Climate ChangeAnd Its Skeptics

What Is A Skeptic?

• “One who doubts the validity of what claims to be knowledge in some particular department of inquiry”• - "sceptic | skeptic, adj. and n." OED Online. Oxford University

Press, June 2014. Web. 19 June 2014.• Roy Spencer- Climate Confusion

• Principle research scientist for University of Alabama; served as senior scientist for climate studies at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL.

• Awarded the American Meteorological Society’s Special Award• B.S. in atmospheric sciences from University of Michigan (1978) • Ph.D. in meteorology from University of Wisconsin-Madison (1980 &

1982)• FUNDED THINK TANK OPERATIVE- EXXONMOBIL

Reasons For Skepticism

• 1. no recent warming

• 2. natural or manmade? If we don’t know how much of recent warming is natural, then how can we know how much is manmade?

• 3. IPCC politics and beliefs. Since when does a scientist’s beliefs translate into proof? Only global warming believers are allowed to have a vote

• 4.climate change was obvious, but they failed to explain it.

• 5. Model forecast? Why believe them when they can’t explain the past?• -theguardian.com, Dana Nuccitelli, Roy Spencer

Source Evaluation

• Climate Confusion is a book written with the purpose of persuading the reader that global warming is not manmade or harmful to the environment, was published by Encounter Books (a conservative-libertarian leaning non-fiction publisher), and was pretty well organized. It was published in 2009, and Roy Spencer is an expert in the field; however, he is on a board of directors who is largely funded by the oil & natural gas company Exxon-Mobil. It does not have a bibliography, but is useful to the current research project nonetheless. It seemingly covers the issue of climate change partially, but the audience is most likely general readers.

Bibliography

• "sceptic | skeptic, adj. and n." OED Online. Oxford University Press, June 2014. Web. 19 June 2014.

• "Climate Science Glossary." Skeptical Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 June 2014. <http://www.skepticalscience.com/skeptic_Roy_Spencer.htm>.

• "FACTSHEET: GEORGE C. MARSHALL INSTITUTE, GMI." . N.p., n.d. Web. 20 June 2014. <http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=36>.