That’s a defense to skepticism offered by Texas Tech professor Katharine Hayhoe, the author of the climate chapter in Newt Gingrich’s upcoming book on the environment.
As reported on National Public Radio’s web site, Hayhoe has four ways of defusing skeptics:
1. You don’t have to agree on everything. Hayhoe says that “many erroneously believe that it’s necessary to agree on evolution and an old Earth in order to agree on climate change.” She counters that mankind has only been having a massive impact on the climate since the Industrial Revolution 400 years ago. “By separating these issues from each other,” she writes “it’s possible for people who disagree on creation and evolution to agree on climate.”
2. The facts are all around you. Hayhoe suggests that instead of only looking at global and historical data of climate change, skeptics start looking in their own yards: “trees and plants flowering earlier in the year, birds migrating southward later, insects and invasive species moving northward.” Some of the best evidence indicating a warming planet is right before our eyes, she says.
3. This isn’t just another cycle. There is no natural factor or cycle of the sun to fault for climate change, Hayhoe says. “There is no natural explanation for the change we see today,” she writes. “According to natural factors, we should be cooling.”
4. What would Jesus do on a warming planet? That’s easy, Hayhoe says. Jesus “told us to love our neighbor as ourselves; and today, it’s our global neighbors—the poor and needy, the disadvantaged and hopeless—who are already being affected by climate change,” she writes. Natural disasters, rising seas and extreme temperatures are affecting (and taking) life across the globe, she says. “To ignore their cries and cast scorn on those who attempt to draw our attention to their plight is not a response of love; it is acting out of fear, and God is not the author of fear,” she writes.
For background, click to read “Gingrich climate book coming post-election.”
Q: “What would Jesus do on a warming planet?”
A: He would probably say something like: “Ever since I created this place it has warmed up and cooled down every few thousand years as part of the grand plan. If you don’t like it, create your own planet and solar system!”
They want desperately to “separate” Earth history from what everyone sees in their backyard because they wish to make anecdote science and science myth.
WWJD? He would castigate Miss Hayhow as He did the Scribes Sadducees, Pharisees and Lawyers of His time for their hypocrisy, and false use of religion for personal gain. Yeshua (Jesus to us Goi) saw through all men and women, and knew the thoughts and intensions of their hearts. He promoted no earthly government or philosophy, and taught of the futility of clinging to, and attributing so much attention to seecular matters.
I hate it when people try to use Christ to say that He favors, or disfavors temporal subjects.
That is why they are called democratic light. It might take them a little longer to become socialists but to get elected they have to be whores to the dumbed down government school educated.
Industrial revolution, 400 yrs ago ???? Go back to school Professor Hoggood or whatever your name is. You can’t be serious, 400 years ago the Industrial Revolution, and you want the reade to believe al the other CRAP you spew.
VOODOO sicience my dear.
What is being lost here is that the alarmists and the MSM perceive most skeptics as being Christian fundamentalists, those who believe in creationism and deny the theories of evolution and Big Bang. I’ve heard other skeptics say “I don’t believe in AGW, and I’m an atheist”.
When it comes to Gingrich all you have to know that when asked who was the greatest president in the 20th century he replied, “FDR.” Give us a break.
This is why conservatives get no where on the issues. Sadly, they get mixed up in the idea that they can compromise truth to make the issues more palliatable.
“Hayhoe”. What a great name. As in, “Hey, ho – you’re wrong”.
Michael, if more people had your common sense, this country, no this world, would be a better place.
I’ve been saying the exact same things for years, but nobody seems to care. Keeping DDT away from poor people at risk for malaria is akin to genocide.
Why oh Why can’t you Yanks keep it in your pants or better still tie a knot in it. Then there would be cain!
Is this for real? If so, Newt has lost me. Thank the gods this has come out before the primaries. There is time to select a different candidate to oppose Obama. But whom???
The state media over here does say that Gingrich’s past is very “target rich” for other candidates.
If this book gets out, I believe he will be toast. Unfortunately, I am sure he will not allow the book to be issued until after the primary elections.
This is scary. According to NYT the grinch is at 40%. And now he’ll say it was a good thing he did that ad with Pelosi!This slimeball could get the White House and its business as before!! Someone shoot him. You’ve got guns over there I hear.
What would Jesus do? Rub his hands in glee that crops were growing larger and using less water, glad that warmer weather meant that the old could enjoy more warm days in the sun instead of wrapped up in a cold home.
Who is this stupid woman. She should go sit in a meat locker for a couple of hours to get to know what cold really is.
The term is “argument to ignorance” mixed with “proof by exhaustion”. One’s a logical fallacy and the other is properly limited to mathematical abstractions and Closed Circle mysteries. At least the IPCC uses mathematical models to support their predictions. While they overestimate certainty and improper tuning can lead to circular reasoning, at least it’s a valid attempt.
These people argue that they know of no natural changes that could be the source of the warming (thus, the need for it to be faster and larger than the past when there is no evidence for that claim), and since it is not natural, it must be man-made. That’s the entirety of the argument.
As for what Jesus would do, being almighty, he’d probably just snap his fingers and cause rain to fall on the just and unjust alike. Then he’d tell us how shallow and worldly minded we were being.
I actually think Jesus would be indifferent about the material wealth of modern society, but appalled at the spiritual poverty.
Mizzzzzzz Hayhoe,
Jesus, being the Son of God, would know that “global warming/climate change/flavor of the week” is a natural occurrence brought about by the laws of physics created by His Father and that mankind’s activity had nothing to do with it.
That’s what Jesus would do.
AS for your inane and unsupportable assertion that “there is no natural factor or cycle of the sun to fault for climate change,” pure unadulterated poppy-cock. If that were the case, then how would you explain all of those previous cycles of global warming and cooling–little green aliens driving around in little SUV’s?
Never heard of the Milankovich Cycles? Never heard of the Solar cycles, or the latest research from CERN which indicates that the “cloud seeding” theory of Danish scientist Henrik Svensmark may well be true?
How about the many discrepancies between real world data and what the models predict–could it be that your models fail because they (like all computer models) only predict what the programmer expects to find? So many fudge factors to add to those models to account for the discrepancies. Garbage in-garbage out.
Jesus would probably trade in that long hot flowing woolen robe for a pair of Bermuda shorts and a Polo shirt….he would keep the sandals of course
As long as Gingritch believes this BS, he will NOT be my choice for President. The REAL evidence shows that we are COOLING right now and have been for some time, despite what we may hear from the MSM or our governments PAID lackey ‘scientists’! This cooling has come sooner than these ‘experts’ expected which is why they are frantic to get us under their control before even the MSM cannot hide the truth from the masses any longer.
I have seen dandelions growing along the coastal areas of Texas for the past 10 years. Something I never saw the previous 20 years. The dandelion is a cool season plant typically found in the northern latitudes of this country. So if global warming is causing plants to move north then the common dandelions haven’t read Hayhoe’s book.
1. You don’t have to agree on everything. “By separating these issues from each other,” she writes “it’s possible for people who disagree on creation and evolution to agree on climate.” If we don’t have to agree on everything why should I agree on what she states? END OF THE STORY.
For the first time in my adult life, I’m not proud of my alma mater. Sigh…
Jon Salmi
Jesus would be cheered by the abundance of food, the natural wonder of all the lush plant life, the increased biodiversity and the increased hospitableness of the Polar Regions.
So Katharine Hayhoe thinks making the poor of the world pay out the nose for energy and food is what Jesus taught on love?? Instead of spending trillions in what will be a failed attempt to try to stop ‘climate change’ why not just let the private sector invest and create jobs, so the poor can have dignified work? Wouldn’t that be more loving than telling them no they can’t have DDT to fight malaria because it might kill some birds??
Does Newt agree with Ms HeeHaw? He just lost me.
As far as “birds flying further North”: The ‘Hollow Earth Society claims that this is proof of a giant hole at the Norht Pole. So there.
Yes. But you know, all those camp fires…….
Didn’t the industrial revolution begin in the 1800’s? That’s not 400 years ago.
Tell me this is a joke…!!??
It appears the Stupid Party is about to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, yet again. Does he *(Newt) actually know what she thinks…?… I can’t fathom that he does not, so it follows that he must agree???….
I truly fear for our future; not from climate change, but from these clueless “wizards”, that aspire to be our leaders… right off the cliff… God help us!.
I think he would set up a Carbon Trading Scheme so his homey’s (apostles) could make a few bucks.
Most of my flowering bulbs died last winter because of the extreme cold in NM. That doesn’t track with plants, birds and animal moving north because of warming. Of course it has been warming slightly for the last 400 years with cycles and fluctuations on top of the general gentle upward trend. I don’t think mankind could have had much impact in 1600s and 1700s and even beyond, but there was warming after the early 1600 cold spell none the less.
I especially appreciate the patronizing tone, that is a nice touch. I can believe that the dinosaurs and man lived together and that the world was made last week, as long as I also buy into her global warming program. She might even let me keep my shotgun.
I certainly agree on an old earth and I’m more likely to agree on at least some evolution than I am to agree on the psuedo-scientific garbage behind global warming.
I miss Saracuda.
“According to natural factors, we should be cooling.” ?
Earth to Prof. Hayhoe: “I am cooling and have been been for over 10 years!”
This sort of crap becomes so very boring
I imagine by now Jesus has a wide flat forehead from all the times He’s done a face-palm after another dipstick ascribes secular goals to Him.