A Debate: And Dick Lindzen takes a Beating

authordefault
onOct 25, 2010 @ 15:19 PDT

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.)

authordefault
Admin's short bio, lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Voluptate maxime officiis sed aliquam! Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit.

Related Posts

onNov 4, 2025 @ 04:09 PST

The government has signed vast deals with gas-loving, Trump-donating AI giants.

The government has signed vast deals with gas-loving, Trump-donating AI giants.
onNov 3, 2025 @ 12:59 PST

The agency โ€” LLYC Brasil โ€” promoted the upcoming Earthshot Prize ceremony in Rio de Janeiro while under contract to oil giant Petrobras.

The agency โ€” LLYC Brasil โ€” promoted the upcoming Earthshot Prize ceremony in Rio de Janeiro while under contract to oil giant Petrobras.
onNov 3, 2025 @ 07:59 PST

Empresas de alimentos e do agronegรณcio vรฃo se apresentar como soluรงรฃo para a crise climรกtica na cรบpula no Brasil โ€” embora os alimentos sejam responsรกveis por um terรงo do aquecimento global.

Empresas de alimentos e do agronegรณcio vรฃo se apresentar como soluรงรฃo para a crise climรกtica na cรบpula no Brasil โ€” embora os alimentos sejam responsรกveis por um terรงo do aquecimento global.
onNov 3, 2025 @ 02:00 PST

With Brazil about to host COP30, DeSmog has obtained copies of checks Exxon mailed to the right-wing Atlas Network in the 1990s to turn Latin America against climate treaties.

With Brazil about to host COP30, DeSmog has obtained copies of checks Exxon mailed to the right-wing Atlas Network in the 1990s to turn Latin America against climate treaties.