Article

2015-10-10 -Signs, Portents, and the Weather-

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Sven the pelter 2015-10-10 00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 The moral of this particular story is: don't send somebody up against a Senate Judiciary subcommittee, chaired by the likes of Ted Cruz (or Trey Gowdy), unless your spokesperson is prepared to respond to direct questioning with something more specific than canned pre-rehearsed answers

For those who have not seen the entire hearing:
Sen. Cruz Hearing: Opportunity Denied: How Over-regulation Harms Minorities Full Video ,
It is worth watching:
(Aaron Mair's testimony starts at the 48:00 min. mark - and ends at 54:00 min. mark)

In his written testimony, Aaron Mair, president of the Sierra Club, asserted that: "Foes of EPA live in an alternative universe in which corporate polluters use propaganda to persuade vulnerable low-income Americans to oppose anti-pollution efforts. That people of color and low-income communities are disproportionately impacted by pollution and climate disruption should not be up for debate any more so than the science behind climate change itself."

"Over-regulation is stifling opportunity for people who want to achieve the American dream," Mr. Cruz said.
But Cruz then adamantly took issue with Mair's contention that climate change is not up for debate.

When given the proper time, in an open forum, Sen. Cruz's debate performances are nothing short of masterful. Cruz knows how to frame each argument in a way that focuses on hard information currently at hand, and is adept at bringing a "deflected off the rails argument" back on track when necessary.

Mr. Mair's entire repeated response boiled down to "We concur with 97 percent of the scientists that believe the anthropogenic impact of mankind with regards to global warming are true." --- Which otherwise would have been considered a suitable response had Sen. Cruz not been far more familiar with the origin of that particular talking point, and indeed more knowledgeable in every other aspect concerning the entire topic of global warming.

Cruz's point about satellite data is based on science.
Mr. Mair's answer is based on what many would contend to be faulty and distorted statistical analysis.
Seriously, it looks very bad for your cause, when the president of your organization (Aaron Mair) has to constantly be fed pre-rehearsed lines by his staff.

Indeed, it could be said that Aaron Mair was proven to be the "science denier," and Ted Cruz the champion of science, if all available data and scientific evidence is properly acknowledged, well understood, and left unmanipulated.

Posted by junkiron 2015-10-10 09:00|| 2015-10-10 09:00|| Front Page Top

#2 Not only is the 97% claim an anti-scientific argument and an inaccurate conclusion from the referenced studies, but the studies are old information from before all the recent discoveries of additional factors impacting climate. Not that it matters, but it would be interesting to see how a poll of scientists or a survey of publications would look now that the Pause is a thing and the large cooling impact of volatile organic compounds has been discovered.

Posted by trailing wife 2015-10-10 10:37|| 2015-10-10 10:37|| Front Page Top

#3 I suspect that poll would be less dependent on available facts and data, and more dependent on the availability of the grant $ they are addicted to.

Science is NEVER settled for real scientists

Posted by Frank G 2015-10-10 11:11|| 2015-10-10 11:11|| Front Page Top

#4 When the zombie apocalypse strikes, I'm hoping only lefties will be effected. I'll feel so safe because they have no need for brains.

Posted by AlmostAnonymous5839 2015-10-10 11:40|| 2015-10-10 11:40|| Front Page Top

23:56 Sven the pelter
23:51 Skidmark
23:48 Sven the pelter
23:35 g(r)omgoru
23:30 Skidmark
23:19 g(r)omgoru
23:13 g(r)omgoru
21:57 ed in texas
20:55 Besoeker
20:53 linker
20:45 Skidmark
20:44 Procopius2k
20:40 Skidmark
20:39 Skidmark
20:37 Skidmark
20:35 Skidmark
20:34 lord garth
20:16 Skidmark
20:06 charger
19:53 Procopius2k
19:07 phil_b
19:02 anon1
19:01 anon1
19:00 Blossom Unains5562