PrintOctober 13, 2009
Leading warmist and his embarrassing 'coming ice age' video
Warmist hysteria is starting to become brittle in the face of freezing cold weather, and 11 years of falling global temperatures. Even the BBC is asking awkward questions. Al Gore and the Society of Environmental Journalists cuts off the mic when Gore can't deal with the weakness of his drowning polar bear thesis under questioning.
It's getting downright embarrassing to be a warmist. Thus Stanford University's Stephen Schneider, a leading warmism advocate must be doubly humiliated to find his 1978 appearance on the television show "In Search of..." appearing on YouTube. Back then the good professor was alarmed about the coming ice age.
It does rather look as if the good professor uis inclined toward apocalyptic visions, and is willing to put his faith in questionable models.
Blogger Elmer, of Minnesotans for Global Warming has posted the episode in three parts. Schneider appear in part 3. Elmer notes:
Part 3:Schneider has earned a special place in the hearts of man-made global warming skeptics everywhere when he told Discover Magazine in October, 1989:On the one hand, as scientists we are ethically bound to the scientific method, in effect promising to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but -- which means that we must include all the doubts, the caveats, the ifs, ands, and buts. On the other hand, we are not just scientists but human beings as well. And like most people we'd like to see the world a better place, which in this context translates into our working to reduce the risk of potentially disastrous climatic change. To do that we need to get some broadbased support, to capture the public's imagination. That, of course, entails getting loads of media coverage. So we have to offer up scary scenarios, make simplified, dramatic statements, and make little mention of any doubts we might have. This 'double ethical bind' we frequently find ourselves in cannot be solved by any formula. Each of us has to decide what the right balance is between being effective and being honest. I hope that means being both.Schneider's been trying unsuccessfully to put that genie back in the bottle for years, and his words will live forever in the alarmist Hall of Shame.
Hat tip: Bob Ferguson
