Countering Climate Skepticism

Ep17 - SUMMARY of the ENTIRE SERIES!

A lot has been covered in the past 16 episodes, so many a climate hot take (excuse the pun) has been dealt with!Surely it can't all be summarised in half an hour? Oh ye of little faith!This will be the penultimate episode of the podcast, find us on Youtube.https://www.youtube.com/@CounteringClimateSkepticismTIMESTAMP AVAILABLE!SHOWNOTES - COMING UP@4.33 - Earth's atmosphere and oceans aren't as big as you might think!https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dxa8a7CaVKQUtH6YwVZ2hhBo5HLnbdcbVoVwnLoyE6A/mobilebasic@12.39 - XKCD - it's the rate stupid!https://xkcd.com/1732/@7.43: ”IT’S NOT CO2 IT’S WATER VAPOUR(H20)!”Do you remember why the denier brings up water vapour (H20) John?       -1x H20 molecule is 5-10x more potent a warming gas than a CO2 one        -H20 is typically around 20x more abundant in the atmosphere, so with just this knowledge one might think, maybe the denier might have a point! Maybe CO2 isn’t our main problem?Now in episode 3 I came up with a fairly convoluted explanation for how you can win in a fight with a skeptic brandishing this argument, however I have since seen a clearer explanation.So in climate science, the understanding is that CO2 acts as a kind of thermostat. More CO2 in the atmosphere, higher global temperatures. But as the temperature rises, so does the amount of water vapour evaporated from the ocean. Okay they both seem to increase in tandem so why are we sure it’s increased CO2 causing increased H2O and not vice versa?Well imagine you were a misguided super villain John and decided that you wanted to make global warming even worse! So you devise a machine to pump out extra H2O into the atmosphere, what would happen? Pretty quickly the extra bit you pumped in, would just rain out, because it is the temperature that sets the ceiling for how much H20/water vapour can be 'held' by the atmosphere before it falls out as rain.Alternatively if you were a super hero and wanted to improve global warming, by sucking H2O out of the atmosphere, all that would happen is just that evaporation rates from the ocean would just increase to counter the change you are trying to make.So essentially water vapour is buffered at a particular temperature dependant set-point in the atmosphere, so only by changing the temperature first can you change this set point.CO2 on the other hand is not buffered. If we dump more in the atmosphere, the concentration does go and stays up. If we suck it out, concentrations do come down and stay down. Therefore H2O responds to CO2 not the other way round! If that makes sense!

Ep16 - Q&A number2

APOLOGIES FOR THE SOUND ISSUES ON MARK'S SIDE!6(b) - 'We're all doomed' part 2? Who should be held responsible for climate change? Should it be China, should it be the USA or how about Germany or the UK? Because OBVIOUSLY the entire blame/responsibility for fixing should all fall to one of them right?We're on YouTube!www.youtube.com/@CounteringClimateSkepticismTIMESTAMPS AVAILABLE!SHOWNOTES@5.40 and @14.02 - Our world in datahttps://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions-metrics@20.35 - Kurzgesagt video on climate responsibilityhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipVxxxqwBQw

Ep15 - Ziggurat6(b) - But we're all doomed!

After a probably unforgivable 6 month cliff-hanger, we finally get round to part 2 of the sixth and final level of the ziggurat.We're doomed!Or are we? or what does doomed mean? Who's saying we're doomed? So many questions!And are we sure this is even climate change denial in the first place?Oh yes, and currently the most in vogue!TIMESTAMPS AVAILABLESHOWNOTES- Show now on Youtube (for when the POD comes off air)www.youtube.com/@CounteringClimateSkepticism- (@5.40) Temperature projection graphhttps://www.metoffice.gov.uk/blog/2023/making-sense-of-climate-change-projections- (@12.20) The impacts of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5+ degrees of global warminghttps://docs.google.com/document/d/15mcbYoi1_-uBiAFb3G9VdivpjlWWFqSYb3FnhOboM2Q/edit?tab=t.0- (@15.20) Kurzgesagt on the progress we've already made with climate changehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxgMdjyw8uw- (@26.15) Simon Clarke on the proliferation of 'doomist' argumentshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XSG2Dw2mL8

Ep14 - Q&A number1

We asked for questions, we got them! Keep the coming! :)Today we look at 3- How we know what the Dinosaur climate was like (@7.06)- What should governments be doing? (@17.35)- Which more important? Knowledge or behavioural change(29.53)SHOWNOTES!3.33 - trump link
15.39 - link about zircons
https://www.facebook.com/SkepticalScience/posts/pfbid0DEUQegbGwagMQuJUPyRGFDMdF6JZfkY82hr7o14DB76BN1A9xUoaEMWeqeDnSbuBl
16.37 - wikipedia link
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1240577
18.40 - climate action tracker
https://climateactiontracker.org/
23.30 - climate change performance index
24.50 - heatpumps link
https://www.facebook.com/search/posts?q=pumps&filters=eyJycF9hdXRob3I6MCI6IntcIm5hbWVcIjpcImF1dGhvcl9tZVwiLFwiYXJnc1wiOlwiXCJ9In0%3D
29.12 - aviation stats
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/25/1-of-english-residents-take-one-fifth-of-overseas-flights-survey-showshttps://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/nov/17/people-cause-global-aviation-emissions-study-covid-19?CMP=twt_a-environment_b-gdneco

Ep13 - Ziggurat6(a) - But we can't wreck the economy!

We've now reached the apex of the ziggurat (first of a two-parter!). Everything else the denialists have thrown at us hasn't worked and now the've resorted to fear-mongering.But do they have a point? Mark and John take a look.TIMESTAMPS: AVAILABLE SOON!SHOWNOTES:@10.30 - Dieter Helm on why coordinated action between nations is a must.
"This is one of the reasons (domestic carbon tax without carbon border adjustments/tariffs) why despite everything that people in Europe and the UK have been doing, we haven't made an iota of difference to climate change....That's why we've had 30 wasted years in which the concentration of CO2 has gone up in the atmosphere every single year since ... 1990" - Dieter Helm
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000613h
@1917 - 2406@24.20 - How to terraform Marshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpcTJW4ur54@24.20 - How to terraform Venushttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-WO-z-QuWI

Ep12 - Ziggurat5 - But technology will save us!

Being a techno optimist is no bad thing, but can we sit back and let the relentless march of technology save us from our selves? Listen and find out!TIMESTAMPS AVAILABLESHOWNOTES: 14.24 - Technological invention has slowed down dramatically, scientists warn | The Independenthttps://www.independent.co.uk/tech/new-discoveries-breakthroughs-research-latest-b2256023.html47.00 - waste heat from fusion on twitterhttps://twitter.com/rahmstorf/status/1605967891928596481?t=2uDM_fCZ8YT4qx1U-dk1eQ&s=0851.34 - John good news story

Ep11 - Jordan Peterson, climate contrarian or merely confused?

This week we decided to look at some content of the famous culture warrior Jordan Peterson. With his high levels of verbal fluency it all sounds very impressive, but is it? Mark and John take a closer look.TIMESTAMPS - AvailableSHOWNOTES
36.35 - pie chart on various env problems https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Julian-Mcalpine/publication/275966760/figure/fig13/AS:294488397369354@1447222914141/Safe-operating-space-is-proposed-by-Rockstrom-et-al-2009-as-within-the-green-shaded.png
54.00 - deaths from falling off roofs installing solar (scroll to bar chart)https://www.engineering.com/story/whats-the-death-toll-of-nuclear-vs-other-energy-sources
1.0750 - marble oceanhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dxa8a7CaVKQUtH6YwVZ2hhBo5HLnbdcbVoVwnLoyE6A/edit
1.0830 - decoding the gurus on Petersonhttps://decoding-the-gurus.captivate.fm/episode/recoding-jordan-peterson-think-again-sunshineJordan Peterson would not like this video! 😄Compares deaths from fossil fuel (per unit of energy) with renewables and nuclear (video lined up, watch for 90 seconds)https://youtu.be/Jzfpyo-q-RM?t=354

Ep10 - Ziggurat4 - But the benefits of a warming climate....

Now you heard it here first folks! A warmer world may have some benefits, but if that's what you're focusing on, then what the hell is wrong with you?! you Ziggurat Denier Level 4!TIMESTAMPS - AvailableSHOW NOTES - Available
@2.57 - daybreak climate change board gamehttps://www.daybreakgame.org/
@7.20 - 3 min video summarising 2023 global weatherhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/av/67618623@7.40 - ‘uninsurable planet’ episodehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0h0r5kg@18.50 - Bjorn Lomborg debunkinghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nqSnNhIQlI@? - Bjorn's tactical retreat over the years https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Bjorn_Lomborg#Shift_in_views_over_time@22.11 - Transcript of Roger Harrabin interview with Matt Ridley.https://www.carbonbrief.org/scientists-respond-to-matt-ridleys-climate-change-claims/
 

Ep9 - Ziggurat3 - But the impacts will be minimal!

So now our denier friends have convinced themselves that climate is changing and it is us that is changing it, but guess what? Impacts will be minimal! Err what? and they were doing so well!Strap in to learn about the impacts we have already seen, those we might well see and those we sure as hell hopefully won't end up seeing and hopefully we'll demonstrate to you that this breed of deniers/skeptics are just as detached from reality as those 'climate change isn't happening' more basic types!TIMESTAMPS: AVAILABLESHOWNOTES: @34.26 - What impacts are we likely to see with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6°C of global warming? (~1600 words)https://docs.google.com/document/d/15mcbYoi1_-uBiAFb3G9VdivpjlWWFqSYb3FnhOboM2Q/edit

Ep8 - Why so much climate denial/skepticism anyway?

The world is imperilled, yet many are STILL questioning the science.Are you in a dream? No, reality appears to be stranger than fiction. Hence the question: Why so much denial/skepticism anyway? By the end of this episode, you should have some idea! Happy new year dear listeners! TIMESTAMPS: AVAILABLE SHOWNOTES: 
@10.30 - Neil De Grass Tyson - Cosmos Episode 7. Clair Patterson vs Leaded petrol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Clean_Room 
@20 - small oceans and atmospheres https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dxa8a7CaVKQUtH6YwVZ2hhBo5HLnbdcbVoVwnLoyE6A/edit?usp=sharing 
@26.33 - Climate change: ‘You almost couldn’t design a problem that is a worse fit with our underlying psychology’ essay (by Mike Berners-Lee) https://docs.google.com/document/d/17bA4GNW8biaZ7TQPgt4FSyoxKZah9gDNJRImEfQAGOk/edit?usp=sharing