Interesting that you mention that point... did you read the book? My understanding was that rising seal levels were a given too, but here's an exerpt from the book... he's footnoted many of the claims made during the story...
?I?ll give you the journal references.*Now then?sea-level rise? Was that the next threat you mentioned??
?Yes.?
?Sea level is indeed rising.?
?Ah-hah!?
?As it has been for the last six thousand years, ever since the start of the Holocene. Sea level has been rising at the rate of ten to twenty centimeters?that?s four to eight inches?every hundred years.?(1)
?But it?s rising faster now.?
?Actually, not.?
?Satellites prove it.?
?Actually, they don?t.??
?Computer models prove it?s rising faster.?(2)
?Computer models can?t prove anything, Ted. A prediction can?t ever be proof?it hasn?t happened yet. And computer models have failed to accurately predict the last ten or fifteen years. But if you want to believe in them anyway, there is no arguing with faith. Now, what was next on your list? Extreme weather?again, not true. Numerous studies show there is no increase.?*
?Look,? Ted said, ?you may enjoy putting me down, but the fact is, lots of people think there will be more extreme weather, including more hurricanes and tornadoes and cyclones, in the future.?
?Yes, indeed, lots of people think so. But scientific studies do not bear them out.(3) That?s why wedo science, Ted, to see if our opinions can be verified in the real world, or whether we are just having fantasies.?
?All these hurricanes are not fantasies.?
Kenner sighed. He flipped open his laptop.
?What are you doing??
?One moment,? Kenner said. ?Let me bring it up.?
US Hurricane Strikes by Decade 1900?2004
?Here is the actual data, Ted,? Kenner said. ?US hurricane strikes over the last hundred years are clearly not increasing. And similarly, extreme weather is not more frequent globally. The data simply do not agree with you. Now, you also mentioned El Niño events.?
?Yes??
?As you know, El Niño is a global weather pattern that begins when ocean temperatures along the west coast of South America remain above normal for several months. Once it?s triggered, El Niño lasts about a year and a half, affecting weather around the world. El Niño occurs roughly every four years?twenty-three times in the last century. And it has been occurring for thousands of years. So it long precedes any claim of global warming.(5) But what threat does El Niño represent to the US, Ted? There was a major El Niño in 1998.?
?Floods, crops ruined, like that.?
?All that happened. But the net economic effect of the last El Niño was a gain of fifteen billion dollars because of a longer growing season and less use of winter heating oil. That?s after deducting $1.5 billion for flooding and excess rain in California. Still a net benefit.?
?I?d like to see that study,? Bradley said.
?I?ll make sure you get it.(6) Because of course it also suggests that if global warming really does occur, it will probably benefit most nations of the world.?
?But not all. ?
?No, Ted. Not all.?
?So what exactly is your point?? Bradley said. ?You?re saying that we don?t need to pay any attention to the environment, that we can just leave it alone and let industry pollute and everything will be hunkydory??
For a [moment, it looked to Sarah as if Kenner would get angry, but he did not. He said, ?If you oppose the death penalty, does it also mean you are in favor of doing nothing at all about crime??
?No,? Ted said.
?You can oppose the death penalty but still favor punishing criminals.?
?Yes. Of course.?
?Then I can say that global warming is not a threat but still favor environmental controls, can?t I??
?But it doesn?t sound like you are saying that.?
Kenner sighed.
Sarah was listening to this exchange, thinking Bradley wasn?t really hearing what Kenner had to say. As if to prove her thoughts, Bradley continued: ?Well? Aren?t you saying that the environment needs no protection from us? Isn?t that what you arereally saying??
Kenner said, ?No,? in a way that suggested that the conversation was over.
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