White House Balks at ClimateGate, Says Climate Change is Happening
Posted December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm in Energy and Environment 
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When asked about ClimateGate, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs dismissed its importance, emphasizing that “climate change is happening.”
Of course climate change is happening. Soon we’ll be calling press conferences to declare, “The earth is moving” or “It’s going to get dark tonight.” The reality is the climate has been changing ever since there was a climate, and part of that change was a cooling period as recent as the 1940s to the 1970s giving rise to fears of a coming ice age. When Gibbs spouts this rhetoric, he’s clearly referring to human-induced warming, but since when has climate change become synonymous with manmade global warming? And what does it take for a scientific consensus to stop being one?
In fact, the phrase “climate change” is one of climatologist Roy Spencer’s major irritations about the whole climate change debate. He writes, “Thirty years ago, the term “climate change” would have meant natural climate change, which is what climate scientists mostly studied before that time. Today, it has come to mean human-caused climate change. The public, and especially the media, now think that “climate change” implies WE are responsible for it. Mother Nature, not Al Gore, invented real climate change.”
A number of events may have made it clear to global warming alarmists and proponents of cap and trade legislation that global warming just wasn’t selling. Maybe it was in the beginning of 2009 when global warming ranked dead last when a Pew poll asked respondents to prioritize 20 issues facing the nation. Global warming fell well behind the economy, jobs, social security, education and it even falls behind moral decline, lobbyists and trade policy. It could have been a more gradual shift over the past decade since temperatures have relatively flat lined.
Or maybe it was the lack of natural disasters that failed to reach U.S. soil after Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth depicted constant 2012-like weather catastrophes. Interestingly, the hurricane season ends today and “has been the tamest in 12 years, and for the first time in three seasons not a single hurricane made landfall in the United States. And as researchers at Colorado State University pointed out, for the first time in a generation the Atlantic Coast has been spared major land-falling hurricanes – defined as those with peak winds of at least 111 m.p.h. – for four consecutive seasons.”
That’s not to say we won’t have more Katrina-like storms in the future, but adaptation and preparation to climate change is prudent while changing the weather with silly mechanisms like cap and trade is impossible.
It’s likely a combination of these events and a multitude of others, but in lieu of ClimateGate Gibbs remains confident that “there’s no real scientific basis for the dispute of this.” For all this incessant talk about scientific consensus from proponents of cap and trade legislation, there sure are a lot of dissenting scientists – more than 650.
• Addressing Drastic Sea Level Rises
• Natural Forces Slow Warming
• Tropical Cyclone Activity
• Warming and Cooling in the North Pacific
• Climate Change Modeling and the Sun’s Effect on Global Temperature
• Climate Engineering and the Fallacies in the EPA’s ANPR
• Anthropogenic Effects on Global Warming
• Global Warming is Irreversible
• Scientists Make Anti-Global Warming Case
• Could Global Warming Models Be Wrong?
Heritage Senior Policy Analyst Ben Lieberman summarizes it best, saying, “If influential scientists’ being caught manipulating and suppressing data is no big deal, and if the absence of any additional warming since the late 1990s is also no big deal, one wonders what if anything would be a big deal.”
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27 Responses to “White House Balks at ClimateGate, Says Climate Change is Happening”
Winghunter on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
The Scientists Involved in Deliberately Deceiving the World on Climate
http://tinyurl.com/ygglbxr
Freedom of Speech, TX on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
The people running this country are frightful. Wanna be scientists. Scientists signing on to climate reports that know nothing about climatology. Remember, a PHd is also a “doctor”.
Other scientists who are “fudging” data. Original data was destroyed because of lack of storage space? These people are sounding more unintelligent all the time.
They believe that if they keep saying something often enough then people will believe it.
Our propaganda minister now says that climate change is happening. Climate change is always happening. Except the temperature has been dropping and even if it is not, there is nothing WE can do about it. Even if we bankrupt our country and “distribute the wealth” to foriegn countries, it will not change anything – except turn us into a totally government-dependent people.
That is the real goal, is it not – Mr. Gibbs?
I guess a meteor strike would change the climate also. Let’s spend more trillions to build a climate defense shield around the planet!
I don’t know how much longer I can take these guys. It would have been better to die in combat than a slow death of liberal propaganda insanity.
Bondservant1958, california on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
A 21st Century Psalm
December 7th is coming fast
We must act, before Copenhagen is passed
If that Treaty is law I guarantee
Another occurrence of infamy
As they strip away democracy
We wish to debate the natural state
It was warm for awhile, but cold as of late
The scientist tried to hide the decline
Deny debate through deceit and design
The science was settled and the data deleted
All opposition was effectively defeated
From checking the facts, and results repeated
Who could prove the science was cheated
Man Made Global Warming is a lie
The CRU e-mails and codes do testify
The purpose, a Carbon Debt to apply
Kiss your money, technology and freedom goodbye
The silence is deafening across the land
As the revelations the public now understands
The weathers a carrot meant to disguise
A corrupt agenda before our eyes
And now we see light shining in Truth
Politicians, media, and search engines declare moot
You can glimpse the extent of the hypocrisy
In how they declare there is nothing to see
So much for transparency
Climategate Googlegate Copenhagengate
Who gave you permission to decide our fate?
Censoring discussion denying debate
The Spirit of Truth you desecrate
In all debate Truth intervenes
Asks does the end justify the means?
Demands that honesty remains supreme
That commitments aren’t made on fraudulent schemes.
It’s time for the passive acceptance to end
It’s time to stand for freedom as free men
It’s time to expose the lies and deceit
It’s time to take it to the streets
Do not commit sedition do not get jailed
Non-Violent revolutions do not fail
The voice of the Prophets, Gandhi and King
Are calling for you to get marching
Or just sit back and take the vaccine.
BaitSlinger…..NC on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
You know something is up when a writer for the New York Times starts questioning the validity of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) and Climate Research Unit (CRU) findings. The climate has been changing since day one and it will continue to change until the last day. I find it amazing how ignorant and arrogant man can be to think he holds the key to life or death for planet Earth. But, everybody in today’s world seems to have to have a cause to champion and if it makes them filthy rich (enter Al Gore stage left) in the process that’s icing on the cake. Really, all this talk about all organisms being fried (except for cockroaches) because the ozone layer is starting to disappear is a moot point. Teotwawki will take place in 2009 or 2011 or is it 2012, well no matter, we won’t be here so climate change and global-warming will have little to no effect on us.
Shane, San Francisco CA on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
Right on. Evidence of scientific fraud that has tainted the academic system on a global scale is a very big deal. Not too mention the gain in profits from this nonsense. Why does the White House simply dismiss hard facts such as these emails? Obama and his staff are nothing but no good crooks that are out to fraud the citizens of the United States.
Ld Elon on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
You have to ask yourselves now, what else is there that they could of mislead you on regarding all that is.
Surely this would not be thee only subject to question in mind to ones self being.
“One mans peace is another mans war” “War is Peace”
jon eden on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
The study of GW is the largest scientific enterprise ever, and the idea that you are going to overthrow findings that have been shown every which way to Sunday by coming up with some emails from a few rogue scientists is, well frankly, absurb.
I really don’t understand you people. Do you think the only purpose of science is to support an ever growing economy?
When humans alter major green gases in an absolutely unprecedented fashion, you don’t think that has consequences?
Or is it that you think the consequences of such action are just tough crap–let the victims work it out the best way they can?
I do want to credit you with winning the public opinion battle–not a necessarily difficult task among a population that thinks the Earth is only 6 thousand years old. Nice piece of work you so called conservative guys and gals.
Bobbie Jay on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
As a child, I remember a very advising commercial. “It’s not nice to fool mother nature.” Al Gore and the egg on his face proves it.
I believe climate change is happening, IN GOVERNMENT! Instead of a few missteps here and there, it’s now throughout!
DECEPTION LEADING THE WAY!
Ron Rice Bakersfield, Ca on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
I really think we should look into that “the world is flat,” thing again. I’m sure there are enough LIBs that would fall for that one as well.
Richard S Courtney, Falmouth, UK on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
Jon Eden:
There is no evidence of any kind that man-made global warming exists, will exist, or – if it does exist – will become a problem.
There is much evidence that Mann-made global warming disinformation exists and is a problem.
Richard
Ben on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
Mr. Eden, the science is exactly what is the problem here. The problem is that the greenhouse gas hypothesis is large on rhetoric and light on evidence. You need five steps to prove that we should enact carbon reductions
Temperatures are rising;
CO2 is to blame;
This is bad;
We can meaningfully reduce CO2;
It is better to reduce CO2 than to adapt.
Any “proof” that I have seen has simply been to show step one. The science behind step 2 is sketchy at best. Step 3 relies on models that cannot reliably predict tomorrow’s weather predicting weather events such as floods based on heavily exacerbated global warming. There is no hard evidence for either 2 or 3, and as an engineer, I know exactly how far to trust extrapolative models (I can throw this computer further). Straight-line extrapolation is more accurate and simpler. Based on generous assumptions, we can say that a doubling of CO2 will give 1C of warming.
Step 4 and 5 are flat-out false. There is only one way to meaningfully reduce carbon usage on a large scale, and that is nuclear power generation (all the “renewables” in Europe could be replaced with a single large-scale nuclear plant for a fraction of the price). However, this option is for all practical purposes banned. Estimates of coping with a temperature rise of 2C are in the tens of billions. Reducing CO2 output by 10% is in the neighborhood of 10 trillion.
So, in a logical argument where every step MUST be true in order to act on climate change, we have one truth, two possibilies, and two falsehoods. This is hardly an ironclad case for action.
John, USA on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
The White knows “climate change” is coming because of the inbound object they are hiding with the chemtrails and not telling you about.
Bob, Portland, OR on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
History, will judge these ObamaMites harshly.
Do they really think they can pull all of this off and get away with it?
Fools they are…
Tom Waterloo Iowa on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
Can you say Crap and Sharade? I meen Cap and Trade. Just another Obama-Pelosi-Reid-Gore lie on its way to raising taxes..
Dean-Texas/Alaska on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
The cult of man caused “global warming,” amongst the liberals attracts the self lobotomized as radical as the most radical Islamic. Too bad for intellectual freedom, and the so called intellectual “elite.” Now protecting their turf like something with rabies.
Richard, Texas on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
It’s getting bad for the “greenies” when the liberal news media starts asking embarrassing questions about “global warming”.
Brad S,, Detroit, MI on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
What was really disturbing was to see Al Gore’s big fat head on the cover of Newsweek the other day. I think the title was “The Thinking Man’s Thinking Man”. It should have read “The Bernie Madoff of Global Warming.”
I am also an engineer and I agree with the previous post. When so-called scientists refuse to share data and methods to come to an agreed upon model for predictions, it’s not really true science anymore – more like political science. There is no money in telling the government that provided you the grant in the first place – “Well, you see, we did all of the analysis and we really don’t see any effect of man’s pollution on global climate change. We actually found out that the earth’s rotation, solar activity and ocean currents that we have no control over are the biggest factors in determining the world’s temperature. Sorry. I guess we won’t need the study and testing funds for 2010 thru 2014 like we originally planned. ”
I really like the way the so-called ECO-NUTS have changed their story over the past decade. First it was CFC’s and HydroCarbons and NOx were destroying the Ozone layer and then leading to global warming. And then, at some point it was CO2 and climate change. What a load of shinola.
Lloyd Scallan – New Orleans on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
It’s hard to accept that some of those that reply to this site are as out of touch with reality as they seam to be. Just study the history of our
environment. Changes have occured since records have been kept. I don’t understand how some people can’t see the deception and flat out lies the left has told to get the power and control they so desire. Since its very inception, the entire left-wing environmental movement has had one ultimate goal, COMMUNISM. Just as Obama has declared, he wants to “spread the wealth”. The facts have been hidden from all of us by those that support this ideology, the Democrats and the main-stream news media, are just now starting to be exposed. Only those that are total fools that refuse to question and explore the true facts, will continue to support the lie that is
“man made golbal warming”.
Tim Az on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
Maybe it’s time to stop buying anything that is marketed as good for the environment. Since this marketing ploy is based in the science of fraud. Green marketing has been an increasing annoyance to me since its inception. I always look for products that do not support the fraud of global warming. It seems to me there’s a mass amount of money to be made from fraud lawsuits here. There must be at least one lawyer out there that would’nt be apposed to some financial gain.
Military Wife, Texas on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
Bondservant1958, california, that was an awesome Psalm. I would like to copy and send this to everyone in my address book. Did you write this? I want to give credit where credit is due.
Dennis Idaho on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
I am reminded of a poem: Fire and Ice by Robert Frost
Some say the world will end in Fire
Some say in Ice
What I have tasted of desire
I hold with those that favor Fire
But Ice is also great
And will suffice.
The objective of the “climate change” group is to wealth and control.
Man has always wanted to control the weather, however with all our technology we cannot even get an accurate forecast more than a week without a 50% disclaimer.
Jeanne Stotler, woodbridge, Va on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
When I was in school I was taught that the world orbited and since it varied in it’s distance from earth that cycles occur every so many years.Christmas 1964 was so warm I had to go in the attic and get our spring coats out, I’ve seen it so cool on July 4th that we needed sweaters to see the fireworks from the Wash. Monument, 1966 wnter there was so much snow schools were closed for over a week, we didn’t have newspapers for four days and even the buses could not get around, This year has been wet and cool spring and fall, our summer mild, we are suppose to have a severe winter, we’ll wait and see, one thing sure these people who spread fear are getting rich peddling their stuff and propaganda and those who buy it are incouraging them to go on. I respect the earth, compose piles and a rainbarrel are from the past and worth while, I garden and use the sun for part of my heat, I cook meals and use leftovers, I was taught this and we did all this during WWII, it’s not new.
Special K (NJ, USA) on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
With apologies to the late, great Winston Churchill,
It can be said about the “climate change” pitch:
Never has so much been made over so little by so many
(Including Al Gore) who, in the process, have gotten rich.
But we must give credit where credit is due:
Folks in politics, knowing nothing about climate at all–
Have done their dead level best
The process of reason to stall
While giving full vent to positions
That envision dire consequences from burning derivatives of oil;
Something, e.g., that a Nobel-level economist has equated
With a desire to see the earth parboil.
Unfortunately all those enumerated above
Appear to be immune to rational discourse–
Even so-called scientists of the pro-climate change persuasion
Destroy the data on which they’ve based their conclusions, perforce.
By and large, overall, on the whole,
It would seem such “scientists” may have found a new calling
As keepers of the faith that espouses belief
In the proposition that the sky is falling.
Bondservant1958 on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
Dear Military Wife
Thank you and yes I did. Feel free to send it to all
Lwesson, Tejas on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
The whole purpose for trying to lock up and control carbon output is NOT to save the planet but to control the global Western Peoples and their economies. Joe Eden did not bother to read any of the e-mails from scientists who were NOT dissidents but rather upset that data did not meet or support computer models saying that Global Warming is happening, and thus the willful attempt to hide “incorrect” data or to manipulate to support the computer model. Some great science going on there Joe!
Again, it is simple. It is NOT about climate change, it is about control over Western Society! Oh, and if some of the elites can make billions then all the more pretty.
Jerry from Chicago on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
And of course, the genius Press Secretary, Robert ‘Fibbs’ is thee scientific authority on the subject.
Joe Ruffino, New York on December 1st, 2009 at 2:49pm said:
Tge White House people lie! Obama should be impeached for not living up to his oath to protect and defend the constitution and the USA The U.S Supreme Court should take a hint from the Hondouran Supreme Court.