Ever Wonder Why Marketing Is So Important...

TW:...because form beats substance, always has always will. Folks get uptight about it but it is what makes the world go around where information is diffused, contradictory and obsfucated willfully.

From the Economist:
"WHAT do the Christian Coalition, GM, General Electric and Shell have in common with the NRDC, the BlueGreen Alliance and the AFL-CIO?

They all signed their names to this statement:
'How will America take back control of its energy future while enhancing our national security?
When will the U.S. economy regain its competitive edge instead of letting other countries corner the emerging global clean energy market?
How can we get the U.S. back on track by creating American jobs in the new low-carbon economy?
How can we protect our natural resources and future generations from climate change?
...We believe it’s time for Democrats and Republicans to unite behind bi-partisan, national energy and climate legislation that increases our security and limits emissions, as it preserves and creates jobs.'

Notice what comes first ("national security"), second ("competitive edge") and third ("creating American jobs"). Now notice what has to wait until fourth place ("protect...future generations from climate change").

It's going to take a lot of bottom-up pressure of this kind to make any greenhouse-gas bill happen in 2010. Arguments based on the climate alone—let's not destroy the climate system in defence of our inalienable right to get eight miles to the gallon—have little traction in the country right now. So its proponents are trying everything else they can: stop sending money to terrorists! Beat China in this round of high-tech competition! Create jobs! Oh, and mumble mumble climate mumble mumble.

This is the kind of thing Lindsey Graham tried out on angry constituents after signing an op-ed with John Kerry on limiting emissions. And notice the title of the Senate bill: "Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act". No "climate" to be found. This is the only way to sell it. And even then, it's a hard sell."

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2010/01/dont_mention_climate

A Climate Change Meme Rebuttal

TW: Here Ritholz tries to put some of the denialists into context. He does not claim it as definitive but this effort to condemn climate change UNLESS change believers can prove without ANY doubt its efficacy is a bad path for world.

From Barry Ritholz at the Big Picture blog"
"One of the memes I’ve heard recently in the climate debate is that there is no scientific consensus — that there is actually strong disagreement.

The main basis of this argument is that 31,486 dissenting scientists have signed a petition against the belief that Global Warming is man made at the PetitionProject.org. I don’t want to debate climate change; rather, I want to look at that argument to see if there are any statistical flaws in it. My problem is whenever anyone uses a single, out of context, data point. What does this number actually mean? Is 31,486 alot or a little? How many scientists are there in the US? etc..."


http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/12/statistics-scientific-consensus-on-climate-change/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheBigPicture+%28The+Big+Picture%29

Some Stats On Climate Change

TW: Climate change is relatively complex. Faced with complexity many if not most folks simplify by falling back on biases or reliance on their reference groups or persons. I do not (unfortunately) follow too many statistical bloggers but one I do follow is pretty good at keeping things relatively simplified (within the context of stats). He and others on his site have made multiple climate change related posts. If you have the time take a peek at them. They seek to put meat on the bones of the climate change debate.

http://www.stat.columbia.edu/~cook/movabletype/archives/2009/12/say_a_little_pr.html

Some Climate Change Info...

TW:...as opposed to ranting. At the risk of equating the two positions (which vastly overstates the deniers validity), here is a pretty detailed presentation of climate change perspectives from both sides. Obviously one needs to click on the image to make it readable in fact one may want to click on the link below for the full blown chart.
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/climate-change-deniers-vs-the-consensus/