Koomin’s WSJ op-ed correctly points out the rising backlash against efforts to mitigate future global warming. “What could revive this flagging transition?” he asks. “Perhaps connections between human influences on climate and the disastrous effects of more frequent severe weather. But despite claims to the contrary, the U.N. finds such connections haven’t emerged for most types of weather extremes. The complexity of climate science makes it unlikely that will happen anytime soon.” By “the U.N.” Koomin undoubtedly means the IPCC, which actually says, “Human-induced climate change, including more frequent and intense extreme events, has caused widespread adverse impacts and related losses and damages to nature and people... The rise in weather and climate extremes has led to some irreversible impacts as natural and human systems are pushed beyond their ability to adapt (high confidence).” (AR6, WGII Headlines,) Serious damage is now clearly attributed and no informed person doubts that much more will be clearly attributed in future decades. We may expect this will indeed increase demands for mitigation. By egregiously misinforming his readers, Koomin presumably hopes to delay such mitigation, perhaps until it is too late.
This is one of my favorite climate conversations. I just watched it a second time and urge everyone with as poor a memory as me, to do the same! We just had the presidential election. I think we would be well served if Trump picked someone as astute and civil as Steve Koonin to be his science advisor or DOE chairman. I hope Koonin would consider doing it, but I fear there will instead be the usual Trump chaos, probably incompetent political appointment, and belief by Trump that he himself is the foremost expert.
As we have all heard over and over, The phenomena climate change can be interpreted through the lense of a number of complexities and elements. However it can also be pinned down to very specific human interventions or impacts. For instance burning fossil fuels, a specific human impact
or as NASA has suggested in the last few years, evaporation and creation of water vapor has a super intensifying effect on the Earths Green House Effect. We also understand as scientists that there are very specific places on this planet that any disruption or long term change to the natural or regional ecological conditions or order could be greatly amplifyed and effect long term climate patterns.
To continue to be prodded and have your head banged into Kookins' wall of misinformation and his insistence that it is too soon or we do not have enough information yet , is at the least misinformation and at the most leading lambs to slaughter. Climate change in itself offers no clues to what is at the root causes. If NASA is correct about water Vapor it is time we look into where all this moisture is coming from. It's unconsivable that the oceans are the cause. But what on land particularl extremely sensitive regions with the subarctic has changed over the past 50+ years?
Koomin’s WSJ op-ed correctly points out the rising backlash against efforts to mitigate future global warming. “What could revive this flagging transition?” he asks. “Perhaps connections between human influences on climate and the disastrous effects of more frequent severe weather. But despite claims to the contrary, the U.N. finds such connections haven’t emerged for most types of weather extremes. The complexity of climate science makes it unlikely that will happen anytime soon.” By “the U.N.” Koomin undoubtedly means the IPCC, which actually says, “Human-induced climate change, including more frequent and intense extreme events, has caused widespread adverse impacts and related losses and damages to nature and people... The rise in weather and climate extremes has led to some irreversible impacts as natural and human systems are pushed beyond their ability to adapt (high confidence).” (AR6, WGII Headlines,) Serious damage is now clearly attributed and no informed person doubts that much more will be clearly attributed in future decades. We may expect this will indeed increase demands for mitigation. By egregiously misinforming his readers, Koomin presumably hopes to delay such mitigation, perhaps until it is too late.
Thank you Andy,
This is one of my favorite climate conversations. I just watched it a second time and urge everyone with as poor a memory as me, to do the same! We just had the presidential election. I think we would be well served if Trump picked someone as astute and civil as Steve Koonin to be his science advisor or DOE chairman. I hope Koonin would consider doing it, but I fear there will instead be the usual Trump chaos, probably incompetent political appointment, and belief by Trump that he himself is the foremost expert.
As we have all heard over and over, The phenomena climate change can be interpreted through the lense of a number of complexities and elements. However it can also be pinned down to very specific human interventions or impacts. For instance burning fossil fuels, a specific human impact
or as NASA has suggested in the last few years, evaporation and creation of water vapor has a super intensifying effect on the Earths Green House Effect. We also understand as scientists that there are very specific places on this planet that any disruption or long term change to the natural or regional ecological conditions or order could be greatly amplifyed and effect long term climate patterns.
To continue to be prodded and have your head banged into Kookins' wall of misinformation and his insistence that it is too soon or we do not have enough information yet , is at the least misinformation and at the most leading lambs to slaughter. Climate change in itself offers no clues to what is at the root causes. If NASA is correct about water Vapor it is time we look into where all this moisture is coming from. It's unconsivable that the oceans are the cause. But what on land particularl extremely sensitive regions with the subarctic has changed over the past 50+ years?
Very good preentation Andy. Thank you