Faulty logic skews climate change conversation

Distorted logic distorts, equally, the climate change conversation.

John Cook.

Many older people appear to mistakenly equate 40 degrees Celsius with 100°F claiming that as a kid they lived through many 100 degree days.

“They appear to be unaware that 40°C is actually 104°F and that 43°C, a somewhat common experience recently in the Goulburn Valley, is a nearly 110°F,” Beneath the Wisteria convenor, Robert McLean said.

“Climatologists are predicting that within a couple of decades, days with temperatures close to 45°C, that’s 113°F, will be relatively common during summer,” Robert said.

Human survival becomes rather problematic he said when temperatures are regularly above 40°C.

The week leading up to the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires saw a run of high temperatures and the deaths among people from heatstroke far exceeded those of the actual fires.

Science illustrates that not only do humans struggle to survive the markedly increased temperatures, but other species that contribute to humanity’s wellbeing, are also put under severe stress.

The flawed logic of many people was discussed by the Climate Communication Research Fellow at the University of Queensland, John Cook, in a story headed: “’It’s been hot before’: faulty logic skews the climate debate”.

“Of course, heatwaves have happened in the past, including before humans started altering the climate. But, it’s faulty logic to suggest that this means they’re not increasing now, or that it’s not our fault,” he wrote.

 

Singing from a rather dated hymn book

Abbott and Hunt sing from a
rather dated hymn book.

As it should be, Australia’s Prime Minister, Mr Tony Abbott, and the Environment Minister, Greg Hunt, stand close and tight as they sing from the same hymn book.

Although that behaviour is to be applauded, they urgently need to update their hymn book and not continually rely upon text from an edition that dates from the 19^th and 20^th centuries.

Evidence of their endeavour to apply logic from those centuries to a dilemma that became blatantly obvious late in the twentieth century and has become brutally apparent today, early in the 21^st century, is obvious in this ABC story headed: “Greg Hunt defends Tony Abbott’s climate change comments in testy BBC interview”.