A number of media outlets carried the so-called 'news' on Friday of hurricane forecaster William Gray pronouncing rather decidedly that oceans, and not CO2, are to blame for global warming. The 77-year old, who has a history of railing against the science of global warming, had harsh words for those who study and accept global warming (meaning: the vast majority of scientists, government leaders, most people around the world, etc.).

Mr. Gray was not releasing new scientific data, nor was he pointing to conclusive results from a study or proposing a scientific theory related to our undeniable climate change. What he was doing was ranting to a group of Republican lawmakers in Denver. Among the 'facts' supporting his personal claims which fly in the face of current scientific data and understanding:

1. Global warming is "mush" based on unreliable computer models--Apparently he is not familiar with ice cores samples or the material evidence they provide.

2. Warming and cooling trends cannot go on indefinitely; they are beginning to level out after a very warm year in 1998--This would ignore, of course, that the hottest two years on record do not include 1998, but in fact are 2005 and 2006. And it also inanely implies that climate change scientists say that the temperature will never go back down.

3. Little-understood ocean currents are behind a decades-long warming cycle--But he understands them, mind you, just, well, nobody else.

4. Increasing levels of carbon dioxide will not produce more or stronger hurricanes--Even a child could call this one out--well, a child from New Orleans or Houston anyway.

"They're blaming it all on humans, which is crazy," concluded Gray. "We're not the cause of it."

Of course there remains some debate among the scientific community as to the workings of climate change, and there should remain room for reasonable scientific discourse. Gray's political diatribe and frustrated expression of his misfounded opinions does not meet the qualification of 'scientific debate.' Nor should it have passed the threshold of what is commonly called 'news.'

Gray has a right to think whatever he wants. And he has a right to spew to whomever he likes. But the press should be more cautious with distributing the rantings of a meteorologist as significant 'news' that there is question among scientists whether or not climate change is a serious problem.

Posted on 30 April, 2007, in Global Warming
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