The royal prince in waiting of Britain labels climate skeptics as “headless chickens”.
From The Telegraph:
Prince Charles has criticised climate change deniers, describing them as the “headless chicken brigade” during an awards ceremony recognising a leading young green entrepreneur.
Charles, who has campaigned for years to reduce global warming, also spoke out against “the barrage of sheer intimidation” from powerful anti-climate change groups during the event held at Buckingham Palace last night.
The mark of a true leader is bringing people with diverse views and backgrounds together, clearly with this recent pronouncement, Prince Charles clearly has failed as a leader.
I’ll point out a few things the prince who may be king should know, but doesn’t, or chooses not to.
1. Rational climate skeptics don’t doubt that some portion of the proposed greenhouse effect is real, it’s just that nobody (and that includes many scientists) seems to be able to agree upon how much. The few who actually deny the Greenhouse effect exists, such as the “Slayers” aka “Principia Scientific” only represent the views of a fringe.
2. Item 1 then leads to arguments about climate sensitivity, values are literally “all over the map”:
3. The global climate isn’t responding as it was predicted by government scientists, the trend over the last 12 years is basically flat:
Compare that to climate sensitivity predictions, which center around .2°C
The three graphs above are from Michaels and Knappenberger in this post.
4. The response of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is nearing saturation, which may explain why there is little warming over the last 12 years:
Figure 4 is from this WUWT post: Sensitivity Training: Determining the Correct Climate Sensitivity
5. While rational climate skeptics point out reality based factual inconsistencies with warming projections, the global warming movement has been hijacked by emotional activists, such as Bill McKibben and Al Gore, who use emotional pleas and invective to motivate people. You won’t see them ever show the graphs above because they don’t deal in facts, only emotional appeals.
6. By making an emotional label about climate skeptics, instead of dealing with facts, Prince Charles demonstrates that’s he’s no different than Bill McKibben and Al Gore. Given recent opinion polls, he’s basically called about half of his potential subjects “the headless chicken brigade”, yet it is he who seems to be centered on the emotionalism and randomness more suited to that label.
Perhaps there is a reason the Queen has held on so long.
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Prince Charles is living proof that intelligence can jump a generation…
If I lived on a 900 acre enclave with money inherited through centuries of royal dominance I would probably behave like a wing nut too. I suspect Charles will forgo a coronation and let the next generation take the helm (mommy – I’m not ready).
Clarification:
M Courtney says at February 1, 2014 at 11:38 am
Should be,
“DodgyGeezer, I’vejust read your second comment on Cromwell.”
Forgot that “read” can be pronounced in two ways.
Sorry, I forgot that “read” can be pronounced in two ways.
Otteryd:
Your post at February 1, 2014 at 11:32 am says
The Royals don’t have any power but the Monarch has immense power.
That is why the great uncle of Charles was forced to abdicate before being Crowned with the result that Charles is heir to the throne. His great uncle was a Naz1 when we were about to go to war with H1tler. This was spun as being his desire to marry a divorced woman which – given the marital history of British monarchs – has to be one of the greatest pieces of political spin in the history of the world! He then went off to spend the war in German-occupied France.
If Charles keeps up his present behaviour then finding anywhere to retire may prove problematic.
Richard
The Monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Commonwealth, (The United Kingdom) used to be addressed as an Emperor (Empress) of the British Empire. For example Queen Victoria, “Victoria, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India.
Empress Victoria was the last Empress of the British Empire.
King George was the last King of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
When Charles Windsor becomes the Head of State for the Country of England, what will he become?
Hilarious. Turns out this clown does not even have a legitimate claim to the throne. That belongs to Simon Abney-Hastings, 15th Earl of Loudoun, son of an Australian repubican forklift driver.
That was his father who complains about over population while forgetting he has 4 kids.
Empress Victoria
King George.
**** Charles
Although he already has that title for talking to his plants. He really is the modern day Knut.
Sorry my spelling is a bit off.
I have just sent he following email to HRH Prince Charles:
I doubt I’ll get a response – but if I do, I’ll post it here.
“Charles, who has campaigned for years to reduce global warming, also spoke out against ‘the barrage of sheer intimidation'”
—
Apparently, being confronted with facts and actual observations feels like “sheer intimidation” to Prince Charles. He expects everyone to bow down to his opinion without questioning it. Perhaps his comment describing skeptics as a “headless chicken brigade” was meant to be a threat should he manage to outlive his mother.
Prince Charles dresses much better than Albert. Otherwise, they’re two peas in a very green and disturbing pod.
“the barrage of sheer intimidation” from powerful anti-climate change groups…
Admitting the crowds are getting larger…
….twat
richardscourtney says:
February 1, 2014 at 10:56 am
Second line should be
Long live our noble Queen,
I can only join with a heartfelt wish to our British and Northern Irish friends:
Long live the Queen.
He’s in good company: Professor Sir Mark Walport, Head Honcho of the Wellcome Trust, the UK’s largest private biomedical research funder, was quoted in this week’s London Times as saying that ‘climate skeptics need to grow up’. A day or so later, the President of the Royal Society, Professor Sir Paul Nurse, had a letter to the Times published, again pushing the climate change mantras.
The House of Commons Select Committee on Climate Change did at least invite 3 witnesses from both camps (two Professors from Oxford and Imperial College and one from the Met Office for the warmers, Lindzen from MIT, Donna Laframboise and a UK researcher for the more skeptical position) this week and the questioning was open and fair minded, if only for the cameras. Time will tell what the committee writes in summary.
Prince Charles is a well known environmentalist, which I don’t have too much of a problem with in some ways. Organic farming has little harm to it and many habitats can be improved through its judicious use.
I’m not in favour of subsidies to rich landowners to site windmills on their land, as the energy generated therefrom is insufficient to power a modern economy. Solar has more chance, although I’ve not seen the detailed mathematics for UK sunshine hours to know how effective it would be here. I hope that his Royal Highness’ views do not depend on any subsidies paid to rich friends of the family…….
I think that the skeptics question the following:
1. The accuracy, consistency and reliability of temperature datasets, particularly those using proxies and whether the most reliable data sets using radosondes and satellites are yet of long enough duration to make binding conclusions.
2. The inability of computer models to predict the next 15 years accurately, let alone the next 115 years.
3. The inability of proposed remedies to abate carbon dioxide levels to achieve the desired impact despite enormous financial outlays.
4. The harm caused to the earth and its citizens by a modest rise in temperature.
5. The assumption that crop production regions cannot shift latitude and/or longitude in response to climatic changes.
6. The assumption that the ‘external forcings’ over-ride the natural variability and the naturally occurring temperature stabilisation mechanisms.
7. That the alarmist community should have the right to denigrate those who provide alternative explanations before then taking on board the messages of those alternative proponents whilst retaining power, influence and access to research funding.
8. That the financial interests of carbon capture and storage technology providers, wind turbine manufacturers, solar panel manufacturers, electric car manufacturers, university researchers, environmental activists etc etc can be safely set aside when considering the motivations of those groupings in promulgating the political lines they choose to forward.
There may well be others, but those issues are not those of ‘headless chickens’, rather engaged, concerned, analytical, rigorous thinkers.
I’m really not clear what HRH wants – here is the Mail joining the fray too:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2132878/Royals-1m-wind-farm-hypocrisy-45-wind-turbines-described-Charles-horrendous-blot-built-Crown-land.html
So, he regards wind energy as a “blot on the landscape” – despite the Crown Estates potentially making a cool £1 million per annum from their 45 approved turbines. And making political comments is frowned upon as heir – he will one day be a constitutional monarch whose role is to act on the advice of the government of the day, keeping all political comments private as between himself and the then prime minister. As you say, the indications are not very positive that he will shape up to be a good, or well-informed, leader.
And it’s easy to forget that the land area of the whole of the UK (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) is less than that of the (single) state of Oregon. We’re really not too important these days …
Prince Charles once called wind turbines a ‘horrendous blot‘, ‘useless’ and a ‘disgrace’. Yet he receives “income on crown estate, which rents out land for turbines”
✔Do as I say and not as I do.
✔ Not In My Back Yard (know in UK as ‘Nimbies’), but I’ll take the hard cash thanks.
Old Charlie boy really is performing better than I previously thought. He makes Al Gore look like a sandal wearing, lentil eating green who lives in the the woods.
Hapsburg’s? Confused about the order?
Willie Willie Harry Stee
Harry Dick John Harry three;
One two three Neds, Richard two
Harrys four five six….then who?
Edwards four five, Dick the bad,
Harrys (twain), Ned six (the lad);
Mary, Bessie, James you ken,
Then Charlie, Charlie, James again…
Will and Mary, Anna Gloria,
Georges four, Will four Victoria;
Edward seven next, and then
Came George the fifth in nineteen ten;
Ned the eighth soon abdicated
Then George six was coronated;
After which Elizabeth
And that’s all folks until her death.
I would like to thank the responders from Great Britain for enlightening us (in the USA, and the rest of the world for that matter) on their politics and history.
I also encourage WUWT climate responders to leave sufficient references so that those of us who are not regulars can access the documents they cite. (I just received Montford’s “The Hockey Stick Illusion” and have managed to download the Pattern Recognition issue {Sorry I don’t have that reference handy here.)
Finally, I’d like to thank the BBC and Welsh for Dr. Who, which I have been able to enjoy on DVDs here in CA.
@pokerguy –
More than just flat for 17 years – even so cautious a commentator as Dr. Judith Curry speaking of cooling since 2002? And Dr. Tim Ball making no bones about it, and Habibullo Abdussamatov, at Pulkovo Observatory.
It is unfortunate that Prince Charles should display this sort of ignorance-cum-ad hominem. Doesn’t befit his station, methinks. But then here in the US we have RINOs like John McCain and Chris Christie exhibiting similar disconnects from reality.
“Prince Charles is an advocate and lobbyist for homeopathy yet ignores the scientific consensus that says it’s no better than a placebo.”
Hmm. And yet we have the placebo effect, than which conventional drugs have to be better. Strange that the placebo effect isn’t considered nonsense even though, like homeopathy, no one has a clue how it works. And some of the placebo cures are quite remarkable: placebo surgery works too:
I have an open mind about homeopathy. If it works only as well as placebo, it might not be doing that bad, really.
TimC “We’re really not too important these days …”?
Once upon a time we were a small island divided into warring nations somewhere off the north-west of Europe.
Then we started to run out of useful things like markets for our wool, trees for our ships, coal to heat London and freedom to worship.
So we had a few wars (by private corporations with a monopoly), conquered the seaways and took control of most of the world’s exploitable natural resources. Everything was owned and traded by the elite in London who had gathered from around the Globe.
But then (tragedy) the foreign folk, who had benefited from our enlightened education, railways and abolition of slavery, decided they wanted to rule themselves.
Thus we abandoned India and the Empire and became, again, a small island off the north-west of Europe.
Now, our only point of interest is that the City of London still houses the elite who own and trade the world’s exploitable natural resources.
But it’s no longer an Empire so people don’t care.
Novantae says:
February 1, 2014 at 9:32 am
Go easy on him – he comes from a very dysfunctional family background. He’s really quite a pitiful creature.
Did you know he talks to plants?
=========================================================================
Nothing wrong with that, lots of people talk to plants. Now if he thinks the plants are talking to him, that’s a different story.
Small correction for Charles above
His father Prince Philip called wind farms ‘useless’ and a ‘disgrace’ while Prince Charles called them “A horrendous blot on the landscape”.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2132878/Royals-1m-wind-farm-hypocrisy-45-wind-turbines-described-Charles-horrendous-blot-built-Crown-land.html
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/feb/28/prince-charles-windfarm-funding
He was the first English Royal to get a degree. Bachelor of Arts but only a 2:2 sadly. The British won’t think anything of his remarks we’ll just say to each other “Their he goes spouting off about the environment again, such a shame they never let him have a proper job”. He is sixty-five poor fellow with nothing much to show for it.