Does Climate Science Really Compel Us Toward Urgent Action?
Climate scientist Andrew Dessler of Texas A&M University defends urgent action on climate against scientist and author Steven Koonin.
Does the world need to rapidly convert to using renewable energy to save the planet from global warming? That was the topic of a Soho Forum debate held at the Sheen Center in New York City on August 15, 2022.
Andrew Dessler, the director of the Texas Center for Climate Studies at Texas A&M University, argued that fossil fuels are endangering life on the planet by causing global warming through greenhouse gas emissions. He contended that solar energy and wind energy are safe, reliable, and cost-effective means to decarbonize the electric grid.
Steven Koonin, who served as undersecretary for science at the Department of Energy during the Obama administration and is the founding director of New York University's Center for Urban Science and Progress, argued that making large and rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions aren't necessary to protect the earth. He also contended that doing so isn't cost-effective and that it's immoral. Koonin is also the author of Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn't, and Why It Matters.
This debate was moderated by Soho Forum director Gene Epstein.
Intro edited by Regan Taylor; interview body edited by Brett Raney.
Photos by Brett Raney.
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Does Climate Science Really Compel Us Toward Urgent Action?
The government will take care of that.
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I see that a major publisher of peer-reviwed science journals has retracted 500 !! One might be the “earth will be an oven in 10 years” or it could be “new ice age expected in 5 years”
You like never know
Any action the government picks will be a disaster.
No.
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Yep
‘Climate Science’ might compel urgent action, but that’s because ‘Climate Science’ doesn’t really exist nor is it particularly scientific.
“Climate scientist Andrew Dessler of Texas A&M University defends urgent action on climate against scientist and author Steven Koonin.”
Not just urgent action, action that will make people poorer and lead to death and suffering. In order to, stop temperature increase by 1 degree C by end of the century.
Humorously they’ll never show any data to back making people poor and causing death would change the 1deg-C in 100-yrs. They’d have to take note that the last time average temperatures decreased was during WWII when more CO2 (completely UN-regulated) was getting pumped out of war equipment than ever before or after.
It never did and it never will establish any credibility short of fantasies and delusions of Gov-GUN Power.
Regan Taylor could have gained some cred by mentioning Steve Koonin’s stint as Chief Scientist of British Petroleum
So does serving Under Secretary for Science in the Department of Energy under The Lightbringer’s administration absolve him of his sins or diminish The Lightbringer’s Divinity?
Short answer: No, it does not.
Thats also the long answer
No. also, try not using ‘that’ your writing will flow better
Absolutely NO.
Nope
They really mean the study of climate modeling.
Moar testing needed!
No, but that’s not the point.
“The power of State compels you. The power of State compels you.” Holy Water replaced with whatever Lurch Kerry drinks.
57 Sauce?
If we must believe we need to take “urgent” action to prevent climate change or slow it down, the best and fastest solution would be to start a global nuclear war. Of course, Dr Dressler and his colleagues must be saved along with the attendees of the World Economic Forum, and elite members of Team Blue, so we can build a secret luxury resort for them on a remote island to wait out the radiation.
>>secret luxury resort for them on a remote island
Epstein’s long-goal
Hey kid, there’s no place else for you to go………
Holy water levels in Lake Mead have fallen to an all time low:
https://vvattsupwiththat.blogspot.com/2022/09/dont-believe-hygrometers-or-your-own.html
Never-mind government mandates to leave open the head-gates. It’s gotten so F’En retarded there’s serious talk of destroying all the damns to save fish….
Soooo….Dangerous Sea-level Rise? Study Shows Net Expansion of Pacific/Indian Ocean Islands
Despite constant fearmongering about dangerous sea-level rise due to anthropogenic global warming, more actual evidence is emerging that the vast majority of islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans are either stable in size or growing. A 2021 paper released in the scientific journal Anthropocene shows that of 221 islands studied, 153 show “a predominantly stable or accretionary trend in the area of atoll islands worldwide.”
In other words, the islands studied are generally either staying the same size or growing.
Sure it does!
Since, oh, 1990 or so, unless we totally changed the way we live, we’ve only got 4, 5, maybe 6 years before Armagedón!
Science doesn’t and shouldn’t compel any action whatsoever. It should compel knowledge – which is presumably important whether action is taken or not.
Climate scientists have certainly crossed or attempted to cross the technocracy line where knowledge ends and action begins.
OTOH there’s a whole ton of people whose strategy for opposing some specific action is to embrace stupidity.
Lol. Yet your stance on covid.
LOL. See ’embrace stupidity’ above
We’ve been watching you do so for several years. lefty pile of shit.
Scientists are less likely to be bought and paid for by oil interests than politicians, but yes I suppose by definition it’s the latter who have to figure out how to direct resources, as hopefully well informed by the former.
The problem is all the advocacy for outright ignoring what science is saying, almost all of it funded by financially interested parties.
“Scientists are less likely to be bought and paid for by oil interests than politicians,..”
Do you have a cite for this claim, other than your ignorance?
lmfao…. Do tell Tony… How are “oil interests” buying and paying for politicians (i.e. Gov-Guns)? Are they mandating everyone buy a petro-car?? Are they taxing the tar out of solar and wind?? Are they setting up entire ‘save the oil’ campaigns??
UR indoctrinated ignorance is absurd…
Course you’ll never care to !!!!–THINK—!!!!. You’ll just keep being a useful idiot of Gang-Blue spreading LIES and propaganda and indoctrinating stupidity. Cause that’s what [WE] gang RULES! mobsters do. (i.e. Nazi’s/National Socialists).
Action is the responsibility of each of us. The real question that climate science raises is:
If you have evidence that this summer is one of the five coolest summers you will ever experience in your life – and your grandchildrens life too – then is that sufficient for you to take some action?
Realistically – no. But the younger the person pondering that question,the more likely the answer is yes – and the deservedly violent the reaction to someone who will oppose that action
See just above.
Climate Science raises no such question. Without outside provocation I doubt 5% of folks would think anything is going on.
No but converting to nuclear would be fantastic and cut emissions. The greatest crime ever against humanity was the world not running on nuclear power by now. Too cheap to meter can’t have that!
Does Climate Science Really Compel Us Toward Urgent Action?
No it doesn’t, but it is an excellent excuse for the current political repression we are seeing.
“No it doesn’t”
Toilets, twitter and trannies on the other hand…
“Does Climate Science Really Compel Us Toward Urgent Action?”
Us? The gerontocracy? Absolutely not. We’ll leave that to young folks, the Chinese and Indians, etc, people with a stake in the future.
If only someone of at least average intelligence thought your repartee’ was as ‘clever” as you or your mom seem to find it…
(BTW, China’s ‘one-child’ policy has sort of screwed with their demographics, regardless of your admiration for authoritarian governments).
Remember Gov Lamm of Colorado, O incipient libertarian:
“”You’ve got a duty to die and get out of the way,” said the 48-year-old Governor. ”Let the other society, our kids, build a reasonable life.””
Koonin’s work is universally criticized by climate scientists for the usual: cherry picked and out-of-date data, stramanning of real climate scientists (which he isn’t), and so on. Naturally, the readership here will consider him an unassailable authority, because most of you are too stupid to have really grasped the concept of confirmation bias.
If anything, the bad effects of climate change have been happening sooner than anticipated. Even if you’re inclined toward conservatism and skepticism of even universally accepted scientific truths, you have to make room in your brain for the possibility that you’re wrong and thus making some of the most morally abominable judgments in the history of humankind. If you don’t accept that possibility in light of all the evidence, you’re just a child who hasn’t figured out how to think properly, and you should shut up.
“…If anything, the bad effects of climate change have been happening sooner than anticipated…”
This religious fanatic ignores the FACT that not a single one of the catastrophist’s predictions has come anywhere close to accuracy and repeats his fundamentalist incantations without the least self-knowledge or irony.
It’s true; it takes a truly miniscule IQ to be a fundy.
Sevo,
You are the fanatic.
To say something is happening sooner rather than later — if that triggers you, you are the jerk. just sayin
I am a disciple of William M Briggs Ph.D., Statistician to the Stars.
He has the goods: graduate degree in Atmospheric Science and Statistics whiz.
I’ve lived long enough to see the that quarter-asses look up to half-asses and they never remember their mistakes
John Fund writes:
[Imperial College epidemiologist Neil] Ferguson was behind the disputed research that sparked the mass culling of eleven million sheep and cattle during the 2001 outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. He also predicted that up to 150,000 people could die. There were fewer than 200 deaths. . . .
In 2002, Ferguson predicted that up to 50,000 people would likely die from exposure to BSE (mad cow disease) in beef. In the U.K., there were only 177 deaths from BSE.
In 2005, Ferguson predicted that up to 150 million people could be killed from bird flu. In the end, only 282 people died worldwide from the disease between 2003 and 2009.
In 2009, a government estimate, based on Ferguson’s advice, said a “reasonable worst-case scenario” was that the swine flu would lead to 65,000 British deaths. In the end, swine flu killed 457 people in the U.K.
Last March, Ferguson admitted that his Imperial College model of the COVID-19 disease was based on undocumented, 13-year-old computer code that was intended to be used for a feared influenza pandemic, rather than a coronavirus. Ferguson declined to release his original code so other scientists could check his results. He only released a heavily revised set of code last week, after a six-week delay.
So the real scandal is: Why did anyone ever listen to this guy?
Do you have the tune to which you chant that Invocation?
Honestly, if they environmentalists really want to help fight “climate change” the best thing they can do is commit suicide. Thus, reducing the number of people breathing out carbon dioxide. Bonus points if they off themselves Final Destination style.
Open the front door once in a while!!!
“Hmmmmm.. What ‘climate’ emergency?”
Good grief it wasn’t even 4-years ago we set record cold temperatures not seen since 1960s… It’s all just a fantasy-land delusion created by Power-Mad Gov-Gun Loving dictators in need of a Power-Trip.
Climate issues are a problem, not a ‘crisis’. It is a generational issue that will take at least 3 to 4 generations to begin to steer human nature. Then there is also the technological issue, the technology has not even been invented (in some cases even dreamed up) in order to achieve political goals. And that is exactly what it is at this time, political talking points.
Me love to “steer human nature” with Gov-Guns!!! /s
Give it a rest… There is NO ISSUE but issues in your own imagination.
Climate issues are a problem, not a crisis. This planet is over 3.4 billion years old. It was here long before humanity and it will be here long after humanity is gone. We are just a blip on the screen.
Koonin brought a lot of fact and basically said before run off in a direction. Maybe we think about it and make sure this is a good thing.
Dessler basically said jump into action right now and if we f’up we can always stop doing what we didn’t think through.
Which one is science?!
No, first you decide what and who is to be done with the ‘science’
Can I have any confidence at all in a President who gave a whole speech on the OMNIcron virus? Does this smart Pres know what OMNI does to people who actually paid attention in science class??
and he is part of that hateful crowd:
South African GP who raised alarm about Omicron says she was pressured not to call it ‘mild’
The South African GP who first raised the alarm about Omicron says she was pressured by governments “not to publicly state that it was a mild illness”
If humans are warming the planet, then based on anticipated technological improvements, we can either spend a lot of money now that will make only a small difference, or spend less money in the future and make a bigger difference.
No matter whose argument you concede, there are 3 more questions
1) can we do anything effectively about it?
2) What about the moral issues: Is it right for us to force Africa to forego fossil fuels even if they want them? [ I say it is not ]
3) are there better uses for that money?
So that woman doctor in South Africa was coerced into saying Omicron was much worse than she knew it was. And a stupid and lazy President got on the tube and gave a whole speech on the OMNIcron virus.
I loved this answer before I realized it is from me 😉
I saw the light this morning. I heard Steven E Koonin (author of Unsettled) and with moral certainty, I came to only 2 possible personal responses
1) there is no climate change alarm. It is bogus and I shouldn’t worry
2) One needs a Ph.D. in Climate Science to even deserve to have an opinion, and I should worry.
No, first, you must select what and for whom the “science” is to be used. Can I trust a president who focused his full address on the OMNIcron virus? Does this intelligent President know what OMNI does to those who attended science class and paid attention? and he belongs to that vile group: GP in South Africa who raised concern about Omicron claims she was under pressure not to describe it as “moderate” Governments allegedly put pressure on the South African GP who initially raised the alarm about Omicron “not to announce that it was a benign sickness publicly.” Read More:Dental Billing Company
The best and quickest approach would be to initiate a global nuclear war if we must feel that we must act “urgently” to stop or slow down environmental issues. Of course, Dr. Dressler and his associates must be saved, alongside the World Economic Forum attendees participants and elite Team Blue personnel, so that we can construct a top-secret luxury resort for them on a distant island where they can endure the radiation.Read More:
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With Willow Creek an essential blindness shows itself. Can anyone on here say Biden has acted on principle in matters related to energy ???? 600 million barrels of oil over its lifetime, up to 180,000 barrels of oil a day!!
And why? What does he see now that his 50 years in public office kept him from knowing???
Grow up, everybody. This is Biden as he has ALWAYS been.