Climate crazies still huffing and puffing

Vincent J. Curtis

24 Dec 20

RE: Roadblocks on the road to zero emissions.  Hamilton Spectator op-ed of this date, writtne by Robert Hicks.  Mr. Hicks works at the McMaster University branch of OPIRG, the Ontario Public Interest Research Group, a left-wing "research" group that has been around since at least the 1970s.  I don't know what Mr. Hicks' scientific specialty is, but he positively rhapsodized about mathematics being the "music of reason."  Actually, theoretical science, to the extent it can, tries to mathematize its laws in summary of empirical results.  I suspect Mr. Hicks is not into the philosophy of science, and so lacks this precision of understanding.  Nevertheless, handwaving about the beauty of math is supposed to provide support for his thesis, that the world is going to hell in a handbasket after the year 2030 unless we stop emitting carbon now!.  That 'we' being Canada specifically, but the western world generally.  Did I say that OPRIG was left-wing?  Below is an answer to the op-ed.

Robert Hicks can rhapsodize all he likes about mathematics being “the music of reason,” but here are a couple other turns of reason concerning math: figures can lie and liars can figure.  Another is GIGO: garbage in, garbage out.

The year 2030 has become significant in the minds of the climate crazies because they believe it to be the year when the earth reaches a climatic precipice, and the earth will accelerate into Venus-like conditions.  Except, it won’t. (Remember AOC and the 12 years to disaster?  "this is our World War 2!" she said.)

Actually, the year 2030 is the year set in the Paris Climate Accord when underdeveloped countries like China and India will cease being permitted to raise the amount of CO2 they emit as much as they want.  China and India are two large countries building coal-fired power plants as quickly as they can.  In 2030, they are supposed to follow limits.

Nevertheless, the IPCC, which remains the gold standard of climate craziness, wants mankind to prevent global climatic temperatures from rising above 1.5℃ by 2101, eighty years hence.  Trouble is, none of the climate models are any good.  (With experience of pandemic modelling, are we surprised?)  Satellite measurements show that the atmosphere rose in temperature between 1979 and 2019 by 0.13℃ per decade, and so will be on track for 1.5℃ rise by the end of the 21st century.  Unless the trend reverses, as reverse it did twice in the 20th century.

Rhapsodize about math, but the empirical results are what matter.

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