Climate 411

Fallacies of Movie Critics

By / Bio / Published: March 15, 2007

ignoratio elenchi n.
A logical fallacy of presenting an argument that may in itself be valid, but has nothing to do with the proposition it purports to prove. Also known as “irrelevant conclusion”. [Lat. ignorance of refutation.]

The recent NY Times piece on the scientists who have criticized the movie An Inconvenient Truth has generated a flurry of discussion. What I saw when I read it was a series of Ignoratio Elenchi fallacies, so the scientists featured in the article win this week’s Ignoratio Elenchi Award.

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Posted in News / Comments are closed

Part 2 of 4: Worldwide Emissions

By / Bio / Published: March 14, 2007

This is the second installment of a four-part series to be published each Wednesday on Action Needed to Stop Global Warming.

1. How Warm is Too Warm?
2. Worldwide Emissions Target
3. U.S. Emissions Target
4. Technologies to Get Us There

In Part 1 of this series, we described why scientists and policy-makers have identified the melting of the Greenland ice sheet, which would lead to a 20-foot rise in sea level, as the tipping point that must not be crossed. To stay below the tipping point, average global temperatures must not rise more than 3.6oF above pre-industrial temperatures, or 2.3oF above current temperatures.Today we consider how global emissions of greenhouse gases must change over the coming century to stay below that tipping point.

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Posted in Basic Science of Global Warming, Greenhouse Gas Emissions / Read 11 Responses

Tips for Cleaner Driving

By / Bio / Published: March 13, 2007

Okay, you drive a car – you have to drive a car. You also care about climate change, and want to do something about it. You could buy a more fuel efficient car, but you like the car you have and you’re not planning on car shopping soon. Is there anything you can do? You bet! Smart driving and maintenance of your existing car can have a bigger impact than you might think – and also can save you money.

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Posted in Cars and Pollution / Read 3 Responses

I Met a Bishop… and the Pope!

By / Bio / Published: March 12, 2007

Last Friday, at the invitation of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change, I spoke at the Climate Change Hearing of the Florida Catholic Conference. The two other speakers in the morning session were Dr. Ricardo Alvarez, who gave a talk on the “Florida Perspective”, and Mr. Walt Grazer, who spoke on the “Theology of Climate Change”. The purpose of this hearing – one of many across the country – was to devise a Catholic response to climate change.

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Posted in Partners for Change / Read 1 Response

Arctic Villages Haiku

By / Bio / Published: March 9, 2007

Arctic Villages
On permafrost for millennia
Falling into sea.

Posted in Arctic & Antarctic / Comments are closed

Carbon Offsets Count

By / Bio / Published: March 8, 2007

ignoratio elenchi n.
A logical fallacy of presenting an argument that may in itself be valid, but has nothing to do with the proposition it purports to prove. Also known as “irrelevant conclusion”. [Lat. ignorance of refutation.]

Al Gore’s response to charges of being an energy hog was that he buys carbon offsets to neutralize his carbon emissions. This sounded bogus to a lot of people, but in fact it’s not.

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Posted in Economics, Greenhouse Gas Emissions / Read 14 Responses