Another global warming believer hedges his bet - Victorville Daily Press

Ever heard of James Lovelock? Probably not, unless you're a hardcore believer in global warming (recently transmogrified into climate change). Mr. Lovelock is a celebrated scientist who, a number of years ago â€" back when global warming was touted as the end of the world as we know it â€" was among those predicting a global warming disaster awaited humanity.

Mr. Lovelock said in 2006 that “before this century is over billions of us will die and the few breeding pairs of people that survive will be in the Arctic where the climate remains tolerable.”

And how does he feel now? Well, he’s recanted, at least partially. He told MSNBC the other day that he overstated the case, acknowledging that “we don’t know what the climate is doing,” adding, “We thought we knew 20 years ago. That led to some alarmist books â€" mine included â€" because it looked clear-cut, but it hasn’t happened.”

Lovelock, 92, says, “the climate is doing its usual tricks,” admitting “there’s nothing much really happening yet,” even though “we were supposed to be halfway toward a frying world now.”

We threw in the “partially” modifier to describe his pivot because Lovelock told MSNBC he still believes climate change is occurring, though not as rapidly as he once thought.

“The world has not warmed up very much since the millennium. Twelve years is a reasonable time,” he said. Yet the temperature “has stayed almost constant, whereas it should have been rising â€" carbon dioxide is rising, no question about that.”

Researchers have been theorizing for at least the last two decades that an increase in humancaused CO2 emissions will heat the planet, but they haven’t been able to prove it. That’s because, other scientists say, there are too many forces outside of man that influence temperature, precipitation, clouds, humidity and wind.

Lovelock, unlike many of his similarly minded scientific compatriots, is moving away from that climate change disaster scenario, though slowly. That’s a good thing; caution is invaluable when expounding theories about the weather.

That all leaves a couple of questions, one being when is Al Gore going to listen to the growing ranks of global warming dissenters â€" now including Mr. Lovelock â€" and when is the United States’ cheerleading government agency promoting the whole mistaken idea of the effects of global warming (that would be the Environmental Protection Agency) going to admit it’s seriously mistaken and start pulling back on climate regulations (chiefly those involving carbon emissions) before it strangles the United States economy?

The answer to the first is probably never. The answer to the second? We’ll probably get some idea after November.