Environmentalists tell youngsters that Haiti earthquake was caused by global warming – lowest of the low?
A recent post on a global-warming website specifically aimed at youngsters implicitly blames man-made global warming for the Haiti earthquake.
In an article titled – with breathtaking insensitivity – ""What the Haiti Quake Means for the Climate Movement"" (because that’s the main concern here, right?) it says "as the planet heats up, disasters are becoming more frequent and severe" and that Haiti is just the latest example of this.
Although it hedges by stating that ""it is inherently difficult to map changes in the Earth’s climate to any specific event"", it leaves the young reader in no doubt as to the underlying cause, saying ""every time a natural disaster hits, I think about fossil fuels"" and that ""what we know is that burning fossil fuels is altering the climate, increasing the likelihood that disasters like this one will occur.""
It’s only a short article. Have a read and see what you think. Lowest of the low? Are there *any* depths to which they won’t stoop?
""What the Haiti Quake Means for the Climate Movement""
From "It’s Getting Hot In Here: Dispatches from the Youth Climate Movement" website.
http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2010/01/14/what-the-haiti-quake-means-for-the-climate-movement/
.
EDIT -
In case you’re wondering, the author of this article, Josh Lynch was a campaign manager for "Green for All" and helped organise the "Dream Reborn" conference described by its participants as ""transcendent" and "church-like."" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_For_All )
He is also a co-founder of the Energy Action Coalition.
See: http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/author/joshlynch/
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14 comments
Moe on February 19, 2010 at 9:00 am
I don’t think there’s any hedging going on at all, "What we know is that burning fossil fuels is altering the climate, increasing the likelihood that disasters like this one will occur." I don’t think there is any stooping involved though, there is nothing that surprises anymore.
I think it might be a psychological disorder. We are inundated with an unprecedented amount of information on global disasters. There are so many people around the world that are in need and those people who think every problem is solvable if we just try hard enough can’t cope. Man Induced Climate Change is a way for these people to deal with these disasters.
The problem is these disasters somehow become evidence that the original theory of CO2 induced, runaway, global warming. Unfortunately reducing CO2 levels will do nothing to abate natural disasters from occuring but I guess as a psychological pacifier it helps many to believe they are saving the planet.
Kid B on February 19, 2010 at 9:00 am
That’s just an ignorant, badly written article. Anyone with a basic understanding of plate tectonics, be they an environmentalist or not, understands that climate change has absolutely nothing to do with earthquakes. I think the article was trying to point out the increase in climate-related disasters, although it did it in a rather cack-handed way. I’m probably what you would call an "environmentalist", but even I can see the sheer ignorance and self-promoting bulls*** coming through in that post.
Paul B on February 19, 2010 at 9:00 am
No.
One self-styled environmentalist ….
I feel no sense of responsibility, any more than I would hold you responsible for Rush or Beck or Sarah.
gd on February 19, 2010 at 9:00 am
Earthquakes are not the result of climate or weather, though a sudden temperature or pressure change could trigger an earthquake waiting to happen, rather like an avalanche. In a nutshell, the earth’s plates keep moving (tectonic movement), and it is this movement that causes earthquakes. Not climate change. So whatever this person (Josh) has said is not only misleading, but sad – really sad.
Ms Nomer on February 19, 2010 at 9:00 am
makes about as much sense as any of the other propaganda from the AGW blamestormers.
but if they say it loud enough & often enough the AGW faithful will eventually accept it as gospel & it will become just another part of their dogma.
you must repent & give up your sinful comfortable ways that are destroying sacred mother earth.
Paul's Alias on February 19, 2010 at 9:00 am
<<Anyone with a basic understanding of plate tectonics, be they an environmentalist or not, understands that climate change has absolutely nothing to do with earthquakes>>
Actually, it appears you do not have that basic understanding. Changes in temperature can cause thermal expansion, and can affect fruction. Therefore it is NOT at all ovbious that climate change cannot affect earthquakes. I’m not saying it does, I’m saying that it is not a trivial question.
I’m sure plenty of the non-Deniers will show up and be "fair" by agreeing with you, and they will find some way to blame Al Gore.
EDIT
<<Dumb question: How can you possibly equate an earthquake to climate?>>
Someone who does not know what "equate" means calls something "dumb".
James E on February 19, 2010 at 9:00 am
The temperature of the planet is controlled by the output level of sunspots by the sun. When sunspot activity is high, over 110 on a daily average the planets warm up. When the sunspot activity is low under 80 on a daily average the planets of the solar system cool down into ice age conditions. I have heard several comments from friends involving the current severe worldwide earthquake activity being related to either the orbital alignments of the planets over the last dozen years or to the solar system transitioning through the galactic plane. I have not been able to find any good solid data to support either concept, but it has been noted many time that there was extreme volcanic and earthquake activity during solar minimum periods. So the two factors could be related but we do not yet have the data to determine fact from fiction like we do with climate. It is well known now by science that climate is controlled by the output levels of the sun not by the sins of mankind as claimed by the religious liberal types.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sp%C3%B6rer_Minimum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Warm_Period
http://www.iceagenow.com/Ocean_Warming.htm
http://www.prisonplanet.com/dearth-of-sunspot-activity-to-herald-new-ice-age.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunspot
BB on February 19, 2010 at 9:00 am
Don’t they have child-abuse laws in Haiti?
VampireGirl96 on February 19, 2010 at 9:00 am
They blame every thing on globel warming the actual reason for the haiti earthqake was the Ocennic plates moved!it’s sad that the coverment thinks every natural disaster is because of globel warming.
littlerobbergirl on February 19, 2010 at 9:00 am
well done on your classic disinformation tactic ‘meadow’!
you cherry pick odd sentences from the article to make it look how you want, in the knowledge that many people will not read the link. here is the relevant paragraph;
"In this time of distress, climate change is probably the last thing on many peoples’ minds. However, as someone whose life is centered on the issue, every time a natural disaster hits, I think about fossil fuels. Most people associate climate change with sea level rise, droughts, floods, and storms. In recent years researchers have uncovered evidence that as sea levels rise and water or ice is displaced, pressure on the underlying rock can trigger seismic or volcanic activity."
and here is the link it provides to the evidence;
Climate change may trigger earthquakes and volcanoes
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327273.800-climate-change-may-trigger-earthquakes-and-volcanoes.html?full=true
dont you have something better (or more lucrative – maybe not…) to do with your weekend than spreading damaging memes? like writing a long winded and completely wrong-headed blog about it on a message board somewhere?
The Vampire Muffin Man on February 19, 2010 at 9:00 am
I actually agree with both sides. Blaming it on AGW is kind of silly, but at the same time, littlerobbergirl’s answer is right on.
I tend to see plate movement/earthquakes as inevitable, so if AGW had any part in it, it’s pretty much irrelevant. A case of when and how instead of if and where.
_
david b on February 19, 2010 at 9:00 am
I enjoy these posts of yours Meadow. You’re always capable of displaying the hypocrisy so perfectly.
To answer your question, yes this is the lowest of the low. Who really gives a damn about dead Haitians, we can use this to scare small children into recycling and unplugging their phone chargers!
"You better buy local organic foods or an earthquake is gonna getcha!"
This is almost as bad as Pat Robertson saying they made a deal with the devil.
Hoo rah!
All Black on February 19, 2010 at 9:00 am
Wow – I didn’t think you would find anybody to defend such an idiotic statement, but the Alarmist fruit-loops are coming out of the wood-work!
Paul’s Alias goes for "Changes in temperature can cause thermal expansion" which, while loosely based on the laws of thermodynamics, is a startling thing to say about an earthquake 13Km deep in the Earth’s crust. Does he really think a 0.6 degrees Celsius increase in the surface temperature has any effect on the tectonic plates 8 miles down? But wait – there’s more!
Litero believes "as sea levels rise and water or ice is displaced, pressure on the underlying rock can trigger seismic or volcanic activity" and gives a link to "prove" it – the link points to a New Scientist speculative article about an inbred group called "the conference on Climate Forcing of Geological and Geomorphological Hazards. It suggests climate change could tip the planet’s delicate balance" and "changes in sea level may affect the seismicity". Even these guys don’t claim to have proven anything – note the words "suggests" and "may". These are weasel words used by researchers to avoid having to say "we haven’t a clue."
The other small flaw in blaming the Haiti earthquake on the weight of rising sea levels is that the sea level hasn’t risen yet – the best estimates are that mean sea levels now are about the width of a human hair higher than they were in 1900. Sea level rising is a prediction of AGW, not something that has already happened. You cannot explain a past event (Haiti Earthquake in January) as being caused by an event that may happen in 50-100 years. One of the principle rules of causality is that the cause must precede the effect. Litero is repeating the error made by Al Gore: CO2 levels increase after warming periods, therefore CO2 causes the warming.
Perhaps Causality should be added to the curriculum of all schools, so that these errors of logic do not make it into public debates?
Shelley on February 27, 2010 at 5:22 am
Insensitive or not, research your facts. Look at the geological history of Lake Erie. The land there is springing back up. There is no doubt in my mind that this is what is happening now with the ice melt from the poles. I believe the ocean beds are readjusting the plate tensions due to the additional water coming into play.