Speaking as a leftist and scientist: This animated cartoon blatantly and glaringly and completely ignores all facts relevant to the controversy concerning the science of global warming... as well as the social and political background to that controversy, chosing instead to present exclusively true but utterly irrelevant personal details of the lives of scientists in other fields, from other times. It's a vile example of propaganda and deceit via selective neglect of data and inclusion of irrelevancies.

It is an undeniable FACT that the earth IS warming. It is also a fact that increasing CO2 in the atmosphere has a greenhouse effect, that causes warming. And it is a fact that the industrial revolution has increased CO2 emissions and CO2 levels. HOWEVER, the science IS NOT THERE that can quantitate the magnitude of these effects, even to the point of telling us whether or not the effect FROM the existing CO2 increase is in any significant way RESPONSIBLE for the warming we see now. Warming of smilar and even greater degree has occured in ages pior to human industrial intervention.

The cartoon does not touch on the fact that the USA and nationos of EUROPE benefitted for a century and more from getting easy power from coal, and now with this global warmingn flim-flam want to BAR less developed nations from doing so.

I support rational energy conservation (support of mass rail transit instead of use of automobiles as primary means of transit in and beetween large cities), and construction of dwelling that are energy efficient thru insulation and use of solar heating. I support human power transportation where feasible. I support moving toward renewable energy sources, including in particular solar thermal (mirrors, boilers, steam turbines) power generation and the creation of the required INFRASTRUCTURE that is needed to support that.

But I do not support the trendy and mistaken assertions that global warming >is primarily or even significantly caused by< man's efforts, for that HAS NOT been proven with any level of confidence, and indeed likely CANNOT be shown to be either true or false for a while, until the science gets better and data gets more complete.

---marty

As a long-time fan of Fiore, and a scientist, I can't help but think this particular cartoon as just plain terrible. The scientific method is the best means at our disposal for improving our understanding of the universe, but it has time and again shown to be corruptible by money and vested interests. If there has been *any* unethical/unscientific conduct by climate change researchers, it MUST BE INVESTIGATED, end of discussion. The idea that just because "it's science, stupid" is a lame duck to hide behind, and just shows that Mark Fiore should stay away from the scientific arena, as he is clearly out of his depth.

Okay, I think humans are responsible for Global Warming, let me just put that out there. But I'm also open to the idea that I could be wrong. Even if I'm wrong, which of course I doubt I am, but still... if I am wrong, what's wrong with NOT turning the lower atmo into a monoxide suicide's garage? What's wrong with NOT shitting where we eat? What's wrong with NOT being filthy creatures that rape and pillage and kill species we don't even know, and befoul ourselves? DDT didn't exist until we were here, and it's not good for us, and it'll be around forever. We don't have to be like this.

Hehe, the caveman at the end was the best part! XD

Beam me up, Scotty. There's no intelligent life on this planet judging by the comments.

If the Left actually cared about the planet, wouldn't they take ClimateGate as good news? Wouldn't they look at the opposition's data and research with optimism? Instead they are hostile because it really isn't about the planet, it's about control.

Have no fear friends! Earth is not in danger, WE are ... The planet has known epochs with green oceans and much more CO2 in the atmosphere that we can ever pollute.

hey u

Put yourself in the place of the Greenpeace lady in this video and honestly try to answer or refute Christopher Monckton.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzkB5DuveDE

There is so much smoke and wind about this topic.
We're pretty sure the earth is going through a warming cycle and that it has gone through both cooling and warming cycles in the past.
We observe a rapid increase in atmospheric co2 that is attributable to the burning of fossil fuels for energy.
We suspect a connection between co2 and the warming cycle, but this is disputed.
We know scientists are people, this issue is politicized, there is a lot of money involved, and some of the eco-friendly stuff on the market is legitimate and some is (obviously) snake-oil and some is just weird.
There is reported to be a strong agreement among a circle of experts regarding co2 = climate change; but that agreement is not proof that they are right about the correlation or the explanations offered.

We do the best we can. Conservation is a good thing no matter if global warming is our fault or not, as is the reduction of all types of pollution.

If any researcher is found to be massaging data to hide empirical facts that may cast doubt on his supported theory it is our duty in the discourse to call shenanigans on that. Put on your thinking caps, read the fine print, and ask questions! The true strength of a theory is revealed by how well it stands up to being refuted!

Like this one! Of course if you had to prove all scientists were perfect before you believed in their discoveries we would still be waiting for the wheel.

Diana e Forrest

At Least Galleleo, Kepler and Einstein weren't using their scientific theories to promote starvation, 3rd world poverty and eco fascism the way globo warming wackos are now.

Right now in San Joaqin, 80% of our farms are going to go down the tubes and we will lose most of the capacity to feed ourselves just to protect some stupid fish. the thrid world remains in poverty because they can't develop for the sake of rainforsts, rats and bugs.

The thrid world needs to develop energy and infrastructure even if they have to cut down a few forests and burn coal and oil if they are to ever get out of poverty. We also need to stop cowtowing to this crap if we are to ever get our economy jumpstarted again. We can't depend on China to do everything for us forever.

And speaking of which, why aren't these countries in Asia supposed to follow these strict standards? Why is America and the third world the only ones who need to sacrifice prosperity and peace for some unproven theory?

Hi all!

This toon has inspired me too redouble my efforts in regards to global warming. I'm doing my part. I keep the window open and run the heat full blast, removed my Cadillac converter, and supported C02 producing industries. With a consistent effort, we can all enjoy warmer temperatures here in Canada in a few years!

Regards,

Global warming hopeful

Yeah, that's it. Not like politicians have become the new Holy Roman Empire. They even call scientists deniers! Is that the new "heretic"?
Of course the planet is warming up, we came out of a big ice age. Ice that covered a good portion of North America down to Pennsylvania. However, there have been warming periods. The Vikings called Greenland, Greenland, because it was in fact GREEN at the time. The Medieval warming period. Anyone? Did England sink? No.
The deniers are here because someone has to keep their senses. That a minor component of the atmosphere (CO2) is bad is ridiculous. Trees expel it. Plus, it would help if we could agree on methodology. http://denialdepot.blogspot.com/2009/04/co2-levels-may-have-been-over-20...

I just love this cartoon! These men were really courageous because they dared view the world in a new light, and some of them (Galileo, for one) risked excommunication and execution for speaking their minds openly! However, I miss Flamey McGassey!

Leaked e-mails showing 'human disagreements', 'scientific indiscretions', and forgivable oversights.

So that's how they're whitewashing this one, huh?

Not database architects ranting for pages about how the databases are disorganized, faked, broken, missing, or supplemental?

Not programmers' notes lamenting over model deficiencies and the need to fudge data to 'make the results right'?

Not orders to delete e-mails to avoid freedom of information act requests?

Not repeated denials to provide data or models to dissenting scientists (not including this, or this or this), or even to scientists whose 'stance' is questionable?

Just a few enlightened men, tossing some barbs against the deniers, maybe using a bit of misinterpreted language--just like Galileo and Kepler.

Mr. Fiore, this monstrosity of a toon reveals that if there's anything you understand less than the real damaging content of the CRU e-mails, it's the definition of the word "science". I suggest you turn off your personal RSS feed from the Sierra Club telling you that you can go back to sleep.

But hey. You're the one living in the state with BB- -rated bonds whose standard of living is skating downhill faster than a lead monkey. If you don't give a toot about the difference between science and the CRU, you deserve everything you get.

Ugh. Now I have to go and wash the stink off.

- COTO

Clearly this undermines all of science! I'm now convinced that people lived with dinosaurs on a flat earth.

Who else has been tweaking their research and complaining about the deniers? Find out in, Science-Gate, just posted.

-MF