Monday, December 14, 2009

Stefan Molyneux's Parade of Non-science

The global warming deniers are out in full force these days. Unfortunately, their arguments are mostly pseudo-scientific bullshit. As with evolution, it's a majority of credible scientists vs. a small group of fringe rightwingers. This Stefan Molyneux video is a textbook case:



At the beginning of the video Stefan encourages us to get *both* sides of the story. Pretty funny, considering that virtually all of his claims are either half-truths, misrepresentations, lies of omission or simply flat-out lies.

New Scientist has long since put together a comprehensive special feature addressing nearly all of Stefan's drastically overstated claims. Seriously, you can practically go down this thing like a checklist as you watch Stefan shamelessly spew sentence after sentence of silliness.

Everything from the ice cores to the sun spots to the data modeling to the hockey stick graph to the “other planets are warming too” excuse (along with plenty more) is addressed. Stefan unthinkingly regurgitates all of it.

I put off blogging on this subject, but have to admit that I am soooo sick of the non-science spewed by right-wingers on this issue that I had to eventually post something. The figures these guys use are every bit as dishonest as the left's healthcare numbers.

Look, I'm an anti-statist. That doesn't mean I'm going to just deny science because I don't like what it says. Unfortunately, I feel that most of my fellow libertarians are doing just that.

OK I've calmed down now and am eating a cookie. End post!

11 comments:

  1. The argument is that co2 is some great driver of temperature change on Earth...though, frankly, there is no evidence that co2 has ever previously caused temperature changes...rather it seems to follow temperatures, not lead them. In fact, the argument put forward to 'refute' the 'GW is solar' theory, is that yes, the sun may have been behind every climate shift previously, but for the first time ever co2 is causing temperature changes on Earth.

    The pro-AGW argument I decribe above:
    http://www.skepticalscience.com/solar-activity-sunspots-global-warming.htm

    To me it's junk science. There is no shortage of scientists who to not conform to AGW theory (31000 scientists in the US petition for example)
    A good list of 'denier' scientists here:
    http://www.populartechnology.net/2007/10/no-consensus-on-global-warming.html
    And for no particular reason, Buzz Aldrin too:
    http://www.rightsidenews.com/200907045344/energy-and-environment/nasa-astronaut-dr-buzz-aldrin-rejects-global-warming-fears.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're just repeating denial tomes that have been long debunked, but that's all you're probably good for.

      https://www.skepticalscience.com/argument.php

      Delete
  2. I think it's clear humans have an effect on the environment, the question is what can we do about it? Should we bother with arguing over CO2 when there's plenty of other things that would be easier to correct first?

    I think Japan got it right. They dumped a lot of money into alternative energy research and more efficient electronics. Of course, they dumped a lot of chemicals into the world while doing so, and there's the whole whale/dolphin thing.

    What's sad to me is that "pollution" is really just inefficiency. By-products are useful resources we should not be throwing away. We threw away the materials that made plastic for deacdes before we figured out how to use that gunk left over from making gasoline. The Japanese are ahead of us here, too. Need proof? They mine their sewage for gold.

    Maybe we've been flushing a fortune away all this time!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I just wrote an article about this last week.

    I agree somewhat: http://www.gonzotimes.com/1164/climategate_lies/

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good post, Cork. I've tended to fall on the other side of this question, but that may just be due to my anti-statism reacting to all the statist solutions that have been proposed to "solve" the problem. However, the truth is important, and I follow it wherever it leads.

    I'm definitely going to continue to look at what the real facts are, and perhaps even become an agnostic on the issue (at least until I can figure out who the hell is right).

    ReplyDelete
  5. SE: that's the problem with taking sides.

    There's nothing wrong with acknowledging that government is sometimes useful for correcting problems. Don't let monumental mistakes like cap-and-trade turn you off to the fact that private companies are doing nothing (and how/why should they?) to correct a problem that effects everyone.

    ReplyDelete
  6. So about these guys: http://www.petitionproject.org/
    Are they nutty right wingers too or scientists?
    The global warming theory isn't backed by much/any real science, its based off a corrupt UN commitee and Al Gore's factually incorrect movie. A truck driver in the UK sued him and they had to admit much of the movie was fabricated.
    The government doesn't give a crap about the enviroment, they just want your money...

    ReplyDelete
  7. AdamS,

    "Scientists" like these?

    Ginx,

    It's a good question but really for another post (or series of posts). I guess I'm commenting here not as a libertarian with policy ideas but as an atheist concerned with the denial of science and reason.

    Theists don't care what happens to the world either way because they think they'll be sipping pina coladas with their favorite sky pixie.

    SE,

    Thanks a bunch for the non-hostile response. For the record, I think there are *are* fearmongers just as fanatical as the deniers. However, most of the anti-gw "science" I've come across at conservative websites is a bunch of nonsense.

    ReplyDelete
  8. theftthroughinflation,

    That petition site you linked to *admits* that all they require is a bachelor's degree in some area of science. Even if it's in mathematics, medicine or zoology, for chrissakes (just the people I go to for climate information!).

    ReplyDelete
  9. Environmentalism is the liberal "terrorism." Are they real problems? Sure. Will the government over-react to them? Republicans over-reacted to terrorism, but I doubt the Dems have the balls when it comes to the environment.

    ReplyDelete
  10. "theftthroughinflation,

    That petition site you linked to *admits* that all they require is a bachelor's degree in some area of science. Even if it's in mathematics, medicine or zoology, for chrissakes (just the people I go to for climate information!)."

    Cork, do you even have "just" a science related bachelor's degree?

    ReplyDelete

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