Guest post by Steve Goreham
Originally published in The Washington Times
The Mayan calendar is about to end, and with it, the world.
People love nothing more than an apocalypse. Meteor collisions, alien invasions, super volcanoes, nuclear winter, and global warming all provide great material for mass entertainment and breathless news reporting.
The latest apocalypse to capture our imagination is the idea that, along with the Mayan calendar, the world will end on the 21st day of this month. The Mayan “Long Count” calendar, which began in 3114 BC, ends on December 21, 2012. The calendar is supposedly the measure of days from the beginning of humanity to the end. As a result, some doomsayers predict the end of the world in a few days.
Proposed scientific reasons why we won’t have a merry Christmas include ejection of mass from the sun, a sudden switching of Earth’s magnetic poles, a massive meteor collision with Earth, and a sudden shift in Earth’s crust. At this very moment, people across the world are stockpiling guns, machetes, kerosene, matches, sugar, and candles in preparation for the coming disaster. But our National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) assures us that the world won’t end on December 21.
Over that last two centuries, most doomsday threats have been blamed on humanity itself.
Consider overpopulation. The Anglican minister Thomas Malthus postulated in 1798 that global population would outstrip mankind’s ability to feed itself, leading to economic disaster. Dr. Paul Ehrlich followed up with his 1968 book The Population Bomb, predicting that hundreds of millions of people would starve to death during the decade of the 1970s. But the agricultural revolution of the twentieth century and slowing population growth have confounded the predictions of Malthus and Ehrlich.
Other feared man-made catastrophes include killer air pollution, global thermonuclear war, worldwide disease pandemics, economic collapse from passing the production point of peak oil, and disaster from genetically engineered foods. While the jury is still out in some cases, these predicted catastrophes do not appear to be occurring.
But the greatest of all these fears is Climatism, the belief that man-made greenhouse gases are destroying Earth’s climate.
Alarming climate change predictions would fit well with Mayan fears, but they need a little more time. According to economist Lord Nicholas Stern of the London School of Economics on the impacts of global warming: “…what we are talking about then is extended world war…People would move on a massive scale. Hundreds of millions, probably billions of people would have to move…” From environmentalist Bill McKibben: “The world hasn’t ended, but the world as we know it has—even if we don’t quite know it yet.” From Dr. James Lovelock: “…before this century is over billions of us will die and the few breeding pairs of people that survive will be in the Arctic where the climate remains tolerable.”
What’s amazing is that the theory of dangerous global warming is accepted by the majority of world leaders. Today, the heads of state of 191 of the 192 nations are pursuing policies to try to stop the planet from warming. Most leading universities, NASA and other major scientific organizations, most of the Fortune 500 companies, and the news media accept the pending doom of man-made climate change. The world is spending over $250 billion each year to try to “decarbonize.”
But empirical evidence does not support the theory of catastrophic man-made warming. The 0.7oC rise in global temperatures since 1880 was matched one thousand years ago during the Medieval Warm Period, when temperatures were warmer than today. Despite increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide, Earth’s surface temperatures have been flat to declining for more than 10 years. Arctic ice has been declining, but Antarctic ice, which is 90 percent of Earth’s ice, has been increasing over the last 30 years. Sea levels are naturally rising at 7‒8 inches per century, but no evidence shows that accelerating sea level rise is underway. Hurricanes and tropical storms are neither more frequent nor stronger today than in times past. Polar bear populations have more than doubled in the last 50 years.
So, complete your Christmas shopping and don’t sell your winter coat. The world may end, but not before you have to pay your taxes and your credit card bills.
Steve Goreham is Executive Director of the Climate Science Coalition of America and author of the new book The Mad, Mad, Mad World of Climatism: Mankind and Climate Change Mania.
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John in NZ says:
December 18, 2012 at 6:10 pm
According to Stephan Lewandowsky, I believe in the Mayan prediction…..
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Darn it now I have tea allover the screen again.
Perhaps some one should send Looney Lew a printed out copy of this thread once Anthony closes comments. Or better yet hand carry it and read it out loud. (Snicker)
Jim Clarke says:
December 18, 2012 at 6:55 pm
… a Mayan Elder…. “Everyone assumes it signifies the end of the world, but if they really wanted to know what it means, they should have asked us!” He then went on to explain that the Mayans have about a half dozen calenders of various lengths, each signifying a cycle divined from nature, the stars or the gods. The ending of a calender is simply the ending of a cycle…”
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Looks like the Mayans actually may have the cycle correct with the sun going sleepy and 16 years of no warming. /sarc
Lord have mercy
Gail Combs says:
December 19, 2012 at 7:32 am
David Thomas Bronzich says:
December 18, 2012 at 4:56 pm
“INEPTOCRACY is a system of government where the least capable of leading are elected….”
You left out some very important additional info:
Ineptocracy: A system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.
So why is everyone so concerned about the world ending on Friday? It’s not like it’s written in stone, right?
F. Ross @ur momisugly December 18, 2012 at 8:10 pm says to Aikimox @ur momisugly December 18, 2012 at 3:12 pm
May I suggest you read and digest the fine post by rgb@ur momisuglyduke quoted in part here:
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Unfortunately, although that is scientifically the correct path it is not going to happen because the lowering the climate sensitivity is not in climate scientists mandate as Steven Mosher clearly states.
The reason for ‘no C02 sensitivity dial’ is the raison d’être of the IPCC as they clearly state.
The key phrase is of course ” options for mitigation and adaptation” because that opens the door for the control of the whole world’s population and if you do not think that is the ultimate goal all you have to do is read the words of Pascal Lamy, Director General of the World Trade Organization. Do not forget the EU also started out as a trade organization and evolved into a bureaucratic nightmare.
The economic crisis and the 2008 food crisis were not natural and if you bother you can trace the cause back to specific laws that were passed.
The more I dig the more I smell one great big set-up designed to herd the sheeple in the direction wanted, the UN’s Agenda 21.
From what I’ve heard, this coming winter solstice involves a galactic alignment as well as the usual solar alignment. This coincides with the end of the long-count calendar, so it seems pretty clear that the whole point here was a long cycle calendar marking galactic solstices.
Of course, this assumes that I am operating on correct information – but it’s not much of a stretch, given that we know many ancient peoples were quite astute astronomical observers.
BTW, This was the subject of the H2 show I was watching a couple days ago – it was something about the “seven signs of the apocalypse” (yes, I know the first mistake was watching that show…)
That’s the one where some supposed climate scientist (from berkley, I believe) said that recent warming has exceeded ALL model predictions.
The blatant lies on these shows are rather disturbing. And writing letters just doesn’t make any difference – they simply don’t care.
I’m wondering if the guy that gets out of the spaceship is going to be able to communicate to anyone that he has reset the calender and so now someone needs to sign off on the work order. Does anyone still speak Mayan? If he/she/it is union, there might be trouble if he is required to go on unscheduled overtime.
Thanks for sharing your experiences, common sense and feelings. Now can you hit me with the peer reviewed evidence for the weather or climate becoming more extreme? It should be fairly easy because as you say:
Thanks.
Tony G,
We need to take back our mass media from the dogmatic left as well as our educational system. Both are controlled by the “progressives”. (Always get a kick out of that term since those folks are against all progress.) They are using their same basic plan they have used time and again to change a society from within through continuous repetition of lies. If I had a few billion dollars I would start or buy a TV network to counter the lies, Unfortunately I do not. The educational system is another problem altogether and not so easy to fix after 60 years or so of left wing destruction.
Jim G says:
We need to take back our mass media from the dogmatic left as well as our educational system.
Unfortunately, I see no realistic means by which to accomplish this, even given 60 years, within the constraints of existing society.
The BBC lumps together in one story global warmists with UFO enthusiasts, New Agers and Preppers who say the end is nigh – again.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20764906
REPLY: read it, I don’t see support for your assertion – Anthony
otropogo ,
I can understand (or try to from your perspective) the failure of all the predictions of doom and the end of the world. You can rest assured that someone will soon come up with some new ones for you to fear.
It is somewhat ironic that you can rest assured that there will be another prediction of doom. Anyway, you have my heartfelt sympathy that the earth will still be around next week.
World actually ends in 5105 – we’ve been holding their calendar upside-down!
You know, I really expected a bit more unrest coming up on this date. Nothing huge, and not because of any actual impending doom, but simply due to the human propensity to panic. I’m almost worried that I HAVEN’T seen a couple riots yet…
Thanks, Steve, good post!
The Mayas knew, they had seen the world end a few times (by winds, by fire, by jaguars, by flood).
It was the last one, by drought, that got them. ;-(
beng says:
December 19, 2012 at 6:43 am
When the “end of the world” doesn’t happen, what will be the next chosen date for it? 2029 for a meteor strike is too far in the future — need something sooner. I like the 2016 date for Obama to finish off the Earth…
Sorry that year has already been taken.
http://www.bible.ca/pre-date-setters.htm
In SA they can’t even predict the weather what to say about the end of the world. If its true let it be if its not we going to wait for the next idiot to predict the end of the world for the 100th time.
The predicted world’s end on 21 December is irrational scare-mongering nonsense – but the ‘Millennium Bug’ was not. There’s a difference, and it’s important to the human race that we understand what it is. See my latest blog: ‘Mayan Catastrophe versus Millennium Bug’:
http://jondanzig.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/mayan-catastrophe-versus-millennium-bug.html
Short link: goo.gl/nok1y
Jim G says:
We need to take back our mass media from the dogmatic left as well as our educational system.
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TonyG says:
December 19, 2012 at 11:43 am
Unfortunately, I see no realistic means by which to accomplish this, even given 60 years, within the constraints of existing society.
_______________________
The only method I have seen is homeschooling.
The MSM in the USA unfortunately is a also a problem because most people think free speech means the Media is free to investigate and report the facts. Luckily thanks to the internet distrust in the media is increasing. Graph from this article link
I for one gave up on the MSM decades ago. I also encourage homeschooling with the parents I meet.
Well, until I see the two witnesses walking the earth causing droughts and plagues I’m not inclined to believe the end of the world nonsense. /snark/
Revelations 11: 3 And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”[a] 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. 6 They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. 8 Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. 10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
11 But after the three and a half days the breath[b] of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
Dude, when the end is neigh, you will in all probability know its going down for sure, it won’t be guess work.
Is the world supposed to end Friday, or just the world as we know it?
There’s a big difference. If it’s the former, let’s party. If it’s the latter, I need to restock the bunker.
So if anybody knows, please respond.
“What’s amazing is that the theory of dangerous global warming is accepted by the majority of world leaders. Today, the heads of state of 191 of the 192 nations are pursuing policies to try to stop the planet from warming.”
Steve, they have a made-in-heaven tax-collecting bonanza – all governments are happy about that kind of thing. Also, since the earth is unlikely to heat by more than 0.7C by 2100, they will be able to crow that their efforts saved the planet. The secret is to kill this thing before they can take credit for saving us all and, in doing so, set up a citizenry in virtual shackles where every little thing will be regulated. Ditto the corrupted universities – what’s not to like about the cash flow? The loss in scholarship is a small price to pay it seems.
I confidently predict that there will be a statistically significant increase in the number of hangovers as the sun rises over an otherwise normal world on December 22nd. The increase may well be of a magnitude comparable with levels over the annual anomaly shift in that parameter a few days later.
I like Elmer’s documentary. Well thought out and has some interesting points. Go Elmer.