Now, I’m not here to call the Marcott et al. paper propaganda, though it certainly has been used that way. I find the presentation problematic, since it appends higher resolution thermometric data to low resolution proxy data. Furthermore, though you can apply parametric statistics to come up with a “1 sigma” error range, I’m left thinking that the uncertainty is understated, perhaps considerably so. Why? It’s because we are dealing with proxies, and multiple ones at that.

A proxy measures something else, to imply what the temperature might have been. There is a chain of assumptions involved in the proxy, any of which could falsify the temperature output.

I regard the claim that anthropogenic CO2 is driving up global temperature at “unprecedented rates” to be an extraordinary claim. Marcott’s paper just isn’t extraordinary evidence.

JohnA continues the comment in the second paragraph by making a statement of fact (there’s no question that substantial uncertainty exists with respect to understanding and projecting the future of Earth’s climate) without providing references.

.elver

At a high level, there’s no question that substantial uncertainty exists with respect to understanding and projecting the future of Earth’s climate. As a result, there is substantial uncertainty with respect to what public policies are best to pursue and what impact they would have, even if it is accepted that humans are the primary cause of recent warming trends.

The NIPCC, yourself, and most others are framing this issue in largely binary terms – there is or is not man-made global warming. Yet, that’s a largely irrelevant issue from a policy standpoint, because even purely natural warming could invite policy responses, while even purely man-made warming could nonetheless justify little in the way of policy response (depending on severity and the degree to which policy would mitigate it).

Your points individually are valid, but your approach was myopic in the broader context of the climate change issue.

When you think of how few people will be able to see through the deception, it is fascinating to show how it is exposed through a non-emotional, methodical, scientific approach.

The only reason I can see for these people promoting this kind of deception is one of the following: (1) money, power and/or fame/attention for themselves; (2) the same for whatever group or groups is supporting/promoting them that wants things to remain the same; (3) anxiety, guilt, and/or fear in the realization that what we do does have an affect on our environment and that it cannot continue forever on the same path without some changes; (4) some combination of the above.

The thing that never ceases to amaze me is how humans can go down the path of denial to the point where it makes no sense whatsoever – like rats fighting on a sinking ship rather than repairing the ship – do any of these same people have or plan to have grandchildren? Do they simply have an unending faith that humans will somehow technologically be able to “fix” all of this if it were ever to get too bad? Or do they simply not think there is any kind of problem at all?

The sad part of the latter idea is that if they simply do not think there is any kind of real problem at all, and if we continued on the same path using that thinking, and it turned out they were wrong – then we are in serious, serious trouble.

If, however, the “other side” (since this screams of the “us” versus “them” mentality) ended up being wrong after cleaning up our use of energy, then what would be the problem? Cleaner air and water while things continued to get warmer?

Seems like a much better gamble to me.

Especially if I were gambling my great-grandkid’s lives on it.