ericgrimsrud

I wonder what the Deniers of anthropogenic global warming (AGW) will say about the recently released average global temperature for last year. Turns out that 2014 had the highest average surface temperatures ever recorder by standard direct methods over the last 130 years. The figure below shows that data for both annual and decadal averages. For a more detailed explanation of data, see http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/01/16/3612351/noaa-nasa-2014-hottest-year-on-record/

Since the Deniers I am now wondering about are never constrained by either facts or scientific knowledge, I am sure they will come up with something – such as a return to  ”but these temperature increases were not caused by either mankind or the 40% extra CO2 he has added to the atmosphere”. They will say it is due, instead, to natural forces, right? In which case these natural forces apparently laid dormant for several thousands of years and then decided to kick in coincidentally just as the Industrial Age began in about 1850. And never mind the fact that there have been no natural changes over the Industrial Age that could account for these temperature increases.

I could go on and on about why the Deniers of AGW are either complete idiots or scientific prostitutes – servicing the needs of the fossil fuel industries – but will not do that again here because we now have this new figure shown above that is worth thousands of words. Also note in this figure how silly is the oft-heard claim from Deniers that surface temperature have now stopped rising and that we are presently in a “hiatus” of temperature increase, right? Furthermore, the Deniers claim that there is no need to fear even greater temperatures as we go forward with our Business-as-Usual practices, right?
The reality and imminent threat of AGW is now so apparent that one wonders where the Deniers of it are now finding any refuge and isolation from the obvious. The answer to that question appears to be within the set of GOP Senators and Representatives now in Congress.. Last I heard, the subject of climate change was not even included as an area of concern in the GOP Platform. To be in good standing within that group, one is advised to be a staunch Denier. With these folks now in the majorities, our two congressional houses are the only governmental organizations in DC that thinks this topic should be ignored. Even our military branches hold the opposite view.

So for your amusement, if nothing else, stay tuned for the “explanation” of the figure shown above that is likely to be offered by Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma. Amazingly, he is both a first rate and proud Denier of AGW and now the Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee! Senator Inhofe appears to be a Denier for both of the reasons I cited above. That is, he is, perhaps understandably, a prostitute for the fossil fuel corporations of Oklahoma and the book he has written on the on the subject of climate change shows that he is a scientific retard. If he were alive today, I think Oklahoma’s favorite son, Will Rogers, would modify one his most famous quotes to “we have the dumbest Congress money can buy”.
So, if you happen to know or have access to one of our elected GOP Senators or Representatives, please show him or her the figure shown above. And if required, please also help that elected official understand the meaning of its contents. If what I just said appears to be a bit condescending to the GOP, so be it. The GOP must be literally forced, it appears, to recognize and acknowledge that science provides our best means of predicting what Mother Nature will do in response to the impacts of mankind – and then behave accordingly.