Some climate extremists say there is a “consensus
of evidence.” That raises the alarm.
FACTS ARE: there has been no global warming for a decade and a half; sea
level has been rising for eight years at a rate equivalent to just three
centimeters per century; hurricane activity is at its lowest in the 30-year
satellite record; global sea-ice extent has hardly changed in that time;
Himalayan glaciers have not lost ice overall; ocean heat content is rising four
and a half times more slowly than predicted; and the 50 million “climate
refugees” that the UN had said would be displaced by 2010 simply do not exist.
To date, the “consensus of evidence” does not support catastrophism.
Following are 10 false
arguments that extremists commonly use:
Fallacy # 1
The reputation or
appeal-to-authority fallacy.
“Ah,” say the believers, “but there is a
consensus of scientists and learned societies. ” A group has a reputation. It may not be deserved; even if it deserves
it, it may not be acting in accordance with it; and, even if it is, it may be
wrong.
Fallacy # 2
The fallacy of arguing
from ignorance.
“But it’s only when we include a strong warming
effect from man’s CO2 emissions that we can reproduce the observed warming of
the past 60 years. We cannot think of any other reason for the warming.” That
argument is from the UN’s climate panel, the IPCC. We do not know why the warming has occurred
so it must be man’s fault.
Fallacy # 3
The red-herring fallacy
“The rate of global warming is accelerating.
Therefore it is caused by us.” Even if global warming were accelerating, that
would tell us nothing about whether we were to blame. The IPCC twice uses this
fallacious argument in its 2007 Fourth Assessment Report. Its argument
is illogical and the fact remains that the warming rate is not increasing. The notion that it is accelerating was based
on a statistical abuse that the IPCC has refused to correct.
Fallacy # 4
The fallacy
of inappropriate pity
“What about the polar bears?” There are five times as many polar bears as
there were in the 1940s — hardly the population profile of a species at
imminent threat of extinction.
Fallacy # 5
The argument from
false cause
“For 60 years we have added CO2 to the
atmosphere. That causes warming. Therefore the warming is our fault.” Merely because one event precedes another does
not necessarily mean that it is the cause of it.
Fallacy # 6
The circular-argument
fallacy
“We program computer models to conclude there
will be strong warming if we add CO2 to the air. The models show there will be
a strong warming. Therefore the warming is our fault.” A premise cannot at the same time be the
conclusion of an argument.
Fallacy # 7
The fallacy of accident
“Global warming caused Hurricane Katrina.” This
is the inappropriate argument from the general to the particular. Even the IPCC admits individual
extreme-weather events cannot be ascribed to global warming. Hurricane Katrina
was only a Category 3 at landfall. The true reason for the damage was failure
to maintain the sea walls.
Fallacy # 8
The fallacy of
converse accident
“Arctic sea ice is melting: Therefore man-made
global warming is a problem.” This is the inappropriate argument from the
particular to the general. Arctic ice
may be melting, but the Antarctic has been cooling for 30 yrs while the sea ice
there grows; where's the GLOBAL issue.
Fallacy # 9
The attack on the
person rather than on the argument.
Someone with a valid argument verses extremists
is found to declare he is a capitalist and this is refuted. “Therefore
everything he says is nonsense.”
Fallacy # 10
The argument of Force
“We don’t care what the truth is. We want more
taxation and regulation. We will use global warming as an excuse. If you
disagree too loudly we will haul you before the COURTS.”
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