Controversial view fails scientific tests, but engenders controversy

Climate Code Red by David
Spratt and Philip Sutton.

The idea that climate change could end the human race is provocative, an extremity some endorse and for others a concept that defies scientific realities, extinguishes hope and not helpful in building any mitigation processes.

The article: “Dahr Jamail | Are Humans Going Extinct?” published on truthout refers to and quotes a professor emeritus of natural resources, and ecology and evolutionary biology, with the University of Arizona, who has been studying anthropogenic climate disruption (ACD) for nearly 30 years, Guy McPherson.

The Victorian Climate Action Network group has been alive with thoughts about McPherson’s views when Alastair Leith asked whether or not this “Pretty heavy reading” should be posted to Facebook?

“Will it just encourage the uninitiated to disengage even more on climate change?” he asked.

 

Trent Hawkins ponder similar questions.

Among those who responded was the fellow behind Safe Climate Science, Philip Sutton, who said: “I personally think it doesn't do any good at all to spread this sort of material.  For two reasons: first, because I think it's very unlikely to be correct; and two, because it is massively disempowering.

“I think that the chance that humans (as a species) will be driven extinct by climate change (no matter how bad the climate change is) is just about zero.  “Lots of humans could die (billions) but the rich/powerful/technically savvy will find ways to live in the Polar Regions and along the coastal fringes of the continents and perhaps on the oceans themselves - even in the worst case scenarios.

“But what this sort of material does also is that it chooses to put a zero probability of success on the actions of people who are trying to prevent climate change from causing fully blown catastrophe.  That is not a scientifically valid approach in my view.  It's more like a projection of personal depressive feelings. 

“And spreading one's personal depression to others is not likely to be helpful for effective action,” Philip said.

Fellow co-author of Climate Code Red, David Spratt, said, “This article has serious scientific mistakes, such as: average global temperatures could rise by 6 degrees Celsius by 2050, leading to devastating climate change; and at this level is simply not credible, so why waste time on it?”

David said there is plenty of credible, startling material around for this sort of conversation, such as that by Kevin Anderson, which would be a better focus for conversation.