No Diversity of Opinion in New Climate Report

As reported in the papers, the combined panel of climate research scientists, all supported by government grants given under then-President Obama, released a 2,000 page report repeating the prediction of pending disasters such as sea levels rising by 8 feet in 2100, based on a global temperature increase of 1.8⁰F during the past 120 years, a mere 0.015 degrees per year, yet, the report cited “that there is no climate analogy for this century in the last 50 million years,” apparently forgetting the “little ice age” in the middle-ages, the after effects of which lasted until the end of the 19^th century. The latter shows us how natural phenomena can alter major climate changes even within a few centuries.

Mind you no scientists offering opposing evidence on global warming were involved and, of course, were not eligible for government grants and, for their writings, might even get ostracized.

On the positive side. Secretary Scott Pruitt made a step in the right direction by blocking “concerned scientists” from serving on his advisory panel.

Talking about sea levels rising, this report claimed that between the years 1993 and 2017 the sea level increased by 0.1 inches per year, a total increase of 2.4 inches.

Here is short study to show how water temperature affects the sea level. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the water temperature in the Mid-Atlantic water mass varies between 8⁰C and 19⁰C, a difference of 11⁰C or 20⁰F. Assuming the depth of the water being affected by this temperature is 65 meters and the volumetric coefficient of thermal expansion is 1.2 x 10^-4 per degree F, one then can calculate that a 20⁰F change in water temperature can vary the water level by 0.156 m or 6 inches. So we have a level increase of 6 inches in the summer and a drop of 6 inches in the winter. This shows how difficult it is to get precise readings.

One must realize that precision data gathering was only possible within the past ten years due to the availability of good weather satellites. The only problem is, to which do you compare the new data? No such precise data was available in the past. So we rely on conjecture and “models” generated by computers. Remember, one can get any answers from computers one wants as long as it is programmed accordingly.

Talking about precision; this brings to mind a story from my past. During the 1970s, my company had to build valves having permitted leakage only below 1 x 10^-5 cc/min of Helium. That was tough, but we made it. The next year government specs changed the allowable leakage down to 1 x 10^-6 cc/min, a ten times lower threshold. We were perplexed, did the environment change that much? The answer was quite simple. It just so happened that somebody came out with a new mass-spectrometer, which had a sensitivity of 1 x 10^-6, the government jumped on it. Makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?

By the way, I don’t object to increases in CO₂ since it makes our trees stronger; although I do believe in climate change — it does so every hour.

Hans Baumann is a licensed engineer in four states and a member of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society. He is an adviser to the dean of the University of New Hampshire Business School. Dr. Baumann has published manuals on valves and was a contributor to many works including the "Instrument Engineers' Handbook" and the "Control Valves Handbook." He has also published several books on business management and German history, including "Hitler's Escape," which suggests that Adolf Hitler did not commit suicide and survived World War II. In his latest book, "Atomic Irony" he proves that the Hirshoma Atom Bomb contained captured German Uranium. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.