By Ken Stone
The “shouting and screaming” over supposed links between climate change and deadly hurricanes Irma and Harvey amount to nothing more than “scientific fraud,” according to a Weather Channel co-founder who is a former major-market TV meteorologist.
John Coleman was for years a mainstay on San Diego television, and he now says efforts to blame climate change for natural disasters “fall short” in a fake link.
“The shouting and screaming we hear today [about climate change boosting the strength of hurricanes] and the scientific efforts to support it all fall short on proving there is a link between warming of the atmosphere and our burning of fossil fuels,” Coleman wrote on his blog.
The 82-year-old climate skeptic added: “Until they prove the basic foundation of their scientific position, the AlGorians are guilty of scientific fraud.”
While aiming his criticism at those who believe climate change is real, his “AlGorians” reference appeared to be singling out former Vice President Al Gore who has gained significant attention for films depicting of climate change dangers.
Coleman cited work by Roy Spencer at the University of Alabama. The retired meteorologist says Spencer’s charts show no link between landfall of major hurricanes and sea surface water temperatures.
“For certain, the water must be warm to create a hurricane and if it [is] warmer the probability of a stronger storm seems more likely,” Coleman said. “Yet the data says there is a question about the last part of that thinking.”
