I asked which data firstly because a large number scientists disagree with the base data being used by the proponents of AGW. It’s not just a small number of them; it’s a fair number and I’m not speaking of ones drawing their funding from the oil companies.

NOTE: I said that they disagree with the data, not that they completely disagreed that the planet seems to be warming. But good scientists want the right result for the right, replicable reasons.

I asked which data secondly because we have had repeated evidence that the data being used to support AGW claims is erroneous. And when that flawed or fraudulent data is put out by the CRU, it “poisons” a lot of research worldwide.

As for Global Warming and my opinion of it – I’m skeptical (for the reasons stated above) but not ready to deny it out of hand. I am, however, more than willing to deny that the remediation steps put forth by the Warmists are appropriate or even primarily motivated by a desire to cool the planet.

Returning to the experts in question, there is a tiny minority of experts that deny global warming, and very few experts that deny man’s role in global warming. Again, I would like to point out that the polluters, more specifically the fossil fuels industry, are buying expert opinions in order to avoid spending enormous amounts of money cutting back on their emissions. On the other hand, who would do the same to those supporting the global warming debate?

I really have a hard time understanding how an educated person can in good faith deny global warming and man’s involvement. Again, I am not arguing that man is the sole contributor, but I am arguing that man’s contribution is substantial enough to be felt.

(btw – I posted a more thorough response on mizozo, I can’t properly post everything in a comment)

What data? Or more accurately, which data, and can any of it that we’ve seen be trusted in the wake of this exposure of the Warmists’ slipshod techniques and/or fraud?

And Jobs? Green jobs? Every one of those that has been created has been at the expense of other, more traditional jobs in the same sectors of the economy. It would be, at most, a labor shift as opposed to an improvement.

Now I wholeheartedly agree that “going green is just healthier, safer, and better for everyone all the way around,” but what the Warmists seem to want and focus upon is only tangentially related to “going green.”

As far as I can see, the Warmists are to the Environmentalists what the Right-To-Lifers are to the Conservatives.

Let’s start by correcting your stated facts:

The earth may or may not be warming.
NASA satellite studies showed that polar ice has remained essentially stable over the last 30 years. 2008 did, however break 2 records – the least ice on one day and the most ice on anther.

International Commission on Sea Level Change refutes the rise of sea levels and predicts, based upon empirical studies as opposed to computer projections, a maximum rise of 10cm by 2100.

The last 10 years have not been the hottest on record. The Mann “hockeystick” graph was fully refuted due to it’s bad modeling and the use of grossly flawed data-sets.

Also and finally, there’s the issue that global temperatures, both rises and falls, have not mirrored (even with time offsets to normalize for inertia) levels of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Here’s the problem, zhann – we really don’t know what’s happening. That’s one of the things that Climategate exposed. The data was very poor and the modeling of it flawed – and that data and analysis is the basis of much of the Climate Change science and predictions that all the other scientists are using.

Personally I think that some warming is happening, but I’m skeptical about how much mankind’s current activities are effecting it. I think we did far more centuries ago when we committed massive deforestation across the globe.

– Fact – The earth is warming (see polar caps, see rising oceans, see average global temperatures over the past 3 decades)
– Fact – The last 10 years are the warmest on record ever.
– Fact – CO2 works as a greenhouse agent, easily testable in lab experiments
– Fact – People are pumping out more and more CO2 every year

Of course, there are many more facts that can be listed, but these are enough to prove a point. Those that wish to deny global warming is happening are, in all honesty, complete idiots. This is an undeniable fact with boatloads of data to prove it, much of it visible in every day life. Idiots like Matt Drudge, and others, that like to point out “Denver had its coldest day in history” are just that, idiots. Pointing out a single instance of cold and ignoring the global trend of warming is just plain ignorant.

As for the email situation, this is probably the most nitpicked, out of context, completely ignoring everything logical I have ever seen. Even assuming that a tiny fraction of Scientists doctored data in order to show more global warming than actually happening (I am not implying this, I am just using this as an assumption for the basis of argument) in no way takes away from the blatant fact that the earth is warming up and Man has a role to play in this.

Jonolan, I have always admired you and considered you of greater intelligence than this. While it doesn’t look like you are denying the fact that the earth is warming, I am likewise hoping that you aren’t trying to imply that Man is playing a trivial role in this. I am not going to try and argue that Man is the sole cause, but the fact that Man’s actions, if not changed, will be catastrophic is undeniable. My personal gut feeling is that Man is not just the primary cause of this, but our actions are dwarfing that of the Sun’s hot spell which is supposedly the main counterargument.

Regarding your argument about 100-200 million Americans denying global warming … while I hate to be cynical, I see no other way. Lets be honest with one another, the majority of Americans are sheep. This isn’t just Americans, but the general world population, but since we are discussing American views I am singling out America. In a case such as this, we have to eliminate the sheep and concentrate on the experts. The vast majority of experts are behind global warming. If you take into account that the ‘pollution’ industry (not sure how to refer to them) definitely has bought the support of at least some scientists to help prove that global warming is a farce, then the numbers for global warming are even larger. As for buying out the other side, I can’t imagine who would do that or why. There is not much money in supporting the cause for global warming, so these people are far more likely to be sincere.

Honestly, it really blows my mind when I meet someone that is vehemently denying global warming. Arguing that Man is not the primary cause is one thing, but ignoring all the facts that show global warming happening is something entirely different.