Subcommittee on Green Jobs and the New Economy hearing entitled, “Farming, Fishing, Forestry, and Hunting in an Era of Changing Climate”
Tuesday, June 3, 2014, 10:00 AM EDT EPW Hearing Room – 406 Dirksen
I have an advance copy of the testimony to be presented by Dr. David Legates. Links to it and video streaming follow.
The testimony:
6.3.14 Witness Testimony – Legates (PDF)
How to watch – go here
Webcast can be accessed by clicking the red “live hearing” icon when the hearing begins at 10:00am ET. Please note that the icon will not appear until 10:00am ET and may require your web browser to be refreshed at that time.
It is so terribly depressing to read the words of Dr. Legates testimony.
Here in WA state :
But Gov. Jay Inslee and environmental groups applauded the president for his leadership in limiting carbon pollution they said poses serious risks to people and the environment.
Inslee said the state is moving forward on climate action, and its work will be more effective with committed federal allies.
The fraud of CO2 caused catastrophic global warming will not die. The government(s) at all levels are now in suppression, coercion mode, likewise the media and institutions of teaching. I see NO salvation from where this is all headed.
Well I’m not sure whether Senators actually read all of the submissions. But if they do, and besides all the useful climate data, I hope their eyes are opened to the unwholesome nature of CAGW culture by the description of David’s shocking treatment at the hands of his own University (of Delaware).
Figures 4 and 7 aren’t showing for me. I downloaded the file. But I’m using “PDF Viewer 0.1.8” that comes with Debian stable, not the official Adobe products.
Will you please post those Figures here, in case others have problems?
Tells all that needs to be understood about the corruption of science by politics and post modern scientists.
Oh, are we in “an Era of Changing Climate”?
When was the last era of non-changing climate then?
An excellent article that compliments the Congressional testimony of Dr Botkin in outlining the limitations of climate models and the claims of CAGW in general. He correctly makes the point that the effect on crop growth is a balance between precipitation and evapotranspiration in providing adequate water to the crop and the beneficial effects of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide and surface temperature. But, key points that are missing are that increased carbon dioxide reduces evapotranspiration from crops by reducing the numbers and or size of the leave stomata, making them more drought resistant, and that water supply to the crop is also linked to soil structure and the root system of the individual crops that enable them to exploit water and nutrients at different depths. This should not be taken as a criticism as it is a matter of ‘horses for courses’ and the article is more than adequate to inform members of Congress on the inadequacy of the science behind the CACW meme.
If Climate Change wasn’t ambiguous enough now we have “Changing Climate”
– Do you believe in “Changing Climate”?
– I beg your pardon. I don’t understand your question.
The comments on climate were succinct and compelling, while the witch hunt and discrimination experienced by Dr Legates are obviously the actions of the self-appointed Climate Inquisition. Only those of the true faith may be heard, all unbelievers must be punished.
Totally and utterly corrupt – Is there any other way to describe ‘climate science’ as it is practiced today?
Foolish and gullible – Is there any other way to describe politicians (usually science-challenged lawyers, economists and PR people) who believe the tall tales of imminent Thermageddon?
This is what they should tell Congress. If they would fight global warming, they might lose what a politician can use the most, a plausible excuse.
How long will it take for a sentient civilization such as ours or maybe a future one to realize the depth, the breadth and the height of the stupidity of the term “climate change”.
Climate is always changing. It is a chaotic dissipative system. That’s what they do, all the time.
What would be more unusual and worth talking about would be the anomaly of “climate stasis”. This would be like the climate having died, as Richard Lindzen put it.
Stasis and equilibrium in climate means the same as it would mean in a living organism – death of the system; no wind, no ocean currents, no cloud, no rain. No life. Is this what they want?
Reblogged this on gottadobetterthanthis and commented:
“My overall conclusion is that droughts in the United States are more frequent and more
intense during colder periods. Thus, the historical record does not warrant a claim that
global warming is likely to negatively impact agricultural activities.” Dr. David Legates
How much of this is academic freedom and how much is this is UD administrators keeping the gravy train rolling for the grant making machine? I’ve often maintained that the massive overhead of the university research system demands large, regular infusions of cash so a faculty member’s value to the institution is defined in dollars and sense as is their research. In the face of a presidential administration with a climate agenda, the administrators are simply doing what is necessary to satisfy the folks that bankroll their beaurocracy. The Feds are simply doing what they’ve always done, pulling the financial strings to make the puppets dance. With green NGO’s and the EPA having a revolving door between them, the Greenpeace FOIA is simply a back channel harassment mechanism from the Feds. The U of D administration knows who butters their bread.
Kadaka – I’m on Debian stable, too, and the file shows o.k. with Evince (Gnome desktop) and Okular (KDE desktop).
The only thing missing from the title is ‘Gathering’ as in ‘Hunting and Gathering’ as these are the only jobs that will be left once the greens get their way.
A prime example of a person victimized by those stricken with Athropogenicitis.
If this type of behavior happened in any other aspect of U.S. society, there would be people in jail for their actions and there should be in this case.
This is absolutely horrible and illegal behavior with malice aforethought with respect to killing a career.
This is exactly what happens when bad behavior becomes systemic from no disicplinary actions or legal challenges against the perpetrators of such heinous crimes.
I again suggest crowd funding/sourcing legal action.
This is a MUST READ! Straight out of Animal Farm. Some pigs are more equal than others – Mann and Santer just to name a couple.
Hard to believe that there are actually people thick enough to believe there is a stable climate stage that we once had and we can return to. Ignorance and hubris are a deadly combination.
When the BBC reports on ecological effects of global warming the story usually goes as follows:
Q: What has been the impact of global warming?
A: This species (or whatever) has suffered from something else, like loss of habitat, or regular pollution, LEAVING IT MORE VULNERABLE TO CLIMATE CHANGE
So, there has not been an impact from climate change, but the viewer is left with the impression that there has been.
But the good news for the species or activity in question is that it has been better studied and its problems publicised. So, sceptical ecologists and economists should exploit the CAGW scare to get a better understanding of the subject of interest, fobbing off the funding agency (or whatever) with some bull about increased vulnerability to AGW.
Things haven’t changed much since the time of Socrates.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Socrates
Legates’ disclosure that the NSF didn’t even respond to two of his applications, he presumes because he was on a blacklist based on the Anderegg paper, is quite an indictment of the fantasy that science is a free market in ideas. There’s an invisible thumb on the scales.
Just infuriating to read how Dr. Legates was abused. I applaud his measured, restrained account of how his university in particular, but also so-called science journals and science funding organizations mistreated him. Academic freedom is dying as truth is no longer either the object of academia nor a defence for ‘politically inconvenient’ activities that fly in the face of our current ‘ends justify the means’, activist academic ethos.
Astounding. Professor Legates presents strong evidence that the CAGW Alarmists have trampled upon scientific method, scientists, peer review, our legal system, university administration, and much more. Congress must send in some adults to take charge from the Alarmists children.
No less important, Professor Legates presents valuable criticisms of computer models and of claims that North America is doomed by drought.
Great post.
Just finished watching the hearing in it’s entirety, thank you for the heads up on the webcast Anthony and thank you boss for placing me on the night shift today.
To summarize, very predictable with the D’s witnesses and the R’s witnesses. I recommend the last 30 or 40 minutes of the hearing. This includes the second panel with Dr. South and Dr. Legates. Very compelling testimony from both of these men. Dr. South destroys the mythology of CO2 driving more intense and frequent wild fires. He points out how increases in forest floor fuel load are one of the primary drivers of fire intensity plus the efforts of firefighters now to save homes built in the forest contribute to fire growth and size of acreage burned. He presented charts and data that contradict correlations between CO2 and fire in the US. Dr. South is a Forrester and PhD. A very pragmatic and no nonsense individual it appeared to me.
Dr. Legates told his story, posted here by Anthony. Those of us that had the great privilege of university education in science and those that have a true love of science and are educated on the history of science recognize the fallacy of consensus. The emperor has no clothes and Piltdown mann cometh again but the religious spell is strong and the true believes of the CO2 religion in the room were unmoved. They were unmoved on the history of science wrong turns but they were moved to be rude and condescending. All democrats, save the chairman, left the room and then out trotted Sheldon Whitehouse (D) who proclaimed Dr. South and Dr. Legates as “fringe” then he left as well.
So this is how the meeting ended, democrats missing in action, deserters, confident in their belief that the science is settled and all who dare to proclaim contrary scientific evidence are fringe.
Why aren’t such events considered discrimination under the law. Is there any reason, for example in Legates case, that he cannot sue the crap out of the university AND White for discriminatory acts against him? I think specific, clear legislation needs to be drafted to protect scientists and professors and other professionals from being treated differently ….ie DISCRIMINATED against, in ANY fashion.
This testimony is all for naught. The agendas of greed and lust for ever increasing power will insure that no amount of facts will sway the believers or the those who have seized the fabricated crisis for personal enrichment.
Be sure to look out for Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) calling out Sen. Whitehouse for exactly the kind of demonizing that Dr Legates spoke of.
I sure hope Dr. Legate’s testimony leaves a permanent mark.
I also hope Rep Kennedy reads it too as he was sure trying to intimidate, not discuss nor learn the other day.
Star Date: 5732219.4
Log Entry: 443
Captain’s Summary:
We find ourselves near a star, spectral class G2V, a main-sequence star with a temperature around 5,800K. Nine planets, the most interesting being the third out from the star. Approximately 70% of the surface is ocean, the rest is continents and islands. Extensive ice sheets were noted at both poles indicating the planet is in the grip of an ice age and from all appearances is in danger of slipping into another glacial period. Many interesting species were found, both flora and fauna. (See the full report.) Most notably several marine mammals of the order Cetacea. These appear well adapted to their environment without the need for technology and very intelligent after existing for perhaps fifty million revolutions of the planet about the star.
One land dwelling species bears mentioning. Both mentally and physically this creature is in a sad state of devolution. Physically, compared to it’s fellow species, it is hairless, slow and weak with no natural means of defense. It is so ill adapted to the environment that it is totally dependent on technology for survival. Without fire in the current ice age it has very little chance. This is the result of a long process of self-domestication into a zoo-like existence with the concomitant reduction in sanity. For example, this species is convinced it is the pinnacle of evolution on it’s planet which is clearly not the case. It also believes it can control the climate of the planet by means of a trace gas in the atmosphere. Because of this odd belief it is in the process of restricting the use of vital sources of energy. It has great difficulty discerning reality without a special mental process called ‘the scientific method’ which very few are able to perform. Prone to violence, lies and deception this is one of the truly odious beings in the Universe. (See attached transcripts/translations.)
We recommend periodic visits to this star to check on the third planet. Should it emerge from it’s ice age it may well be suitable for colonization. The above described species will no doubt have self-destructed by then and not be a factor.
Signed
OK. THAT was well worth the read!
It goes in both the ‘keeper’ file and on to the ‘wide distribution’ list.
We gotta keep pushing the truth out there to the misinformed public…. and this really helps!
More folks need to keep pushing the PBS Newshour that NEVER has a contrary point of view on Climate stories. Minitrue is alive and well. http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/home/
Here’s my report on this video for those of you who would like to know what was said, without wanting to waste 2 hours of your life, or who would like to skip to specific times.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public works, “Farming, Fishing Forestry and Hunting in an era of climate change”
Committee member remarks
0:00 Screen background
6:51 Sen Merkley (acting chair, D-Oregon, chairman Barbara Boxer, D-California absent) (alarmist, promoting need for Obama’s new EPA regulations and warning to heed the National Climate Assessment report which has been previously discussed on WUWT)
10:40 Sen Wicker (R-Mississipi) (talks about draconian regulations from the EPA raising costs but doing nothing to change temps, our CO2 reductions will be countered by Chinese increases, higher utility bills will kill jobs, more CO2 benefits crops and forests, he distiguishes between CO2 and global warming hypotheses vs “carbon” pollution (ie. black soot/unburned hydrocarbons) that the left is intentionally conflating)
16:35 Sen Sessions (R-Alabama) (growing body of skeptical scientists belies “consensus”, US economy too fragile to absorb hit from new CO2 regulations, admonishes witness Ashe’s previous statements on increasing droughts and wildfires, mentions “the pause”, trees will eat CO2, folksy talk about more wildlife in the woods near where he grew up, talks about defending free speech and 1st Amendment at his next hearing later in the day)
21:45 Sen Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) (mentions this is 31st hearing on global warming but impetus for action in the Senate has declined steadily, EPA regulations will harm US economy, Congress will not pass cap and trade so Obama pushing regulatory “solution”, compares Germany economic stagnation due to higher energy prices to Obama’s new reality, mentions “the pause”, mentions Tom Stires bundling activity to politically resurrect global warming, if Republicans take the majority in the Senate and he becomes the new committee chair, he will authorize CRA (Congressional Review Act) for every new EPA regulation)
Witness testimonies
27:29 Sen Tester (D-Montana) (responding to Tom Stires issue, he talks about “dark money” in Congress and invites “transparency” by outlawing political influence of money, alarmist, he’s a down-home working farmer, he goes into anecdotal reminscences about more hailstorms now than in the past, his pond dries up, never happened before, US Forest Service spending on fighting forest fires skyrocketing, Hurricane Sandy spending is huge, new pests, beatle kill in forest, “historic” drought, record floods in Billings, doesn’t know what’s going on, but we NEED TO DO SOMETHING! But then he says last year, he had a record crop, but nevertheless he sees things in climate that hes never seen before, and it’s not a stretch to reduce 30% of our CO2 emissions, says coal does not need to go away, precautionary principle, blah blah blah)
37:50 Dan Ashe, Director – US Fish and Wildlife Service (Federal bureaucrat, he says hunters and fishermen helped to address loss of wetlands, pesticide pollution, and other environmental changes, and they now need to support climate change regulations, bird migrations, fish habitat due to rising water temps, blah blah blah, it’s worser than anyone can imagine, Obama’s new EPA regulations will miraculously fix everything, apparently)
1:05: Sen Merkley questions Ashe and Ashe repeats points, Merkley shows step and linear temp increase charts, increasing temps will continue to go up. Scary stuff.
1:14:27 James Walls, Executive Director – Lake County Resources Iniative (Oregon wind turbine rent seeker, forest fire alarmist)
1:20:37 Clay Pope, Executive Director – Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts (USDA no-till farming advocate and bureaucrat, rent seeker, alarmist)
1:26:11 Daniel Cohen – Owner, Atlantic Capes Fisheries (ocean acidification / temperature alarmist and rent seeker, has formed company to build off-shore wind farms)
1:31:51 David South, Emeritus Forestry and Wildlife Professor, Auburn University (forest fires are due more to poor and unscientific human and USDA management than with CO2 based climate change)
1:36:50 David R. Legates, CCM Professor of Geography, University of Delaware (increased CO2 benefits farming and forestry, storms and droughts not increasing, GCMs fail, scientific debate is corrupted by academic PC totalitarianism, his FOIA issues are previously documented on WUWT, compares climate science to Lysenkoism in USSR)
Questions to witnesses (each Senator given 5 mins)
1:42:11 Chairman Merkely to Mr. Walls asking about effects of CO2 on forests, Walls says renewables can offset 93% of all the increased CO2. Other softballs, he asks if more heat, drought, beatle kill increase fire danger. Yes. To Mr. Pope Are higher temps affecting wheat production? Walls says yes, but mentions climate patterns, apparently wanting to avoids temps as a direct cause. To Mr. Cohen Are higher temps affecting oysters? Cohen says oysters are gone from Chesapeake due to overfishing, but ocean acidification is real. He mentions uncertainty in knowing why oysters spawn makes it difficult to assess recovery of species.
1:48:41 Sen Sessions to panel – We need to stop scientific bullying and totalitarianism, no comment. he mentions lower drought trend. Mr. Pope says current drought in Oklahoma is stronger and dryer than the dust bowl, only tilling practices are different. Mr. South talks about fewer droughts overall, and some regional variation. Mr. South says forests are starting to recover where bad management practices have made them vulnerable to fire.
1:54:10 Sen Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) argues against Sen Sessions, says Rhode Island getting too much rain, tells an anecdote about fishermen he knows, fishing is different, sub-tropical species now caught in NE waters, 10 inches of sea level rise since 1938 (really? seems high to me, is there some subsidence in RI?), then launches into over the top alarmist catastrophic stuff and lands with the precautionary principle stuff, no questions ever asked of witnesses.
1:57:10 Sen Vitter, a late arrival (R-Louisiana ) reminds Mr. Ashe about previous appearance questions regarding EPA regs, Ashe never followed up, he isn’t doing his job properly. To Mr. South, is Harry Reid correct when he says wildfires are caused by global warming? No, this is unscientific propaganda. Human suppression of fire has resulted in fewer fires, but urban sprawl is creating more economic damage, and takes fire fighters away from fire containment. Logging, thinning and fuel reductions would help fire problem.
2:04:25 Sen Wicker is appalled by insulting behavior of Sen. Whitehouse comments implying witnesses South and Legates represent a trivial fringe and he ties this to the bullying and scientifically closed minds mentioned by Sen. Sessions. He mentions skeptical petition signed by 30,000 climate skeptics. This is supported by Legates. He brings up a bet made by Mr. South regarding an “ice free Arctic by 2013” and then South mentions a similar bet he’s willing to make about sea level rise in Charleston S. Carolina. Ps. for some real climate bets, Google Jo Nova’s name.
2:10:05 Chairman Merkely makes a closing statement, thanks witnesses, says climate change impacts are real, happening now, measurable, affect our livelihoods, and affect wildlife, hunting and fishing. Then ticks off a list of dire consequences, bark beatles, fish migrations, more wildfires, drought, no new oyster babies, and we must not ignore them.
Thanks Micky