05 July 2011

Another Extreme Event Caucus: National Journal

I am participating in another round-up of opinion on extreme events and climate change over at the National Journal.  This time it is with a group of political types, which so far includes Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), David Hunter (IETA), Gene Karpinski (LCV), Dan Lashof (NRDC), Eileen Claussen (Pew Climate), Carl Pope (Sierra Club), Nathan Willcox (Environment America) and William O'Keefe (Marshall Institute).

My piece is essentially the same as what I provided to Yale e360 not long ago, just a little expanded.  The other submissions are far more interesting and in general would make great grist for an essay by the Bizarro World Chris Mooney.

David Hunter says some smart things about the science and while Rep. Blumenauer could not be more wrong about the science, he gets the policy conclusions exactly right.  Throughout there is the usual litany of recent extremes and their human and economic costs and assertions how they must be linked to human-caused climate change.  Support for these assertions are provided by mentioning news articles and NGO reports, several mentions of rolling a 13 with loaded dice and one extended analogy to splattering spaghetti sauce.

You'd think that with this line-up, William O'Keefe, the lone "skeptic" included in the round up would be able to hit a home run.  Instead, he strikes out.