There’s nothing rib-ticklingly funny about either global warming or ‘climate change’, though I’ve done my best in a past essay or two to find something. But I did enjoy what follows, written by Craig Lindberg and published by Anthony Watts a few days ago. Lindberg pointed out that many of those who have been fervent supporters of the notion that global warming would kill us all one day have ben reluctant to give up their belief — in part, he suggests, because there hasn’t been a proper eulogy, which he then provided. What follows are the bits I smiled at most.
I never had the opportunity to meet Climate Change personally; however, he had many friends, and they spoke of him frequently – so frequently that at times, I thought they wanted me to know him better than I know my own family. And while I never came to know and appreciate Climate Change the way they did, he did bring me many laughs over the years.
Climate change had a difficult childhood… He first gained notoriety when thrust unwillingly into the spotlight by those who would later become friends of his mother. They wanted everyone to believe that it was he who was cold and heartless; though now these proselytes deny any part in it. I can still remember seeing him as a young man on the cover of Time magazine; the “Big Freeze” they called him. A chilling life was not his destiny however, and soon his future was as bright as an active sun – so bright that even the Hollywood A-list would seek out his warmth. In time, he came to be known as Global Warming.
Many of his disciples took his words to mean that they should not only go out and create concerns in the people around them, but also in all people around the world. And as time went by and the various fears that were attributed to Global Warming failed to materialize, the damage to his reputation became beyond repair. Many people stopped taking him seriously. When he went out in public, even the children would point at him and laugh. Ultimately this led his promoters to convince him to reinvent himself yet again, this time as the Climate Change we lay to rest here today.
Unlike his previous personas, Climate Change was difficult to understand. Perhaps this was by design; he didn’t want to relive the problems of his past, or perhaps it was his devoted friends who believed the best way to protect him was to keep the details of his life a secret. Whatever the reason, we never really had the opportunity to know who he was or wasn’t, even though we heard about him every day. The paparazzi liked the new Climate Change more than ever – so much that they looked right past his ever increasing problems. I’m sure this made his passing all the more difficult for those who idolized him.
Despite a string of events that would have broken a lesser man, he continued to face the world with an unparalleled hope and optimism that nothing could stop him. Einstein once said “there are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” The latter certainly defined Climate Change. He believed nothing could prove him wrong, and he radiated a Machiavellian-like passion that inspired a wave of second-rate postdocs and government researchers to use the magic of politics, in a strange twist, to transform alchemy into a respected science that would let them to taste fame and fortune beyond their wildest expectations.
However, even with all his fame, Climate Change was never a rich man. He did not have money to give to the world’s poor and suffering … This particularly weighed on him given all the heat waves and snow storms, droughts and floods, and all manner of pestilence that had been falsely attributed to him now and into the future. Nonetheless, he had an uncanny way of inspiring a sort of assisted generosity in his fellow man. Countless billions of our hard earned dollars have been given in his name. For this more than anything else, I’m sure he will be missed by real friends.
His seemingly sudden death has come as a surprise to many, but Climate Change had been in poor health for some time. His close friends were in a deep denial, most of those in the media were too distraught to bring themselves to report it and, despite his ever worsening condition, Climate Change never grumbled or complained about his sometimes obvious discomfort, a rare virtue in any man. Hopefully his friends can find it in them to be as strong. Let us honor Climate Change’s brave struggle by letting him go silently into the night. Rest in peace.
There is waning public interest in ‘human caused climate change’ (see chart of “all English-language monitored mainstream and social media coverage worldwide of ‘Climate Change’” over the past 5 years here:http://climatechange.carboncapturereport.org/cgi-bin/topic?#activitytimeline
There is waning public support for mitigation policies like ‘carbon’ pricing (see “all English-language monitored mainstream and social media coverage worldwide of ‘Carbon Credits’” over the past 4 years here:
http://carboncredits.carboncapturereport.org/cgi-bin/topic?#activitytimeline
It is recognised that global warming is net beneficial up to about 2 C increase above today’s temperatures. The benefit is estimated to be up to 2.5% of global GDP (see Figure 1 here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165188913000092 ). What rational person would advocate policies to prevent the world getting that benefit.
And what rational person would advocate policies that will cost a fortune and deliver no benefits; this is the case with the ETS and renewable energy schemes: http://jennifermarohasy.com/2013/08/why-the-ets-will-not-succeed-peter-lang/
“
I thought his friends buried him in the deep ocean.
Three ticks and a gold star!
My July August Quadrant article reached a similar conclusion but without the humour! Great piece.
If Climate Change is dead, its zombie is not only walking in the form of ACT Environment and Sustainable Development Minister Simon Corbell, but it’s doing a jig following the passage of a bill that will have ACT consumers paying for so much renewable electricity that the ACT can pretend that 90% of the electricity used there comes from renewables, even during still nights.