurements, which extends back to 1880." Here's their full release today: http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/2008/

[Michale32086]

This makes... what?? the sixth or seventh time that NASA data has switched??

http://www.norcalblogs.com/watts/2007/08/1998_no_longer_the_hottest_yea.html

Bottom line is this..

There is "science" that says Human Caused Global Warming(Yet The Planet Is Cooling) is happening and it will kill us all inside of 10 years..

There is also "science" that says it's all a hoax...

So, what is one to believe??

I'll believe the ACTIONS of those who are supposedly in the "know"...

Has any proponent of the Human Caused Global Warming(Yet The Planet Is Cooling) religion given up or radically altered their lifestyle or day to day activities as if the end of the world is ney???

No??

Then I submit that if they really don't believe in their own theory, why should I???

Michale.....

[liberalsux]

That's the same hockey stick graph Micheal chriton disproved in 2005

[liberalsux]

And a month before 2008 it snowed in Iraq for the first time in 100 years. that must have been caused by global warming.

[NL207]

NASA/GISS data is cooked, that is, innappropriately and sometimes erroneously adjusted under the direction of James Hansen, a guest blogger on this site.

http://www.climateaudit.org/?p=1868
http://www.warwickhughes.com/blog/?p=27
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/19/nasa_giss_cockup_catalog/print.html

And this is not the only controversy surrounding data from NASA/GISS.

A better, or at least more reliable and intellectually honest, source is the Hadley Center in the UK.
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/hadleycentre/

The discrepancy between NASA/GISS and most everyone else is apparent when you compare the data.

There are more serious problems with many of the climate projections which are inherent in virtually ALL of the models currently being used to forecast climate. These models are all constructed to model significant positie feedback in their CO2 sensitivity, yet the data collected to date has failed to exhibit feedbacks of such magnitude. Instead of revising their thinking, teh dogmatists at NASA/GISS in particular have continued to make absurd predictions. In fact, comparing IPCC 3AR with 4AR, we see they have actually WIDENED the range of their predictions so as to include actual measured climate behavior which barely meets their minimum warming scenario. This is poor science. When the data contradict the hypothesis by a wide margin, the hypothesis must be greatly revised. The data need not be massaged nor is a tiny tweek to the hypothesis sufficient.

[Cassandra2]

Sooo...

A cold snap in Minnesota means that global warming doesn't exist, right?

If, in summertime, Minnesota hits temperatures of 90 degrees with relative humidity in the upper eightes (as it can in late August), does that mean that Minnesota suddenly becomes a tropical climate?

Gotta hand it to you, Michale. Every time I think you can't come up with a more idiotic statement, you manage to top yourself. Never say die!

By the way... you might want to discuss your crackpot analysis with Gavin Schmidt (NASA/GISS). Google "Gavin Schmidt" and "statistical error" if you don't know what I'm talking about.

[Michale32086]

I am not talking about a single cold snap and I think you know that..

I am talking about consistent and systematic record cold temps all around the world...

And you know that too...

The simple fact that you plead ignorance simply shows that you know it's significant..

The simple fact you try to push NASA's cooked (literally) data also shows that you know the reality..

Here is the one overriding fact.

Climate changes... It has changed BEFORE human kind was on the planet and it will continue to change once human kind has gone the way of the dodo...

The idea that human kind could actually CONTROL the climate is ludicrous and is the epitome of arrogance that humans are always so wont to display...

Finally, let me leave you with one sobering thought.. Humans can't kill the planet.. Humans may kill themselves off, but the planet will still be here..

So, get over yourselves already...

Michale.....

[liberalsux]

You're right climate change isn't a hoax the climate has been changing for millions of years. However global warmer is one of the biggest scams ever created especially when you take into account nearly ever scientist that's not motivated by politics agrees that we are in the beginning stages of a cooling cycle.

[Michale32086]

What HE said^^^^^

Michale.....

[Kevin Grandia - Huffpost Blogger]

Oh wow! And so the whole things a giant conspiarcy theory? Is Obama the new head of the vast underground cabel of "global warmers" or is it McCain. Maybe George W. Buch (even he came to realize that human-caused climate change is a serious threat).

This whole idea of a grand conspiracy by scientists is so friggin ridiculous.

[Michale32086]

And yet, the proponents of the theory think it's all a grand big oil conspiracy to deny things.

What's the point??

Michale.....