Hallelujah! … Bjorn again

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Bjorn Again

Resistance is futile!

The Piper’s Price

Elmer Gantry 2.0

and again and again and …

 

..

Bjorn Again

In August and September much was made of the”conversion” of Danish economist Bjorn Lomborg from climate change Denier to climate rationalist:

• • Climate change voice who changed his tune
  • How will right-wing media react to former climate skeptic Lomborg?
  • Climate ‘sceptic’ Bjørn Lomborg now believes global warming is one of world’s greatest threats
  • Green groups cautiously welcome Lomborg’s climate fund call

  • ‘Skeptical environmentalist’ Bjørn Lomborg reverses his climate skepticism

So now that he has seen the light what does Lomborg’ have to tell us? His latest ‘contribution’ to the climate change discussion is “No, You Can’t” which appeared at Slate as “Go Ahead and Guzzle – Face it: There’s not much any one person can do about climate change.“

The titles pretty much sum up his message, but let’s have a look at his argument.

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Bjorn Lomborg admits his intellectual bankruptcy

BPSDB The other shoe has dropped as Bjorn Lomborg publicly admits his intellectual bankruptcy. Not in so many words, but he may as well have.

What he actually said was directed to Al Gore, as follows:

“I don’t mean to corner you, or maybe I do mean to corner you, but would you be willing to have a debate with me on that point?” asked Mr. Lomborg.  Goracular

(another installment in the Wall Street Journal’s war on science and reality)

Can there be a more telling confession that you have nothing of substance to offer than challenging a public figure to debate matters of fact and science?

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Explain, apologise, but never debate

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• Climate Wars
• Icing Asher
• Never Debate

Climate Wars

The CBC ‘Ideas’ series is presenting Gwynne Dyer’s “Climate Wars.” Fortunately a friend alerted me to it at the last moment and I managed to catch Part 1, and based on that I am recommending it to all.

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Death by fire and ice

One of the climate change Denier claims that keeps resurfacing is that more people die from cold than from heat, therefore warming is a good thing.

I am not sure who started this one, but there is little question Bjorn Lomborg popularized it (and here).

Recently this meme is turning up again thanks to a new posting at that font of climate wisdom The Cato Institute (also here and here) viz  “The Deadliest U.S. Natural Hazard: Extreme Cold” and another three posted at the equally reliable (so to speak) Watts Up With That?

All of them seem to a response to the recent Reuters piece saying heat was the biggest natural cause of death in the US, and all are authored by Indur Goklany.

Goklany is one of the Heartland Institute‘s “experts“, has work hosted by the Fraser Institute (also here and here), but darned if I can find where he currently hangs his hat. Even ExxonSecrets doesn’t seem to know.

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