All that stuff we’ve heard about global warming being
unquestionably responsible for more frequent devastating hurricanes?
About how the devastation we saw after Hurricane Katrina would
soon be the norm? Yeah, not
so much:
One of the most influential scientists behind the theory
that global warming has intensified recent hurricane activity
says he will reconsider his stand.
The hurricane expert, Kerry Emanuel of the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, this week unveiled a novel technique for predicting
hurricane activity. The new work suggests that, even in a
dramatically warming world, hurricane frequency and intensity
may not substantially rise during the next two centuries.
The research, appearing in the March issue of Bulletin of
the American Meteorological Society, is all the more remarkable
coming from Emanuel, a highly visible leader in his field
and long an ardent proponent of a link between global warming
and much stronger hurricanes.
(Article continues below)
Lessons to learn (again) from this:
- Our understanding of Earth’s atmosphere isn’t
anywhere near complete.
- Therefore, the “consensus” that we often hear
about on the potential effects of climate change isn’t
necessarily correct.
- As such, we should be wary of those who propose drastic
responses to a “crisis” that we simply do not
fully understand.
Dr. Jay Richards has noted many times that there are four questions
we should ask about climate change before we implement any policy
in response to it. You can hear him talk about those questions
next Thursday
here
in Grand Rapids. Check that link for more information.
