By P Gosselin
Growing climate skepticism in Europe… An inconvenient tree found in the Alps shows climate was warmer 6000 years ago.
A recent video from the German language channel Report24news features Dr. Johannes Steiner, who discusses the discovery of ancient biological material (a large tree log) under retreating glaciers and its implications for the current climate narrative.
Image cropped from Report 24
In 2014, a massive Swiss stone pine (Zirbe) log weighing 1.7 tons was found in the retreat area of the Pasterze glacier at an altitude of 2,060 meters [03:16]. The tree from which the log originates is dated to be 6,000 years old.
Dr. Steiner points out that no trees of this size can grow at that altitude today because it is currently just too cold [03:27], suggesting that 6,000 years ago, temperatures in the Alps were significantly warmer than now [07:07]. That’s evidence that climate alarmists would prefer to censor.
Natural climate cycles
The presence of such biological material is undeniable evidence that glaciers have historically expanded and retreated in natural cycles long before industrial CO2 emissions [04:10].
Dr. Steiner argues against the “climate catastrophe” label for warming, asserting that historically, “cold periods” were the true catastrophes marked by famine, while “warm periods” (like the Medieval Warm Period) facilitated cultural and biological growth where scoieties flourished [05:40].
While acknowledging CO2 is a greenhouse gas, Dr. Steiner claims its contribution to global warming is minimal compared to water vapor, which is accepted by scienitsts as the dominant and necessary greenhouse gas for a habitable planet [10:41].
The video argues that the current focus on CO2 is mostly a “political-medial” construct used by the state to justify higher taxes and to “squeeze” citizens [22:08].
Over 50% believe climate change driven naturally
Moreover, Dr. Steiner references a February 2025 Special Eurobarometer (557), noting a shift in public perception. He claims that in several EU countries (e.g., Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland), over 50% of people now believe climate change is driven by natural causes rather than human activity [16:26].
In Austria, the percentage of people attributing climate change to natural causes has reportedly risen by 13% since 2021, reaching 43% [16:44].
The discussion concludes with a critique of rising energy costs and taxes. They argue that climate-related taxes disproportionately hurt the financially weak, while politicians remain unaffected by high fuel prices [23:03].
