Princeton Physicist: ‘The idea that Congress can stop climate change is just hilarious’ – Warns of ‘climate change cult’

By: Marc Morano - Climate DepotJuly 8, 2009 2:58 PM

Award-winning Princeton University Physicist Dr. Will Happer, who has published over 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers, warned Congress that it has been “badly misinformed” about man-made global warming fears.

“Congress has been getting bad intelligence,” Happer, who was reportedly fired by former Vice President Al Gore in 1993 for failing to adhere to Gore’s scientific views, declared in a July 6, 2009 interview.

“Congress has been badly misinformed about the so-called science that supports the claim that increasing CO2 levels will bring about catastrophic climate change,” Happer explained to Newsmax.com. (Full audio of interview with Happer here.)

Happer did not mince words, calling the movement to promote man-made global warming fears a “climate change cult” and noted that “zealots” promoting climate fears “are actually extremely ignorant.”

“The idea that Congress can stop climate change would be just hilarious if the actions they propose were not so damaging to the American people and even more [damaging] to the poorer people of the world,” Happer said. [Editor’s Note: President Obama and Energy Sec. Chu both believe they can control the Earth’s thermostat. See: Obama’s ‘Climate Astrologer’: Energy Sec. Chu claims he knows ‘what the future will be 100 years from now’ ]

“The so-called facts they are getting are just not true,” Happer explained. “ This is not a Democrat or Republican issue. As our Congressmen learn more about the facts, they will change their minds” and reject man-made climate fears.

‘CO2 is not a pollutant’ – Earth in ‘CO2 famine’

Happer noted that “CO2 is not a pollutant. CO2 is essential for life.” He added that the Earth will “be a better place with more CO2.”

Happer testified before the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on February 25, 2009 and noted that the Earth was currently in a “CO2 famine.” Happer requested to be added to the U.S. Senate Report of over 700 dissenting scientists on December 22, 2008. Happer also co-authored an Open Letter to Congress with a team of scientists on July 1, 2009 warning: ‘You Are Being Deceived About Global Warming’ — ‘Earth has been cooling for ten years.’

In addition, Happer has led a group of 54 prominent physicists to request the American Physical Society (APS) revise its global warming position. The 54 physicists wrote to APS governing board: “Measured or reconstructed temperature records indicate that 20th – 21st century changes are neither exceptional nor persistent, and the historical and geological records show many periods warmer than today.” (Note: Science magazine reportedly refused to run the physicists’ open letter.)

In the July 6, 2009 interview, Happer noted that many are poised to benefit from the proposed Congressional carbon trading bill.

“History shows you really can get rich on a cult. Some of big pushers of cap-and-trade were Enron before it went belly up,” Happer said.

Related Links:

Prominent Scientist Happer Fired By Gore Says Warming Alarm ‘Mistaken’ – ‘The current alarm over carbon dioxide is mistaken’ – December 22, 2008

Excerpt: “I had the privilege of being fired by Al Gore, since I refused to go along with his alarmism. I did not need the job that badly,” Happer said this week. Happer is a Professor at the Department of Physics at Princeton University and former Director of Energy Research at the Department of Energy from 1990 to 1993, has published over 200 scientific papers, and is a fellow of the American Physical Society, The American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the National Academy of Sciences. […] Happer, who served as the Director of Energy Research at the Department of Energy in 1993, says he was fired by Gore in 1993 for not going along with Gore’s scientific views on ozone and climate issues. “I was told that science was not going to intrude on policy,” Happer explained in 1993. “I have spent a long research career studying physics that is closely related to the greenhouse effect, for example, absorption and emission of visible and infrared radiation, and fluid flow,” Happer said this week. “Fears about man-made global warming are unwarranted and are not based on good science. The earth’s climate is changing now, as it always has. There is no evidence that the changes differ in any qualitative way from those of the past,” he added.

U.S. Senate Testimony: Prominent Scientist Happer Tells Congress: Earth in ‘CO2 Famine’ – February 25, 2009

Excerpt: Award-winning Princeton University Physicist Dr. Will Happer declared man-made global warming fears “mistaken” and noted that the Earth was currently in a “CO2 famine now.” Happer, who has published over 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers, made his remarks during today’s Environment and Public Works Full Committee Hearing entitled “Update on the Latest Global Warming Science.” “Many people don’t realize that over geological time, we’re really in a CO2 famine now. Almost never has CO2 levels been as low as it has been in the Holocene (geologic epoch) – 280 (parts per million – ppm) – that’s unheard of. Most of the time [CO2 levels] have been at least 1000 (ppm) and it’s been quite higher than that,” Happer told the Senate Committee. To read Happer’s complete opening statement click here: “Earth was just fine in those times,” Happer added. “The oceans were fine, plants grew, animals grew fine. So it’s baffling to me that we’re so frightened of getting nowhere close to where we started,” Happer explained. Happer also noted that “the number of [skeptical scientists] with the courage to speak out is growing” and he warned “children should not be force-fed propaganda, masquerading as science.”

March 2009 U.S. Senate Report: More Than 700 International Scientists Dissent Over Man-Made Global Warming Claims