Here's my position for what it is worth...
...climate changes. It changes a bit by the actions of us humans. How much is up for grabs but I'm going with .3 degree C per century.
Then I look at dire predictions from the 1980's and compare them to observable effects. There are undoubted gaps. I'm looking at the Maldives whose government claims they are sinking while investing in coastal developments. I'm looking at snow near Madrid in March. I'm looking at glaciers which refuse to melt fast enough.
Then I think of past extinction events. Mainly caused by cold periods. Then I think of the periods where things were burgeoning, mainly warm times.
Then I think of subsidised 'green' schemes that fail to deliver. PV, windmills, wavepower. Then I remember I am paying for the failures.
Then I look at climategate and fakegate. And I think how much power the catastrophe lobby have over policymaking and wonder why. I then remember reading Henny Penny to my kids and understand that we are programmed to believe the worst. Even if it kills off all our friends. And turns out not to happen. That quadrant of the precautionary principle for No Threat/Do Something doesn't look appealing to me.
I look to scientists and commentators who are willing to argue a case. And I mean argue. Not on the basis of 'the science is settled.' Not on the basis of 'the models say.' And I see the folks that want to engage are much like me. Interested in clarity.
And then I think about the energy poor world that making a change demands. And I think what if I'm wrong and there is warming and it will cause drastic population reduction. And I wonder whether a self-inflicted return pre-industrial living is worse than a natural (believe it or not man is part of nature and not outside it) decline which will correct itself over time. Perhaps not. Perhaps the time of the cockroaches is approaching.
I choose to live a low impact life. For 6 months of the year I live without electricity in a tent. Using an earth closet. Scavenging for firewood. Doing forestry. That's a choice. I don't seek to impose it.
So I am pleased to call myself a skeptic. My skepticism is about the nature of the catastrophe or, indeed whether there actually is one.
There is no doubt that I will get downvotes, I usually do. If you are hovering over that button, do tell me why. Demonstrate it is not just a zealous faith in the science.
Long post thank you for reading this far.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
