Understanding climate change with anecdote
Most skeptics’ views of climate change – anthropogenic global warming – seem to come down to the following template:
“The local temperature around <my city> is much cooler than <my faulty memory> remembers. Therefore global warming is a crock.”
Hence I have created a simple Python script which can auto-generate this recollection. It uses the monthly average temperature for my city, subtracts the current local temperature, and then, if the difference is positive, the Earth is warming. If the difference is negative, of course, hundreds of well-educated climate scientists are morons, incompetent, members of the Priory of Sion, or out to get you. Helpfully you can run this at particular times during the day to get the effect you wish.
This has the distinct advantage of not relying on spotty memory or aching joints to provide historical weather information. And thus is probably more sciency than most of the writing by Lawrence Solomon.
I'm a postdoc in software engineering at the University of British Columbia. 
There might be global warming or cooling but the important issue is whether we, as a human race, can do anything about it.
There are a host of porkies and not very much truth barraging us everyday so its difficult to know what to believe.
I think I have simplified the issue in an entertaining way on my blog which includes some issues connected with climategate and “embarrassing” evidence.
In the pipeline is an analysis of the economic effects of the proposed emission reductions. Watch this space or should I say Blog
http://www.rogerfromnewzealand.wordpress.com
Please feel welcome to visit and leave a comment.
Cheers
Roger
PS The term “porky” is listed in the Australian Dictionary of Slang.( So I’m told.)
rogerthesurf
2010 January 20 at 05:20
Roger, you can absolutely do something about it. Start with driving your car less, eating more vegetarian foods, reducing home power consumption, composting, etc. No matter what your beliefs on the global conspiracy, I fail to see how these actions will harm you – and they may even do some good. Good luck!
Neil
2010 January 20 at 10:49
Neil,
I trust you read my blog then?
I agree wholeheartedly that our planet needs attention but what I am saying is that chasing after the life giving gas CO2 as the culprit, will simply divert resources away from the real problems that need attention such as heavy metal pollution, genuinely poisonous gases and chemical waste etc.
AND if the IPPCC have their way, meeting the carbon emission targets and the proposed transfers to third world countries they propose will simply break the world economy.
In the pipeline for my blog is a page that will show how the proposed targets if implimented will cause general economic collapse and likely starvation for you, me and our children.
All this for an unproven discredited hypothesis?
Please watch my blog
Cheers
Roger
http://rogerfromnewzealand.wordpress.com
rogerthesurf
2010 January 20 at 18:12
Looks like you got your own climate denial troll, Neil, I’m envious!
Jorge
2010 January 28 at 15:44
Somehow I haven’t got around to reading his blog…
Neil
2010 January 28 at 15:46
Right on Neil,
Are you afraid that your faith in Global Warming is caused by CO2 might be threatened?
Return to facts for once in your life!
If you can find logical and well referenced facts to refute what is on my blog, I am all ears, and I always allow ALL comments there as well.
Cheers
Roger
rogerthesurf
2010 January 28 at 16:45
– Dickens
Neil
2010 January 28 at 16:48