NASA Warming Scientist James Hansen Hopes Congressional Climate Bill Fails!

By: Marc Morano - Climate DepotMay 4, 2009 1:38 PM

Washington, DC – NASA scientist James Hansen, perhaps the most vocal voice in the U.S. warning of a man-made global warming crisis, has declared he hopes Congressional efforts to pass a cap-and-trade climate bill fail. “I hope cap and trade doesn’t pass, because we need a much more effective approach,” Hansen said during a keynote lecture at Columbia University’s climate conference on May 2, 2009.

Hansen urged Congress to “abandon cap-and-trade initiatives altogether and implement a simple carbon tax instead” according to a May 4, 2009 article titled “Hansen hopes lawmakers’ cap-and-trade approach to climate will fail” in the trade publication E&E News. (Subscription required.)

Hansen also ridiculed international efforts to control emissions. The Kyoto Protocol “didn’t do anything to global emissions. We need real action, not just another Kyoto Protocol,” Hansen said according to the article. Hansen has previously called global warming cap-and-trade ‘ineffectual.” (See: NASA’s James Hansen declares cap-and-trade “ineffectual.”)

Hansen also lamented that the public continues to be apathetic man-made global warming fears and cited recent public opinion polls showing American’s are not concerned about the issue. [Editor's Note: A March 25, 2009 Gallup survey found global warming ranked dead last in the U.S. among ENVIRONMENTAL issues. Concern for “global warming” ranked at the bottom (8 out of 8 concerns) of such other environmental issues as water pollution, endangered species, toxic waste and rainforests. “Global warming is clearly the environmental issue of least concern to them. In fact, global warming is the only issue for which more Americans say they have little to no concern than say they have a great deal of concern,” Gallup wrote on March 25. An April 17, 2009 Rasmussen Poll found Only 34% Now Blame Humans for Global Warming - 'Lowest finding yet' -- 'reversal from a year ago!' A January 22, 2009 Pew survey found global warming ranked dead last as priority for 2009 - 20 out of 20. In addition, a January 20, 2009 Rasmussen Reports survey found a majority of U.S. Voters – “51% — now believe that humans are not the predominant cause of climate change.” (Also see: Gore laments global warming efforts: 'I've failed badly' - Washington Post – November 11, 2008 ) ]

Carbon trading ‘verging on a gigantic scam’

Hansen’s rejection of global warming cap-and-trade legislation was echoed earlier this year when James Lovelock, the UK’s loudest voice promoting man-made climate fear, denounced carbon trading as “verging on a gigantic scam.” “Most of the ‘green’ stuff is verging on a gigantic scam. Carbon trading, with its huge government subsidies, is just what finance and industry wanted. It’s not going to do a damn thing about climate change, but it’ll make a lot of money for a lot of people and postpone the moment of reckoning,” Lovelock said according to a January 23, 2009 article in the New Scientist. (See: Environmental guru James Lovelock slams carbon trading: ‘Most of the green stuff is verging on a gigantic scam’ – January 21, 2009 & Lovelock Predicts Climate Doom: ‘Billions of us will die; few breeding pairs of people that survive will be in Arctic’ – March 18, 2007 )

Both Hansen and Lovelock join other believers in man-made global warming in rejecting the Congressional cap-and-trade approach. University of Colorado Professor Dr. Roger Pielke Jr., accepts the UN IPCC view of global warming, but dismisses cap-and-trade as “tax and charade.”

“Cap-and-trade is simply not up to the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” Pielke Jr., who is in the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research at University of Colorado, wrote on September 18, 2008. “It is high time we started calling cap and trade what it really is — tax and charade,” he added.

On February 7, 2009, Pielke declared the declaration that “the political consensus surrounding climate policy is collapsing and bluntly called the current carbon trading based policy proposals to address man-made global warming “fictional and fantasy.”

“The political consensus surrounding climate policy is collapsing. If you are not aware of this fact you will be very soon,” Pielke, Jr. Wrote. According to Pielke, Jr., the collapse “is due to the fact that policy makers and their political advisors (some trained as scientists) can no longer avoid the reality that targets for (emission) stabilization such as 450 ppm (or even less realistic targets) are simply not achievable with the approach to climate change that has been at the focus of policy for over a decade. Policies that are obviously fictional and fantasy are frequently subject to a rapid collapse.”

Climate Bill ‘May Increase Emissions’

Even environmental group are now warning that the proposed climate bill may increase emissions. (See: Environmental Groups: U.S. Climate Bill May Increase Emissions! )

Pielke’s January prediction of the “collapse” of the “consensus” about climate policy seems to be coming true as Congressional Democrats now appear to be backing away from any quick passage of global warming cap-and-trade legislation. (See: Dems may not have the votes for climate bill! – ‘I don’t think the votes are there’ & Even ‘very liberal’ Democrats questioning climate bill & Delayers: ‘Congress may not vote on climate change bill this year’ & Delayers: ‘Little stomach among Democrats for a bruising debate’ on warming proposal…’GOP welcomes new schedule’ & Letter Reveals 10 Democratic Senators Opposed Climate Tax Bill – June 2008 )

The estimated costs of the proposed Congressional cap-and-trade legislation — during a massive economic downturn — are also playing a key role slowing down legislation. (See: ‘You’re going to see higher costs for energy going forward’ under Obama’s Climate Plan, Says Dem. Energy Chairman & New Analysis Shows President Obama’s Cap and Trade Proposal Will Destroy Jobs, Harm Consumers )

An April 30, 2009 Zobgy Poll has found that only 30% of Americans support global warming cap-and-trade legislation while 57% oppose it. [Editor's Note: Despite the American people's rejection of these climate bill, Congress may persist in pushing them for other reasons. See: Dem. Senator calls cap-and-trade 'the most significant revenue-generating proposal of our time' - In addition, a key aspect of the Congressional climate bill is even if the world faced the climate 'crisis' some claim, the bill would not have a measurable impact on the climate (assuming the promoters of man-made climate fear were correct). As Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) has said, these bills are "all economic pain for no climate gain.”]

Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid announced last week that he sees a global warming bill as his ‘biggest headache’ this Congress and House Democrats are facing extreme difficulty voting for a bill. (See: House climate bill is difficult vote for Texas Dems )

‘Non-solution to a non-problem’

Other scienitsts from around the around the world are openly mocking man-made climate fears and efforts to control emissions. Paleoclimate scientist Dr. Bob Carter of Australia’s James Cook University and former chairman of the earth science panel of the Australian Research Council told Climate Depot:

“Attempts to mitigate theoretical human-caused global warming through restricting carbon dioxide emissions have no merit. By their very nature, emissions trading schemes are extremely expensive, socially disruptive and represent a high opportunity-cost non-solution to a non-problem,” Carter wrote on May 4, 2009. Dr. Carter also testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works on December 6, 2006.

“Cutting CO2 emissions, be it in New Zealand or worldwide, will likely result in no measurable change in future climate, because extra increments of atmospheric CO2 cause diminishing warming for each unit of increase; at most, a few tenths of a degree of extra warming would result from a completion of doubling of CO2 since pre-industrial time,” Carter explained. “Humans have an effect on local climate, but, despite the expenditure of over US$50 billion looking for it since 1990, no globally summed human effect has ever been measured; therefore, it must lie buried in the variability of the natural climate system,” he added.

‘Global warming is sub-prime science’

UK Professor Emeritus of Biogeography Philip Stott of the University of London, also ridiculed global warming fears and efforts to limit emissions.

“With a world likely to cool during the next decade, with a world economy set in austere mode, and with the new politics of China, India, Brazil, and the rest, Big Global Warming’s boom days are surely coming to an end,” Stott wrote on September 21, 2008.

“’Global warming’ is sub-prime science, sub-prime economics, and sub-prime politics, and it could well go down with the sub-prime mortgage,” Stott explained.