Message to the Several Misbegotten
June 18, 2019
The Presidents of the National Academies (Science, Engineering and Medicine) have issued a statement on climate science. In general this may be regarded as a message to Donald Trump and Wil Happer to screw off,
The usual bleat for Planet B went up, but as Eli always points out Planet B ain't necessary. We have a ton of lab experiments showing how greenhouse gases in the atmosphere behave under varying conditions of temperature and pressure. We have spectroscopic models that perfectly match the lab measurements. We have measurements as well of emission and absorption spectra throughout the atm, that we can perfectly match using our spectroscopic calculations. We have measurements of solar output. We have lab measurements of the density of sea water when heated, and models that perfectly match the lab measurements. We have measurements of the density of sea water on site that again are matched by the lab models. And on, and on, and on.
For the deniers to be right, ALL of those lab measurements and models would have to be wrong.
Not something to bet Planet A on.
Scientists have known for some time, from multiple lines of evidence, that humans are changing Earth’s climate, primarily through greenhouse gas emissions. The evidence on the impacts of climate change is also clear and growing. The atmosphere and the Earth’s oceans are warming, the magnitude and frequency of certain extreme events are increasing, and sea level is rising along our coasts.
The National Academies are focused on further understanding climate change and how to limit its magnitude and adapt to its impacts, including on health. We also recognize the need to more clearly communicate what we know. To that end, in 2018, the National Academies launched an initiative to make it easier for decision makers and the public to use our extensive body of work to inform their decisions. In addition, we will be expanding our Based on Science communications effort to include clear, concise, and evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about climate change.
A solid foundation of scientific evidence on climate change exists. It should be recognized, built upon, and most importantly, acted upon for the benefit of society.The statement links to a more complete discussion and references but if you want the elevator speech, Richard Betts' tweet ain't bad
The fact that the greenhouse effect exists & keeps the Earth warm is basic physics, & it's elementary that the atmospheric CO2 build-up is caused by humans. It's also basic physics that warming = melting ice, expanding water, sea level rise. Feedbacks, extreme weather complex.— Richard Betts (@richardabetts) June 17, 2019
The usual bleat for Planet B went up, but as Eli always points out Planet B ain't necessary. We have a ton of lab experiments showing how greenhouse gases in the atmosphere behave under varying conditions of temperature and pressure. We have spectroscopic models that perfectly match the lab measurements. We have measurements as well of emission and absorption spectra throughout the atm, that we can perfectly match using our spectroscopic calculations. We have measurements of solar output. We have lab measurements of the density of sea water when heated, and models that perfectly match the lab measurements. We have measurements of the density of sea water on site that again are matched by the lab models. And on, and on, and on.
For the deniers to be right, ALL of those lab measurements and models would have to be wrong.
Not something to bet Planet A on.
