Comments about ‘Legislators, open minds to science’

"Is it too much to hope for leaders with the courage and wisdom to put us on track for true energy independence, cleaner air, a more diverse economy and more business and corporate accountability for sustainable energy development and use?"

Regardless if you think humans can cause global warming or now, I think that all of these are worthy pursuits. Why would you *not* want clean air or energy independence?

Sorry, George lets check some facts. Al Gore buys his carbon offsets through Generation Investment Management. Who was the founder of this Generation Investment management? Yes, Al Gore. He also own a percentage of a a company named Hara. Gore has built a Green money-making machine capable of eventually generating billions. Google Chicago climate
exchange. Remember when Al Gore, Clinton and Bush gave us NAFTA? They promised more jobs for all. We know how that turned out. The ClimateGate E-Mails have a computer program that shows how to forge cool temps to make them Hotter. The E-mails talk of how to punishing climate skeptics. Due to record snows in D.C they had to cancel the recent Global Warming Conferance, Good ole Al was going to be there explaining how Hot it is. Al can still cruise in his limo and 727 its just us thet will be cutting back and paying carbon taxes. When it comes to War and Global warming, Don't be scared George, Follow the money.

Fossil fuels are the life blood of Utah. If you allow "science" to destroy what our early pioneer ancestors discovered and used to build this state (the coal and railroad industries created economic opportunities throughout the 19th and 20th centuries), you'll dim the lights for our children and future.

If we don't have coal mines, where are our children going work? If you don't drill for oil, what else can they do? Farming? no, we import most of our food now. Solar and wind? No, we have to import all that technology from foreign countries (ABC News had a story on this).

I'm proud that our legislature is doing things to keep Utah the way it is and always should be -- a fossil fool state with a bright and free future.

Global warming is the biggest conspiracy theory since the government claimed we put a man on the moon! And look whose profiting from it -- from Al Gore's movie to Obama's "green" businesses, like Googles, Raser's Orrin Hatch Geothermal Plant, and Spanish Fork's windmills.

The real future is in coal, oil and gas! We've got enuff for years to come!

This guy is a BYU professor? He sites uses urban legends like 97% of scientists agree. He probably supports reducing the human population too. He teaches at BYU?

Pollution is now an essential trace gas that helps a large portion of our ecosystem grow?

I'm thankful of the non-alarmist Utah Governor and Legislature waiting on wasting my tax dollars on the new "end of world is near" sandwich board carriers of today.

Can we follow the money when it comes to climate change deniers too?

I don't blame George for being defensive. Put yourself in his shoes.... watching man-made global warming circling the drain like Piltdown man headed for the ash heap of science hoaxes. And he's stuck with "expertise" in "environmental humanities".

Should have gone into physics George.

Thank you George. Wonderful article. To the gentleman delighting in what he thinks is Al Gore's hypocrisy. Whatever Al Gore does or doesn't do has nothing to do with whether the science behind human caused green house gases is real or not. That science dates back to 1824 and was discovered, quantitated and elaborated on by the world's top scientists for almost 200 years. The supposed "conspiracy" that Fox News loves to promote would have to have started back then and engulfed tens of thousands of scientists since.

The alternate reality that permeates Fox News is doing serious damage to this country's willingness to address the greatest threat in the history of mankind. If that's not treason I don't know what is.

Thanks George for being willing to publicly stand up for the 'silent majority' - we are the folks who rarely speak out but feel that the few but extremely vocal folks who deny science are getting all the media attention.
As a patriotic citizen I want to do what I can to make Utah and the planet habitable for all - now and for future generations. We are at an exciting time in history - we know what the problem is and we know how to fix it! Let's work together for Utah, the United States and the world!
(Side note: I find it interesting that many who make comments hide their name/s.)

Do the proponents of continued dependence on fossil fuels look outside at the quality of our air, do they breathe it and wonder what it is doing to their health and the health of our children? Our air pollution is a direct result of burning fossil fuels. CO2 is only one of the pollutants created by coal plants - how about the mercury that is poisoning the fish in our streams?

Utah has tremendous natural resources to develop wind, solar and geothermnal energy, provide green jobs for our state, and reduce our national dependence on foreign oil. Now is the time to become world leaders in a new, sustainable economy rather than holding on to the past.

God gave us this garden Earth to "till and keep it", not to kill it and ourselves by our abuse of its generous gifts.

The letter begs rebuttal on a few points.

"what's the point of letting science develop? Your mind is already made up." That statement applies quite well to the IPCC and their foregone conclusions.

"Why would a government systematically fabricate a theory that runs counter to the very foundations of its economy?" If by government you mean the U.N., its hypothesis (it's not a theory!) is perfectly in line with their sociopolitical agenda to dismantle free markets and redistribute wealth globally.

"...the work of conservative think tanks well-funded by the oil industry?" If funding source pollutes science, the IPCC side is equally tainted.

"Some 97 percent of climatologists accept human-caused global warming." That's when the question is "does mankind have a DISCERNIBLE influence on climate." When the question is "does CO2 drive climate," there is tremendous lack of consensus.

"Don't ask what their standard for substantiation is. There is none." How about climate models that work? They've failed over the past 12 years.

"...how risky it would be to do nothing?" Less risky than crippling economies now.

evolutionfish | 7:31 a.m. Feb. 12, 2010
Can we follow the money when it comes to climate change deniers too?
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Agreed!


My guess would be BIG Oil Industry.

Just like the Lung Cancer deniers of yester-year were funded by the BIG Tabacco industry.

Doesn't take a lot of brain power to figure that out.

Remember when scientist said that tobacco products cause cancer.
So the tobacco industry hired some scientist to prove it didn't.
Why is it we have laws about smoking indoors, outdoors, around certain people.

Remember when the EPA found heavy metals and other toxins in Battle Mountains City water much like the Utah legislature they passed an ordinance
prohibiting the EPA from testing their water. Problem Solved!

In a survey last week 72% of conservative republicans believe that the Bible's Genesis version of creation, should be taught as science in high school.

I used to believe in man made climate changes until I read about the scientific data that has been stiffled that throws serious doubt on the theories of man made clmimate change. Then I remember what I was told in one of my best science courses in college, "all science is fleeting and eventually everything we know will be proven to be either incomplete or competely wrong"! Obviously therefore the case of man made global climate change is founded largely on junk science and the shouting down or exclusion of opposing scientific data. The truth is we don't know much at all about what controls the climate, but mostly it is the sun, you know that huge burning ball of gasses in the sky! Gee, what can we do about that?

This commentary is both timely and right on track. It is incredible to me that politicians continue to take it upon themselves to make the scientific decisions they are clearly not qualified to make. They arrogantly criticize and villify scientists who have spent years working tirelessly to understand this complex science thinking that, because they have read a couple of bis and well-placed articles, the verdict is now rightfully theirs to call. I only hope they decide not to take on cancer research or juvenile diabetes.

The scientific community has struggled to defend itself against the reckless and irresponsible accusations of people too lazy to pick up a book or watch a simple documentary for years. And the laughable suggestion that they do this all for the "big money" looks extremely empty when it is leveled by the self-interested with the millions to spend spreading their intentional disinformation.

And now they have our politicians in their pockets? These are the people we like to think we can trust. Handley is right to call them on their brazen attempts to push legitimate scientists out of the conversation.

Good job, Professor--

When God looks at the people here on earth who want to do everything in their power to poisen our air, our oceans, our fresh water, our children, our grandchildren, he must realize that his teachings have fallen on deaf ears.
Those same ears who think Fox news and Glen Beck should be set up as false idol's to worship.
What about the future generations?
What about real Christian values?
All this wrong headedness because of some political party??
Shame on you Godless people.

Well said, George.

David said "The scientific community has struggled to defend itself against the reckless and irresponsible accusations of people too lazy to pick up a book or watch a simple documentary for years."

Dave, google "Climate change science is in a period of ‘negative discovery’" Read the letter to Ban Ki Moon and check out the list of scientists who challenge your "simple documentary".

You can't say "Legislators" and "Open minds" in the same sentence; it'a an oxymoron.

It's these same "scientists" who tell us that people actually walked on the moon forty years ago, or that humans and apes have a common ancestor, or that the Grand Canyon is millions of years old, or the universe is billions of years old, or that vaccinating our kids against diseases saves lives, or that tobacco causes cancer, and that Earth orbits the Sun.

I can show you dozens of web sites that prove them all wrong.

Stupid scientists.

Climate gate! | 8:44 a.m Al;l you needed to do was to fact check Climate gate to learn that climategate was a lie created by conservative professional liars with decades of experience lying.

What I've been most amazed about is if I used a few e-mails written by members of the LDS Church that could be edited to make them look sinister. People would be correct to condemn my actions as being wrong. It is morally wrong to hold everyone accountable for the actions of a few. Are you taught to judge a child by the transgressions of his father?

There's an American value that has been trampled there. People have a god given right to defend themselves again charges made against them.

I understand that the idea of fairness detestable to conservatives. If you are going to accuse people you should have the decency to let them have a chance to defend their actions.

Why would Fox New and talk radio deny those they accuse if they weren't chicken about losing there point? If you believe you can win fairly why are you dealing cards out of a cold deck?