25 Mar 2008 @ 8:19 PM 

When the Larsen B shelf collapsed in 2002, melting a block of ice the size of Rhode Island, global warming denialists said that a 12,000 year-old stable feature was just due to collapse anyway.  Nothing to see here.

Now, the Wilkins shelf is about to calve a block about the size of Connecticut.  Want to bet how the denialists will react? Liberal media conspiracy, anyone? Maybe a nice ad hominem attack on Al Gore? Pick your logical fallacy, and handicap the race for yourself!

Posted By: Gary
Last Edit: 24 Apr 2009 @ 09:11 AM

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Responses to this post » (26 Total)

 
  1. CAW says:

    Yes, “ad hominem” attack on Al Gore. Gee, glad you didn’t make any ad hominem attacks on scientists who are skeptical about climate change, you know calling them “deniers” or “denialists,” terms that both innacuratey describe the position of the skeptic community and originate from the slanderous comparison of skeptics to “holocaust deniers.”

    Oh and everybody knows that most of Antarctica has been cooling, right? It’s just that one peninsula (which also happens to be over a part of the ring of fire that has been particularly active recently.
    Source:
    http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/Images/antarctic_temps.AVH1982-2004.jpg&imgrefurl=http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3%3Fimg_id%3D17257&h=450&w=540&sz=52&hl=en&start=14&um=1&tbnid=Ur_GOhItNXOy2M:&tbnh=110&tbnw=132&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dantarctica%2Bcooling%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7TSHB%26sa%3DN

  2. John says:

    You retards, we are still coming off the last ice age, what did you expect? global cooling? research some science and get a life faggots. And al gore is still a puppet queer. love John

  3. Franko says:

    .
    Still too cold !
    No crocodiles sunbathing in Antarctica

    Deep ocean temperatures not incresing
    Al Gore needs to consume more ?
    .

  4. Scott R. says:

    And yet there is still more ice forming than melting. Don’t forget that!

    By the way, it is the natural cycle for these ice sheets to sluff off. It has been happening for hundreds of thousands of years.

  5. Eddie Howard says:

    Odd. Whenever some isolated anecdote hints of global warming, the story ultimately makes its way to a banner headline. Meanwhile, we are awakening from one of the coldest winters in North America in the last 60 years, witnessing a six-year plateau or decline in global temperatures, and laughing at the hurricane “experts” that overestimated storm frequency and intensity by 50% or more three years running – nary a hushed word in the popular press. Global warming or no, unbalanced hysteria in the press and blogs will always provide ample justification to doubt the eco-socialists looking to redistribute wealth in the name of planet-saving.

  6. John says:

    Here is the truth about Antarctica. Most of it isn’t warming and some of it is cooling. Judging the climate of a place the size of Antarctica by this one event is like judging the climate of Canada by watching the weather in British Columbia. FYI- In BC the trees are budding and they have 10 feet of snow in Halifax.

  7. […] most linked-to post ever, yesterday’s denialists missive, has attracted the usual suspects. Not surprisingly, Akismet’s spam filter blocked them and I […]

  8. I am not a denialist. There is no doubt the planet is warming. I just think it is the height of arrogance to conclusively say – “this is the cause” when the reality is no one knows conclusively. This planet has been around for six billion years and will far outlast the human race. we can’t destroy it – only ourselves and we’re doing a good job by denuding the planet, turning the oceans and rivers into sewers, etc. Demagogues scientists and politicians are not informing the debate either. I find it interesting you accuse “the denialists” of attacks and lunacy when you post comes off incredibly smug and uninformed.

  9. Atmosphericscientist says:

    Lets put this into perspective, shall we? The full Wilkins 6,000 square mile ice shelf is just 0.39% of the current ice sheet (just 0.1% of the extent last September). Only a small portion of it between 1/100th-1/200th of Wilkins has separated so far, like an icicle falling off a snow and ice covered house. And this winter is coming on quickly. In fact the ice is returning so fast, it is running an amazing 60% ahead (4.0 vs 2.5 million square km extent) of last year when it set a NEW RECORD. The ice extent is already approaching the second highest level for extent since the measurements began by satellite in 1979 and just a few days into the Southern Hemisphere winter and 6 MONTHS AHEAD OF THE PEAK. Wilkins like all the others that temporarily broke up will refreeze soon. We are very likely going to EXCEED last year’s record. Yet the world is left with the false impression Antarctica’s ice sheet is also starting to disappear.

    I should point out, if the name I chose didn’t already make it clear, that I am an atmospheric scientist, and very amused by the garbage I read in the media. My colleagues and I laugh (and cringe) when we read sophmorics articles that rarely put anything into proper perspective. Yes, I have a PhD. Do you?

  10. Gary says:

    So, in the realm of logical fallacies, we have appeal to authority (and misspelling of sophomoric in that appeal – classic), strawman, false dichotomy, and ignoring a continuum. Oops, can’t forget the namecalling (does that count as a logical fallacy, or just obnoxious?).
    By the way, PhD – you claim that the other shelves have temporarily melted. So, where is Larsen A? And Larsen B?
    The article CAW linked to actually supports global warming, yet he cites it as evidence for the opposite. I’m not sure how folks can hold such thoughts in their heads without physical pain.

  11. nonexistant says:

    I’m new to this but what is global warming? and who’s this Al Gore character you keep talking about.

    Sounds like an evil dude!

  12. starzzguitar says:

    Okay, this ice shelf collapsed, and probably more of it will collapse. AND THIS IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE WHY??? I mean, so what? Ice is very brittle and prone to cracking. It’s sheer weight probably made it collapse. This also does not prove global warming. Some of you are hysterical. Go outside. Look around. Everything’s great.

  13. xaviermertz says:

    Gary, worse than that, with his/her “. Wilkins like all the others that temporarily broke up will refreeze soon.” Atmosphericscientist needs to stick to his/her area of expertise since it is obvious he hasn’t the foggiest notion of how ice-SHELVES are formed.

  14. lombardi says:

    the snow is melting in my yard in Green Bay Wisconsin…I now have water running in my ditch and through my culvert…..damn this global warming!!!!…..when are you Global warming nuts going to say you have been duped….can you say “hoax”

  15. xaviermertz says:

    “lombardi”,”starzzguuitar” et al.
    First off, you jackasses may wish to try and get your minds around the concept of both “climate” and “weather”, and just how it is the two differ.

  16. Sigh says:

    Humans never learn till its too late.

  17. Somewhat Concerned.. says:

    Bottomline…..global warming or not…shouldn’t we take a proactive approach at protecting our surroundings? I mean, so global warming could or could not be a hoax. I’m not sure what I believe. What I do know is that we can be sensible, and recycle, reduce, and reuse. We could all be a bit kinder to one another too and stop castrating one another for what we believe! Why so much hate?! …sure, bring on those that will poke fun and be an ass towards me for saying this. Just use your head, be smart and don’t pollute. it’s pretty simple. Figure it out.

  18. acs451 says:

    the hoax is being perpatrated on the chicken little people who say nothing is happening, Keep the factories polluting, deforestation, over taxing the resources, off washington state there is a 200 mile dead zone, no more fishing there. The issure is what will happen to mankind.
    1.food supplies agricultural climate change will make areas that once produced will no longer able to
    2.ocean resources are being depleted pacific occilation el nino, el nina, is causing dramatic changes in fish populations, the US pacific coast closing salmon fishing, bottom fishing in bering sea expirencing reduction in ocean floor resources, crab, bottom fishing, with further impact on salmon, herring, krill.
    3.climate impacts to weather
    warmest years in france, nethlands, england, floods in the adriatic.
    the sahahara growing in size faster in the last 10 years then in the last 1000 years.
    displacing populations into neighboring countries that don’t have the resources to feed them.
    wars, famine, diseases that lay dormant in the winter months now are more active and virulent.
    What a legacy and hardship we will leave for generations to come.
    but please make your money now while you can.

  19. 99.9% of scientists know that man-made global warming is a fact. Look at the sources who say it’s overblown, such as individuals in the Bush administration who claimed there was no such thing as global warming, but were on ExxonMobil’s payroll.

  20. Steven Cook says:

    The hottest and coldest days happen after the longest and shortest days, respectively. I think we will pass the point of no return way before we notice it. Our great grandchildren will live in filth created by our own greed and arrogance.

  21. Derek says:

    To give you a feel for how absurd the press coverage of the Antarctic ice, consider this…

    The infamous broken chunk of the Wilkins Ice Shelf is 415 km2 in area. That is less than the amount of new ice forming every hour in the Antarctic. Before today is over, about 100,000 km2 of new sea ice will form around Antarctica.

    Even more ridiculous is the fact that some of the scientists involved in these ice panics are lacking the common sense to even consider the obvious structural considerations involved in the break up.

    “Ice shelf collapse is not as simple as we first thought,” said Professor Glasser, lead author of the paper….”our new study shows that ice-shelf break up is not controlled simply by climate. A number of other atmospheric, oceanic and glaciological factors are involved. For example, the location and spacing of fractures on the ice shelf such as crevasses and rifts are very important too because they determine how strong or weak the ice shelf is”.
    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080210100441.htm

  22. Rosanne says:

    ***regardless of the cause***
    Things are heating up in parts of the world, causing economic and ecological distress. Unseasonal weather (both hot and cold) is happening in parts of the world, also causing distress. If there’s anything we can do to alleviate the problem, I’m all for it. I’ve got no time or energy for finger-pointing. Saying “it’s all part of a natural cycle” doesn’t help the farmer who relies on normal glacial runoff from glaciers that are going away, or the wildlife that can’t survive the new conditions.

    Here’s an interesting article concerning South America’s “melting” problem.
    http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/11/america/LA-GEN-Peru-Glacier-Retreat.php

    Make of it what you will. People are having problems – I’d rather not make them worse.

  23. Derek says:

    I recycle, I don’t use chemicals on my plants, I use CFL’s in my house, I drive a 4 cyclinder vehicle. All this being said, I think global warming is NOT entirely caused by humans. I’m not worried about global warming as much as I’m worried about leaving a toxic mess for the next generations.

    Also, I’m still amazed there isn’t more China bashing in the media, now there’s a toxic mess of a country.

  24. Franko says:

        
      Global warming has stopped,
    Even chief UN scientist admits it

    Real problem is Global Dimming
    Look it up on uTube
    One degree Centigrade increase in 3 days,
    Because the skies cleared after 9/11

    You have to look at the charts,
    Without the extrapolation

  25. Gary says:

    Saying something doesn’t make it true. Which “chief” U.N. scientist says global warming has stopped? Dr. Pachauri, the chief U.N. climatologist certainly has said no such thing. Maybe the chief phrenologist has?

    The study of jet contrails in 2001 has been called into question (Canada also grounded flights, but their temperatures didn’t fluctuate noticeably), and it didn’t show a 1 degree increase in temperature anyway. It showed a 1.5 degree increase in the difference between the nightly low and the daily high. That doesn’t mean it got 1.5 degrees warmer; it could just as easily mean it got 1.5 degrees cooler. And a study of ONE COUNTRY over a few days does not equal a GLOBAL trend anyway.

    Look it up on YouTube (I presume you mean YouTube when you say uTube), you say. There’s a good primary source for all your conspiracy theory needs.

    Look at the charts, you say. Yep. They all show pretty much the same thing. Saying the opposite doesn’t make it true.

  26. Dave says:

    It’s funny to me that you all think by posting your beliefs you might influence someone. This is not the public square, bloggers on sites like this have already made up their minds.

    What is interesting, however, is John’s assertion that global warming believers are gay, and deniers like himself are straight. Where did that come from? I suspect John may have some closeted male attractions that he is trying to overcome. Poor guy, can’t enjoy what he really craves.

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