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Nabaza.net-The MarketPlace - Climate Confusion: How Global Warming Hysteria Leads to Bad Science, Pandering Politicians and Misguided Policies that Hurt the Poor
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List Price: $21.95
Our Price: $14.93
Your Save: $ 7.02 ( 32% )
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Manufacturer: Encounter Books
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 363.73874
EAN: 9781594032103
ISBN: 1594032106
Label: Encounter Books
Manufacturer: Encounter Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 184
Publication Date: 2008-03-27
Publisher: Encounter Books
Studio: Encounter Books
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Editorial Reviews:
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If you listen to the media, you would think that man-made environmental catastrophe was about to engulf the world and imperil civilization. From Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth to nightly jeremiads about CO2 emissions and carbon footprints, we are bombarded around the clock with alarmist reports that disasterous global warming is on the rise and that it's our fault. In Climate Confusion, noted climatologist Roy Spencer shows that fears about global warming are vastly exaggerated and are driven by politics, not truth. He shows that a global superstorm has already arrived-but it is a storm of hype and hysteria. Climate Confusion is a ground-breaking book that combines impeccable scientific authority with great wit and literary panache to expose the hysteria surrounding the myths of global warming and climate change. Spencer shows that the earth is far more resilient than exopessimists pretend and that increasing wealth and technology ingenuity, far from being the enemies of the environment, are the only means we possess to solve environmental problems as they arise.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Clearing the Air
Comment: Just finished "Climate Confusion". Kudos to Dr. Spencer! It was even better than I'd hoped, and heaven knows it is sorely needed now to even partially offset the tidal wave of contrary Global Warming Alarmist diatribe currently flooding the media. Hopefully it will be read by some on the other side of the controversy, or fence-straddlers, and just maybe some will more critically examine the nature of the activist onslaught. Although the subject is quite serious and so treated, the book was very lightly written, easy to read, and gave me more than a few chuckles.
The brief explanation of the basic climate processes influencing weather patterns of our globe was simple, short, succinct (and totally free of any mind-boggling equations that scare folks off), and should be relatively easy for anyone of average intelligence to comprehend.
Similarly, the characterization of the vastness, and almost unbelievably (and largely not at all understood) complex, and sometimes apparently chaotic, and diverse processes making up our global weather systems was extremely well done. As was the discussions of: the total incapacity of the best and fastest of our computer systems to come close to modeling a tiny fraction of the global weather; the painfully minute volume of CO2 we put into the atmosphere compared to the total atmospheric volume; the difficulty and questionable nature of obtaining historical climatological data; and the total lack of any other completed similar modeling problem against which our erstwhile climate "modelers" can compare/calibrate their "comprehensive" computer models. (How these unquestionable facts can fail to give pause to our GCM modelers and other Global Warming activists is completely beyond my comprehension).
Of course, this is partially explained by another of the well-made points in the book - that is the existence of the vicious, incestuous circle (well-oiled by Federal funds - many Billions of $) of: Environmentalists ("Noble", passionate & single-minded) / GCM modelers [& meteorologists] (human, greedy, job-security concerned, & anxious to "make a real difference") / media types and movie stars (hopeless, looking for publicity and "sexy" news) / legislators (also virtually hopeless, with their fingers in the wind, but with their hands on the money spigots) / and finally, The Public (totally overwhelmed by the other 4 groups). This was well done, and is partially understandable, but only to a degree.
Another well-made thesis of the book is the real impact (and very limited effectiveness) of punitive CO2 reduction measures (such as the Kyoto Protocol, which we, in the US, continue to beat ourselves over the head about, since the Senate, for once wisely, totally disavowed it) on the real global economy. This impact will far and away adversely impact the poverty stricken masses of the world far more than it will hurt us, largely middle-class denizens of the US and other developed nations. For us it will mean a little less steak and shorter vacations - for them, it is life or death, literally. (This point will not be conceded by the environmental elite.) The analogy to the Annual deaths of a million or so Africans, and severe disabilities to many more due to malaria, which could easily be controlled by the simple and inexpensive expedient of DDT spraying, forbidden to them due to developed nations forcing them to ban it under pain of "trade sanctions", is eye-opening and shocking. As Dr. Spencer says, this situation is totally unsupportable. And this, while our environmentalist heroes continue to pat themselves on the back about their successful victory over this horrid substance. Something is very wrong with this picture.
I have some minor criticism of the book. Not over anything the author missed, or got wrong or avoided, but for perhaps not being harsh enough with some of the main players in this on-going farce. In my opinion, the GCM modelers were let off a bit too easy. To me, they're the worst offenders in this scientific debacle. I understand the rationale Dr. Spencer gives for their failings (they're human; they want to make a difference; the money/research grants are only there for those who toe the party line; they do [quietly] state the limitations and assumptions underlying their work). But I'm sorry, this is not enough excuse, in my view, to over-dramatize their hypotheses and to let the media even more greatly do so. It shows a high level of scientific arrogance. They are intelligent adults and should show more honesty and morality in characterizing their work. While the environmentalists are even more guilty, they are probably even more a lost cause. Also, I think the good Dr. was a bit too easy on his former agency, NASA. I do appreciate that they have done, and continue to do, a lot of good. But that does not excuse overstating their "Global Warming" case.
The author has done a real service to us all - Skeptics, True Believers, and Fence Sitters alike, for writing and seeing this book published, and bringing at least a little balance to the ongoing debate.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: A Weather Warning
Comment: Professor Roy Spence's book "Climate Confusion" (2008 191-page hardback) is a compact study about how "man made global warming is based as much on faith as it is upon knowledge". His meteorologically founded discussion convinces that science has not, yet, settled the news media's climate change dilemma.
With nine chapters Spence suggests how weather works, how the globe warms and cools, why scientists are often biased, how politics informs the global warming debate, some "dumb global warming solutions", and much more. His energetic and entertaining writing style makes Spence's broad scientific analysis interesting and informative. His humor, whit, and meteorological background illuminate various contemporary climate change/global warming philosophies and mythologies. The weather warning here- don't believe everything you hear about global warming!
This book teaches but it has a downside (keeping it from earning the fifth star). Spence offers little, or no, resourcing. There are no footnote nor endnotes in this text. Perhaps, Dr. Roy wants the book portrayed as a novel, (always the result of no resourcing). Give us locations for further research, professor.
The book's subtitle embraces its principle point. Spence's credible science presents viable alternatives and responses for global warming. Citing the Sun as Earth's warming source, Spence believes (and proves) that climate change is only marginally affected by humanity. Such hard scientific conclusions make this book worth its purchase price.
This book is recommended to everyone interested in human made global warming, North American meteorology, and doing good science.
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Summary: Common sense on climate change
Comment: It is a pleasure to read a book by a distinguished scientist who has the ability to see and put things in perspective. Dr. Spencer shows convincingly how recent global warming fits in the natural cycles of changing climate, and that human activity is not likely to add much to the natural warming. Most important, he shows that climate is enormously complicated and that we do not know nearly enough about it to make the dogmatic statements favored by politicians and environmentalists. In the foreseeable future there can be no established consensus.
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Summary: Great place to go to understand the climate debate
Comment: This book does an excellent job of covering the science behind the global warming scare. It also provides understanding of the human motives behind the issue such as the desire to "go along to get along" and the fear of losing funding or standing if you honestly go against the politically correct view of climate change.
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Summary: The Coolest Critique
Comment: I have read several books on this subject. This one is by far the best. It is clear, easy for the non-climatologist, well balanced and humorous. It is also brief. The chapters on weather and climate are lucidly presented although they might take reading twice over, since this book is not intended for scientists. The politics of climate research are well presented and important in understanding the bias in funding researchers in this field. I highly recommend this book and have already told many others to read it!
As a physician, I believe our wealth should be directed to such global problems as HIV, sanitation, poverty, malaria, tuberculosis, lack of electricity and refrigeration and not the illusive possible man-made contribution to trivial global temperature change. The author, I believe, shares my distress at the global warming pseudoscience and hysteria. Let's wake up to oft, repeated, big lie of man as evildoer and direct our efforts toward problems that are present here and now and that we can remedy with certainty, with all our wisdom, with all our wealth.
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