I have given a number of presentations on climate change around the country and have taken the skeptic side in a number of debates, but I have never done anything in my home city of Phoenix.
Therefore, I will be making a presentation in Phoenix on November 10 at 7PM in the auditorium of the Phoenix Country Day School, on 40th Street just north of Camelback. Admission is free. My presentation is about an hour and I will have an additional hour for questions, criticism, and rebuttals from the audience.
I will be posting more detail later, but the presentation will include background on global warming theory, a discussion of why climate models are likely exaggerating future warming, and an evaluation of various policy alternatives. The presentation will be heavy on science and data, but is meant to be accessible without a science background. I will post more details of the agenda as we get closer to the event.
I am taking something of a risk with this presentation. I am paying for the auditorium and promotion myself — I am not doing this under the auspices of any group. However, I would like to get good attendance, in part because I would like the media representatives attending to see the local community demonstrating interest in at least giving the skeptic side of the debate a hearing. If you are a member of a group that might like to attend, please email me directly at the email link at the top of this page and I can help get more information and updates to your group.
Finally, I have created a mailing list for folks who would like more information about this presentation – just click on the link below. All I need is your name and email address.
I’m very much looking forward to this. It should be very interesting.
No less than in the case of the eugenicists of the late 19th & early 20th Century, Science should appreciate the potential damage to itself from ideologues, fanatics & profiteers attempts to suborn its credibility to their own beliefs, desires and interests. Mass Hysteria is probably inevitable from time-to-time. The real point here is less the particular momentary ‘Craze’, but rather to limit the social and the institutional damage it inflicts. Science should inform policy, but never dictate it. Otherwise, as we increasingly see, it is policy that will dictate Science…to the detriment of both.
The psuedo-science of ‘Climate Change’ bodes ill to do even more damage to the general credibility of Science than the pseudo-Science of the Social Darwinists, with which it seems so similar.
ADiff wrote: “The psuedo-science of ‘Climate Change’ bodes ill to do even more damage to the general credibility of Science than the pseudo-Science of the Social Darwinists, with which it seems so similar.”
It would be pretty hard to do worse than social Darwinism, so it will be interesting (and unfortunate either way) to see how your prediction plays out . . .
And then there’s this: http://tinyurl.com/ydu2wao Talk about a corporate death wish!
Doug,
Not a death wish. Several companies stand to make billions (and more) with cap-and-trade. Sort of a variation of “Peter will always favor a tax on Paul to pay Peter.” Company X will favor an imposition on other companies (and consumers) if it requires the others to buy X’s product.
I have followed legislation for a few decades, and I have never seen anything like the current “cap & trade” bill. It reaches new heights for political pay-offs, not-so-subtle bribes, pork, unknown resolution of vague & reserved passages, complexities, and opportunities for graft. It is hard to believe that our MSM has so much the role intended for its freedom — to be a watchdog, to bring to light the corruption that is in the bill.
Also established firms may be favored by effecting increased barriers to entry in markets. Interesting how wealth concentration can be favored by increased government intervention into markets, isn’t it? Before one can ‘appropriate’ one must first ‘expropriate’. A general increase in costs effectively shrinks the volume of available capital, further exacerbating challenges to new entrants. This anti-competitive ‘side-effect’ (if that’s what it actually should be called) has substantial allure for ‘past winners’ who see their laurels challenged by the relentless innovation of a free market. The potential malfeasance of substantial market power in the absence of government intervention is dwarfed by that possible with its assistance.
I have notified numerous friends of your Phoenix presentation, and several have expressed interest in attending. I’ve also signed up for updates on the presentation. I trust that I and they don’t have to do anything else before attending — that we can simply show up. Please let me know if that’s incorrect. Thanks.
Unfortunately, I am out of town that week and will not be able to attend. I hope you will be able to post a video of the presentation. Good Luck.
What would be most interesting is if you could find someone from RealClimate to actually participate in a live debate.
Could you forward your PPT for this presentation? I’d like to repeat the presentation for my students who can’t make it in person.
tjl