Ads on METRO #4: AAAS

The American Association for the Advancement of Science has offered its full support to fighting global warming. They’ve produced a short video that is heavy on emotion and light on science.

It begins with the president of AAAS, Dr. John Holdren summarily declaring, “Climate change is real. Humans are responsible for a substantial part of it. It’s taking us in dangerous directions.” There you have it. Case closed. And that’s about all of the science you will get from the film.

The rest of the movie tells the sad story of polar bears floating on broken ice and Eskimos losing their homes. I have deep sympathy for the people who are being displaced by the loss of their island habitat, but I have little reason to believe that global warming and/or carbon dioxide is responsible for it. The Earth’s climate is constantly changing. Sea levels have been rising for years (mostly due to tectonic activity). There is little evidence, outside of dubious computer models, to indicate that the present warming trend (less than a degree in half a century) is man made.

But, hard science doesn’t have as much emotional appeal as people (and polar bears) losing their homes. So those who want to convince you of the “crisis” of carbon dioxide would naturally focus on the human side of the story. Still, I expected more science from the publishers of “Science.”

For the record, I am all for conserving power and exploring alternative energy sources, but not at the expense of human progress and development. And I certainly object to the exploitation of tragedy masquerading as science.

St. Francis of Paola, pray for us.