MSNBC labeled global warming skeptic (William) Gray a "top meteorologist"

[jpak]

http://mediamatters.org/items/200710150009?f=h_latest

Summary: MSNBC Live hosts Mika Brzezinski and Contessa Brewer each described as a "top meteorologist" William M. Gray, who has stated that global warming "is one of the greatest hoaxes ever perpetrated on the American people." Both also noted Gray's claim that rising temperatures "are simply part of a natural cycle," but neither noted that the overwhelming majority of scientists disagree with that assertion and have concluded that global climate change is caused by human activity.

During the 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. ET hours of MSNBC Live on October 15, hosts Mika Brzezinski and Contessa Brewer, respectively, described as a "top meteorologist" William M. Gray, professor emeritus of atmospheric science at Colorado State University, who has stated that global warming "is one of the greatest hoaxes ever perpetrated on the American people." Both Brzezinski and Brewer then noted that Gray "is slamming Al Gore" and quoted Gray's remarks at the University of North Carolina, where he reportedly said that "e're brainwashing our children" with information about global warming. Both Brzezinski and Brewer noted Gray's claim that rising temperatures "are simply part of a natural cycle," but neither noted that the overwhelming majority of scientists disagree with Gray's claim and agree that global climate change is caused by human activity, as Media Matters for America has documented. The blog Think Progress also noted MSNBC's coverage of Gray's comments.

On April 26, 2006, RealClimate.org, which describes itself as "a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists," responded to a paper written by Gray by detailing "the fundamental misconceptions on the physics of climate that underlie most of Gray's pronouncements on climate change and its causes" and "the gaping flaws" in his "scientific argument." A June 11, 2006, article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Judith A. Curry, chair of Georgia Tech's School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, said that "Gray's message that global warming is a hoax is being heard because of his media connections, but she points out he has not published any research to back it up." The article quoted Curry saying: "His ideas on global warming are not taken seriously in scientific circles." Additionally, a May 28, 2006, Washington Post Magazine article by Joel Achenbach reported that Gray "concede that he hasn't published the idea in any peer-reviewed journal." Achenbach also noted that Gray's rejection of climate models puts him "increasingly on the fringe" in the field of meteorology. When Achenbach "ask Gray who his intellectual soul mates are regarding global warming," Gray responded, "I have nobody really to talk to about this stuff.'" In the article, Gray was quoted as saying, "Gore believed in global warming almost as much as Hitler believed there was something wrong with the Jews."

Further, neither Brzezinski nor Brewer noted that United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change disagrees with Gray's claim that rising temperatures "are simply part of a natural cycle." Brewer aired Gray's comments before noting that "Gore shared the Nobel Peace Prize with the chairman of a U.N. panel made up of 2,000 scientists and experts." However, Brewer described the U.N. panel as simply "also studying the human race's effect on climate change" without noting the panel's recent conclusions that the evidence that the earth's climate is warming is "unequivocal" and that most of the observed warming is due to human influences.

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[EST]

1. Heheh-"top" meteorologist.

Wonder who's his "bottom."

[jojo54]

2. Here's the way I see global climate change.

It is just that - global climate CHANGE. This may be a simplistic way of looking at it or it may be deeper than I realize, but think of it this way: we are slowly draining Earth of it's blood (oil); we are clogging up Earth's lungs (carbons in the air from cars, factories, etc.) we are letting sores fester on Earth's skin (garbage dumps & landfills); we are choking Earth's oxygen supply (toxins in the air & ground).

Now, ask all disbelievers, would YOU be able to survive those kind of changes in your body???

[StClone]

3. Love, Money and Fear

There are people who fear change because it hurts either their World View and/or their bottom line. First it was the Geocentric Universe, and Flat Earth, anti-Evolutionists are still out there. I think Global Warming leading to Climate Change is a challenge to many a belief system and a frightful mantle of responsibility in an age of cell phone and pharmaceuticals escapism. There is also the fear that some smarty pants is correct and provincial, naive "common sense" instilled by Rush, Hannity et al is afoul of Reality. It hurts when heroes end up as rubber pants garbage mongers -- though extremely wealthy.