AGW Begins to Take a Back Seat to Economic Concerns

01 Oct, 2008 by McQ

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Historian Paul Johnson takes a swing at the theory of AGW. He posits that AGW “science” is about as scientific as theories by Karl Marx:

The idea that human beings have changed and are changing the basic climate system of the Earth through their industrial activities and burning of fossil fuels–the essence of the Greens’ theory of global warming–has about as much basis in science as Marxism and Freudianism. Global warming, like Marxism, is a political theory of actions, demanding compliance with its rules.

Those who buy in to global warming wish to drastically curb human economic and industrial activities, regardless of the consequences for people, especially the poor. If the theory’s conclusions are accepted and agreed upon, the destructive results will be felt most severely in those states that adhere to the rule of law and will observe restrictions most faithfully. The global warming activists’ target is the U.S. If America is driven to accept crippling restraints on its economy it will rapidly become unable to shoulder its burdens as the world’s sole superpower and ultimate defender of human freedoms. We shall all suffer, however, as progress falters and then ceases and living standards decline.

He also feels that for those who have accepted the AGW liturgy, they’re simply members of the latest secular religion (and again prove that PT Barnam was right):

Marxism, Freudianism, global warming. These are proof–of which history offers so many examples–that people can be suckers on a grand scale. To their fanatical followers they are a substitute for religion. Global warming, in particular, is a creed, a faith, a dogma that has little to do with science. If people are in need of religion, why don’t they just turn to the genuine article?

In fact, it appears that some of the European governments who’ve bought into this are beginning to try to find ways to buy out:

Poland has joined Germany in calling for industry exemptions to EU climate rules as a recession in Europe’s major economies is casting doubts on whether Brussels will be able to push through its ambitious CO2 reduction programme.

[…]

Member states are getting nervous about asking their industries to pay more for CO2 pollution, says Christian Egenhofer, a senior researcher at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels. The “assumptions have gone”, Egenhofer said in reference to likely declining investments and growing constraints on governments’ abilities to use macro-economic instruments towards ‘green’ aims.

When it comes right down too it, and after countries have taken a good hard look at the consequences of doing what they’ve been asked to do in light of the “science” that supports it, few are finding it something to which they want to stay committed – especially with economic hard times looming. You see, we know how the laws of economics work. AGW? Not so much.

[Crossposted at QandO]