Can’t See the Forest for the Climate Change

“Human activities are profoundly affecting the world climate, and mountains are sensitive indicators of that effect. Mountains are an important source of water, energy, biological diversity and areas of recreation and are a major ecosystem representing the complex and interrelated ecology of our planet and are essential for the survival of the global ecosystem” (Gosh & Kimothi, 2009).

Official Launch of the Climate Science Rapid Response Team

The Climate Science Rapid Response Team (CSRRT) has officially launched its service to media and government officials.  Scientists from the CSRRT have already:

• Responded to inquiries from news sources such as New York Times, Washington Post, The Guardian, and others.
• Appeared on local and national radio shows including NPR’s Science Friday.
• Provided real-time Web-enabled scientist “color commentary” for Science Magazine’s coverage of the House of Representatives Science and Technology Committee’s hearing on climate science on November 17, 2010.

Nature Did Not Read the Hacked Emails

Climategate.  Exactly one year ago, on November 17, 2009, email messages and other computer files were illegally stolen from computers located at the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit (CRU).  These emails and files were then leaked to the Internet in a blatant attempt to derail international climate talks at the COP-15 Copenhagen Climate Conference.  Two crimes were committed that day: 1)  Emails were stolen and 2)  Scientists were wrongly put on trial in the press and the blogosphere.

These emails were spun by skeptics of man-made global warming as somehow proving that global warming is a hoax and that scientists were controlling what science gets published.  Climategate was billed as the final nail in the coffin of anthropogenic [manmade] global warming (AGW).  What has happened in the year following Climategate?

1. CO2 is still increasing
2. Climate is still warming
3. Ice is still melting
4. Severe weather increased
5. No journal articles have been published overturning AGW but there have been many supporting AGW
6. The accused scientists have been exonerated by many different investigations
7. Claims that the exonerations were a whitewash are simply hogwash
8. Climategate coverage was unfair

Scientists Reach Out to Media to Provide Accurate Information

Please see the front page of the Sunday LA Times Climate scientists plan campaign against global-warming skeptics by Neela Banerjee, Tribune Washington Bureau.  (The story is also being carried by the Chicago Tribune) 

As Neela writes:

The American Geophysical Union plans to announce that 700 researchers have agreed to speak out on the issue. Other scientists plan a pushback against congressional conservatives who have vowed to kill regulations on greenhouse gas emissions.

John Abraham should be congratulated for organizing the Climate Rapid Response Team (CRRT) composed of more than 36 top scientists who have volunteered to speak to the media about climate-related issues, including correcting the misinformation from those that deny the science.  The goal of the CRRT is to provide highly accurate information to people when questions arise about the science.  These scientists are some of the Who’s Who of climate science and they should be applauded for taking on this extra work without compensation.  They understand the importance of communicating the science so they are “walking the walk”.  Kudos to all.  The CRRT is a separate group from the AGU’s Climate Science Q&A Service that Neela describes in the story.

Neela also mentions a project John Cook (of Skeptical Science) and I, along with many others, are working on.  A handbook titled The Scientific Guide to Global Warming Skepticism is to be sent to school teachers across the US, Australia, and hopefully many other countries.  The handbook is close to being finished and I wish to thank John Cook for all of the time that he has already put into this important project.