My friend, David Householder, recently asked for comments on global warming, and I wanted to be helpful. Also, I wanted to come at this topic from a slightly different angle. Enjoy…
An immediate disclaimer: I am primarily of Danish descent. My great-grandfather was a businessman in Racine, Wisconsin, which has the largest population of Danes in North America (back off, Solvang). Our family name was spelled in the Danish fashion, "Hansen." My great-grandfather changed it to "Hanson" and used this as a business branding technique. "Hansen with an 'O'."
Interesting that his gravestone, which I have seen, reads, "Hansen." He probably just didn't want to continue in eternity misidentified.
Now let's talk about Denmark. The
UN Copenhagen Climate Change Conference is in session. Undoubtedly, you have already heard about these proceedings. What you may not know, however, is the strong presence in Denmark of scientists like influential physicist,
Henrick Svensmark, (who actually just had a
heart attack in a climate debate in Denmark this week!) and organizations, like the Danish Space Center.
These Danes are on the leading edge of those who are questioning some of the research and conclusions being drawn concerning "climate change."* So, having the UN conference in Denmark is deliciously, quite "ironic."
It's not that Danish scientists are hard core climate change deniers, or, My Lord (more appropriately, "Not My Lord"), far right religious fanatics (Denmark has one of the highest percentages of self-professed atheists in the world and traditional religious practice there by the Danish population is virtually non-existent). No, they are not right wing nut jobs or religious zealots.
They are just Danes.
Stereotypically, Danes will not be browbeaten, guilt-ed, politically correctivized, or talk downed to. I guess Viking genetics is still alive and well. This "stubbornness" and "tenacity" can bring about blessing or curse.
Blessing, in noble causes, like the fact that every Jew living in Denmark during WW II was saved from the Nazi's by the Danish resistance who orchestrated their escape (Unless the Jewish Danes refused the help and chose to remain in country. Some of them were murdered. As a result of their bravery and compassion (or stubbornness), still today, Danish people are called, "Righteous Ones" by many Jews and Jewish organizations).
Or, curse, as in the case of holding on to depraved values, no matter what anyone else thinks. Like the fact that bestiality is legal in Denmark and there are actually animal brothels!
Stereotypically, Danes follow the beat of their own drum. So, when you have a Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, don't be surprised you also have an
alternative conference sponsored by the Danish group,
Climate Sense, with speakers from the Danish National Space Center, among other Danish science organizations.
Then there is also the small matter of
Bjorn Lomborg, to contend with. This is the Bjorn Lomborg, the leading critic in the world today, of the methodologies being considered or chosen to address climate change.
And a Dane.
If Al Gore is the face of climate change, Lomborg is his
doppelganger. , Bjorn Lomborg is the best known, and most often quoted skeptic in the world- The world of proposals by scientists and governments, of human responses to combat the negative consequences of climate change . Lomborg is the author of the famous (or infamous) books, Skeptical Environmentalist and Cool It!. Lomborg is hardly a climate change- denying fanatic. One Lomborg quote will suffice:
"Global warming is real, it is caused by man-made CO2 emissions, and we need to do something about it. But we don’t need action that makes us feel good. We need action that actually does good."
No, not a fanatic, he just thinks this issue is so politicized that we are going down exactly the wrong path. Not a "flat earth," anti-scientific fundamentalist-
- but he is a Dane.
My
favorite Lomborg story happened in 2007, when Al Gore was riding the wave of "An Inconvenient Truth," and traveling to promote the book and film. He agreed to an interview by Lomborg (who was guest reporter for the largest Danish newspaper,
"Jyllands-Posten"), while he was touring. The interview was set up months prior, and then suddenly canceled the day before! It appears Al Gore and Gore's agent didn't know who Bjorn Lomborg was until the day before the interview!!
The world's leading skeptic of some of the research and conclusions touted by Gore in "An Inconvenient Truth," and Vice President Gore and his agent had never- heard- of- Bjorn Lomborg. It would be like the Red Sox not knowing Derek Jeter… Priceless!
No interviews and no general press conferences.
No one allowed to inconveniently ask questions about "An Inconvenient Truth." This was the procedure adopted by the Gore tour. Except Mr. Gore forgot one thing.
Lomborg is a Dane.
Here is Bjorn Lomborg getting a chance to connect with Vice President Gore, after all. Two years later. A little defensive, perhaps??
Don't take my word for it. Do your own research.
Here is one of Lomborg's websites. You decide how fanatical he is.
What does this have to say about the global warming debate?
First, when someone like Al Gore, who I am sure considers himself well-meaning and a man of goodwill in all of this controversy (no sarcasm, I really am sure he is not trying to bring in some sinister conspiracy to rule the world, or something), says something like,
"It's kind of silly to keep debating the science,"
then I know this topic is not going to go away anytime soon.
No honest scientist with integrity would ever make such a statement on an issue so complex, unless there is another agenda at work. That may be why Vice President Gore received a "Nobel Peace Prize" instead of, oh, say, a Nobel Prize in Physics…
Second, you couldn't have absolutely picked a worse group of people to try to verbally manipulate, scientifically ostracize, politically strong-arm, or culturally ridicule.
I mean, has everybody forgotten
this so quickly?
* "When did "global warming" become "climate change," you ask. I'm happy to oblige.
The term, "global warming" is not currently in vogue and has been replaced by "climate change." Probably due to the fact that global temperatures have been cooling recently. So, even though this is considered a temporary blip in the trend where temperatures are definitely getting warmer, "climate change" is a no-brainer because it covers all bets. Global temperatures increasing or decreasing and, voila, you still have "climate change."
It's kind of like betting on "black" and "red" at a roulette table. You win either way. Well, not really, you simply break even…but, wait a minute, you get free drinks while placing those bets and so you do win!
Except you forgot about
STUPID "0" and "00" coming up and losing all your bets, anyway. But, you will go to the sport's book and bet on horses and drink free anyway. Sure, just put 2 dollar show bets on carefully selected "Best Bet of the Day" favorites and drift away on a Vegas afternoon…Except, do you know how many times
favorites don't come in??**
** I have all of this on good authority from a friend of mine who had this experience, and though I don't understand all of this gambling stuff, I believe him…
Posted via email from how to be a christian without being a jerk!
