A Debate: And Dick Lindzen takes a Beating

authordefault
on

Debate enthusiasts will love this long, but worthy video showing Texas A&M atmospheric scientist Andy Dessler mopping the floor with his increasingly out-of-touch colleague from MIT, Dick Lindzen.

The fact of Desslerโ€™s victory is a value judgment that you may not trust without watching the video yourself. But speaking of value judgments, Dessler got off a great shot during his rebuttal, in which he commented on how often Lindzen had said that climate change presents โ€œno cause forย alarm.โ€

That, Dessler pointed out, is also a value judgment – not a scientific finding,ย adding:

โ€œBefore the lecture, he (Prof. Lindzen) was smoking. Thatโ€™s a risk. Heโ€™s decided thatโ€™s a risk heโ€™s willing to take. But not everybody would take that risk, so when he says thereโ€™s no cause for concern, heโ€™s giving you his valueย judgment.โ€

Proceeding beyond the degree to which Lindzen has bad breath – as well as bad judgment – the lecture hosts at the University of Virginia School of Law jumped in with two policy presenters, Jonathan Cannon, making all kinds of sense, and Jason Johnston bending over backwards to argue that because economists canโ€™t accurately put a cost on the coming climate armageddon, we shouldnโ€™t bother taking out any insurance to prevent it. (Pass that man a pack of Camels. Itโ€™ll make it easier for him to blow smoke in the future.)

Related Posts

on

Industry giants have been accused of โ€˜enriching shareholdersโ€™ while โ€˜farmers and consumers pay the priceโ€™.

Industry giants have been accused of โ€˜enriching shareholdersโ€™ while โ€˜farmers and consumers pay the priceโ€™.
on

Nigel Farageโ€™s anti-climate party has received two thirds of its income from oil investors.

Nigel Farageโ€™s anti-climate party has received two thirds of its income from oil investors.
on

You might not have heard of them, but a new analysis shows these ad execs have overseen $1.5 billion worth of fossil fuel ads in the U.S. since the Paris Agreement.

You might not have heard of them, but a new analysis shows these ad execs have overseen $1.5 billion worth of fossil fuel ads in the U.S. since the Paris Agreement.
on

DeSmog analysis reveals London-based WPP linked to twiceย as much oil advertising as American rivalsย despite its internal climate policy.

DeSmog analysis reveals London-based WPP linked to twiceย as much oil advertising as American rivalsย despite its internal climate policy.