Wichita Eagle on Global Warming

The Wichita Eagle is my home town newspaper. I read it -- and subscribe to it -- seven days a week. On most stories, they do a good job.

But, like so many other media outlets, they have a giant pro-global warming bias. Their coverage is virtually 100% "pro" global warming.

Yesterday, they wrote and published, as heavy snow was falling on the city and temperatures were hovering in the single digits,

In The Eagle’s Opinion Line Extra, someone recently asked, “Hey, Al Gore — how’s the global warming gig working out?” 


Last week, as much of the nation was dealing with a historic snowfall, the former vice president countered criticism that such storms are evidence against man-made global warming. “Here’s a basic fact,” he said. “There is about 4 percent more water vapor in the atmosphere today than there was in 1970” — moisture, caused by warmer oceans and air, that is turning into big, heavy snow and rain, he said. 


On his blog, he wrote: “The scientific community has been addressing this particular question for some time now and they say that increased heavy snowfalls are completely consistent with what they have been predicting as a consequence of man-made global warming.”


There is so much wrong with this it is difficult to know where to start but let's focus on the three biggest items:
  • "Consistent with man-made global warming." According to Gore, everything is "consistent with" man-made global warming. Drought, flood, heat, cold, snow. It would be news if Gore said something wasn't consistent with global warming.
  • Atmospheric science does not know how much moisture was in the atmosphere in 1970. The weather balloon measurements from that time are not comparable to today's estimates from weather satellite. 
  • As I have written about two previous times in the last week, there is no 'global warming' at the moment! 
Here is the proof there is no global warming as these large snow storms have occurred the last six weeks.
Current atmospheric temperatures. Click to enlarge. Courtesy,
University of Alabama, Huntsville. 
As sensed by weather satellite, current lower atmospheric temperatures are slightly below normal. Ocean temperatures are also below normal at the moment.

If temperatures are below normal, it is impossible that these storms were caused by "global warming."

One would think, before writing these stories, the writer would check on current global temperatures, which can be done here. One would also think they would seek a source other than Mr. Gore, who has no background in atmospheric science and who has large financial interests in the outcome of global warming and environmental legislation and policies. This is routinely done by journalists covering almost every other topic, but the basic rules of journalism seem to be suspended when it comes to global warming (for another recent example involving both NBC and CBS News, click here).

I have never understood why the coverage of "global warming" is so one-sided. Regardless, I urge the media to apply as much scrutiny to pro-global warming stories as they do stories on other controversial topics.

Comments

  1. Well Hello there Mike.

    Good to see you are still working hard at the wx biz in KS. I have recently moved back to Kansas and now live on an 80 acre farm in Leon. I still live and work part time in Austin Texas too.

    I am contemplating this morning how to clear my very long driveway of about 10 inches of snow. Global warming indeed.

    Good to know you haven't bought in to the global warming farce/fear. My current focus in metaphysics holds the opinion nothing humans have done has affected the weather on our beautiful planet, rather the entire solar system is going through an energetic shift.

    I would love to know your opinion on a couple of events...for instance the world wide simultaneous and consistent seismic activity reported on Dec. 21, 2010, and also the sun rising two days early in the northern hemisphere...on 1-11-11 at 1:11 pm.

    I hope you and your family has been well over the years.

    Nice to chat with you again.

    Candace Craw-Goldman

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Candace,

    Welcome back to Wichita! It is nice to hear from you again.

    I'm not familiar with the seismic activity in December, other than I heard about it, too. Earthquakes are a different branch of science.

    I wouldn't worry about the sun in November.

    My family is doing very well, thank you.

    Best wishes,
    Mike

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'd ask the editor to provide space for a rebuttal. Given that you are a resident and an expert, he'll have a hard time justifying saying no.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anthony,

    While I have not asked again recently, I have asked several times in the past and have been turned down. I've gotten tired of asking.

    I have also offered to go over there and do my global warming presentation in their office and they have turned me down.

    Mike

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mike, I am not surprised they are not interested in giving your "radical" views airtime. Still, I am sad to hear it.

    The thing is, global warming isn't the only subject for which the MSM has an agenda to promote.

    Vaccinations, Flouride, Genetically Modified Foods and Cancer Research are but a few other concerns I have personally.

    You gotta love the internet though. Here you can speak your peace and voice your views.(At least for now.)

    ReplyDelete
  6. correction:
    I obviously meant column space, not "air time".

    (Who can blame me for reverting to a tv term? :) )

    Regards,
    Candace

    ReplyDelete
  7. ugh, give it a rest. you don't believe in climate change, we get it. The rest of us will continue to pursue solutions though.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous,

    You could not be more wrong.

    I believe the climate has changed and is changing. What is in dispute is mankind's contribution. I have written -- many times, just do a Google search on this blog as well as elsewhere -- that the IPCC might be right and we should know in 2-4 years.

    What I object to are the ridiculous statements blaming every wrinkle in the atmosphere and on earth on global warming. It is a corruption of science.

    Mike

    ReplyDelete

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