So why do we mock them? Start with “global warming on Pluto.” But don’t hurt yourself laughing.

The earth is experiencing numerous rapid changes that are well explained by greenhouse gas accumulations and not as easily explained by solar forcing (notably stratospheric cooling). If you can find similar phenomena on *most* other planets, on a *matching* time scale, then you can make a case for an extraterrestrial source. Otherwise it’s just an exercise in cherry picking, and not a very good one either.

Joe_American’s evidence has almost surely passed through the hands of professional denialists. It actually doesn’t constitute evidence at all.

Of course it is beyond ridiculous to suggest that scientists profit from this all.

In the US, in the Clinton and Bush years at least, scientists were actively discouraged by their institutions from saying anything at all about climate policy, for fear of threatening their funding. At federal labs this was actually policy; scientists were explicitly required to say nothing in public and to defer to political operatives. For a remarkable example, see the pdf linked from

http://initforthegold.blogspot.com/2007/07/polar-bears.html

The upshot of the science is to support the energy sector, notably the renewables, energy storage, and efficiency initiatives. In other words, we are asking the money to be sent to engineers, far from our own interests.

The best bet for science is to say “further research is needed”. Scientists claiming that the evidence is sufficient already are NOT acting in their own interests.

The scientists scracthing their heads are the ones who are getting the billions in funding to keep this farce profitable

If one were to look a little closer, you would see that it is obvious that warming temps in the atmosphere and oceans has create more severe storms, whether that is in the summer or winter months.

This is not funny. It is insane that public policy makers and web site owners try to make this a political story when they do not at all understand the fundamental peer-reviewed science behind it.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060312211757.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081227214927.htm

No one has been more hysterically, rip-snortingly full of yucks than Marc “Make Me Laugh” Morano in his priceless act on behalf of Senator Jimbo Spittake Inhofre, the deadpan Andy Kaufmann of K Street.

While others get all stuffy and gloom and doom about the unyielding science consensus about global warming, Senator Okie Dokie just gets more and more creative as he creates imaginary scientists of his own, many of whom served as the model for Ron Burgandy. How the hell can you get any funnier than that?

And when the crazy, erratic, weird weather that comes with climate change happens, don’t expect that same Senator to roll over and play deadly serious. No way, Jose. That’s not the way they put the fringe on top of that surrey. They just say, “Global Warming? Can’t be. Brrrr. It’s just too damn cold for that!”

Sorry, I can’t write any more. I’m laughing too much over the concept of someone from Oklahoma being so goddamn funny it kills me.

Nobody kills like the Senator. Not even good old Saddam Hussein with his silly little mustache.

When you understand the overwhelming body of daily scientific evidence you wind up thinking that people who see the irony in this are myopic.