Dear Friends,
LISTEN TO THIS WEEK'S PROGRAM HERE
If I'm ever bothered that my opinions on climate change might offend people, I simply reflect on Guy McPherson's life. He's the renowned prophet-of-doom that many climate activists and scientists love to hate. This week, Guy joins Charles and me to discuss whether humanity is indeed plummeting toward extinction, or merely in for a very bad ride.
Guy McPherson
Guy: "I have complete confidence that there won't be a human being on the planet in 2030."
Me: "Despite the gravity of our climate dilemma, I have hope."
Admittedly, that hope grows thinner every year. But the bottom line is, there are so many unknown factors, it's impossible to say which way the dominoes will fall.
. Admittedly, that hope grows thinner every year, but the bottom line is, there are so many unknown factors, it's impossible to say which way the dominoes will fall.
I understand where many advocates for climate action are coming from. They fear that if people buy the "we're all gonna die" scenario, others won't be motivated to take action. Me, I'd rather have everyone speak their truth and hope that all of us embrace the path of action best suited for us, our communities, and our planet. Yeah, that means I want everyone to take action in one form or another.
I don't mind having Guy's voice in the conversation. Others do, and he's become the object of much derision. A few years back, Penn State climate scientist, Michael Mann, tweeted, “McPherson-like false doomism rhetoric is extremely destructive.”
Or this from a July 9, 2018, article in The Guardian by Dan Nuccitelli: "The most prominent [climate alarmist] is Guy McPherson, who decided in 2002 that climate change would likely drive humans to extinction by 2030. Sixteen years later, we’re now more than halfway to 2030 and the global human population has grown from 6.3 bn to 7.6 bn. It’s quite safe to say we won’t go extinct in the next few decades."
Wow! That's some skewed logic. There are more people on the planet in 2018 than there were in 2002, so that proves we won't go extinct by 2030? I'm surprised The Guardian would print such a ridiculous statement.
Even Guy's Wikipedia page says he, "is known for inventing and promoting doomer fringe theories."
Dude can't catch a break. Not that I'm buying all of what Guy is selling, but I think he oughta at least be allowed into the conversation. Which hasn't happened. According to Guy, "The defamation campaign against me was so stunningly successful ... I haven't been interviewed by a major corporate media outlet ... for five years."
Some of the actions Guy claims have been taken to silence him stretch credulity -- the kind of stuff you could write a murder-mystery novel about, especially regarding his toxic relationship with David Wallace-Wells. You'll have to listen to the interview and see what you think.
Toward the end of our conversation, Charles and I ask, if the end is truly near, what should people do?
Guy recommends planetary hospice, a suggestion that resonates with Charles, a palliative care physician. Charles, always ready to lighten up even the most serious conversation, recommends lowering taxes on the rich as the best course of action in light of pending climate annihilation (read all the sarcasm you can into that suggestion).
Bottom line for me? You never know how any dramatic moment in history will play out. Who knew that Tom Brady and the New England Patriots would come back from a 25-point deficit in the third quarter of the 2017 Super Bowl to beat the Atlanta Falcons? More important, after 600 years of English imperialism and attempted genocide, who knew the Irish would achieve independence?
Well, the truth is, in both cases, there were always some who believed. NOW is humanity's most urgent historical moment, and there are those of us who believe we can prevail. If you agree, be honest about where we stand, but take action!
And if you appreciate these conversations and you want to help keep them going, HERE'S THE LINK TO DONATE.
Thanks for reading, listening, and doing your part! -- Ed Fallon
*******
(01:29) Has climate change doomed humanity, with Guy McPherson;
(29:03) Has affirmative action run its course?
(52:27) The impact of climate change on future food production, with Kathy Byrnes
You can also catch the Fallon Forum on these affiliates:
– KHOI 89.1 FM (Ames, Iowa)
– KICI.LP 105.3 FM (Iowa City, Iowa)
– WHIV 102.3 FM (New Orleans, Louisiana)
– KPIP-LP, 94.7 FM (Fayette, Missouri)
– KCEI 90.1 FM (Taos, New Mexico)
– KRFP 90.3 FM (Moscow, Idaho)
– WGRN 94.1 FM (Columbus, Ohio)
– KKFI 90.1 FM (Kansas City, Missouri)
Please support the local businesses and non-profits who make this program possible. Click on their logos on the Fallon Forum website and in our weekly email, and visit Dr. Drake Family Psychiatry, Story County Veterinary Clinic, Bold Iowa, and Birds & Bees Urban Farm. Thanks for supporting the civil alternative to the shock jocks!
Ed Fallon
Screw Michael Mann and McPherson. Professor William Bruhne has evidence in Science, May of 2021 that we have exponential increases in oxidants from lightning that is increasing as we get increased atmospheric water vapor. The increased lightning is cleaning the atmosphere…no evidence in history of the mythical BOE. I have more faith in the existence of the unicorn. Tonga eruption cooled the planet by 1 degree Celsius. We are headed into an ice-age. I will say this…as we look at the Western Antarctic shelf, get ready for 30 feet of sea-level rise. This will cull the herd quickly and life will go on. The mainstream narrative put out by organizations such as the WEF are embarrassing. Guy is a good man. He is not to blame. He refuses to accept the idea of negative reinforcement feedback loops. I’ll name another one. More water vapor…an increase in clouds and an increase in albedo. Keep your eye on the Thwaites Glacier…fractures everywhere. Sorry, no extinction, but rapid decline is a possibility
I’d also like to address the ice-age question because I know that it is difficult to understand. As the ice melts, the planet experiences a geologic shift. Those glaciers help to stabilize the crust. Also the immense weight from rising sea-level creates pressure on the ocean floor. We’re likely looking at a volcanic winter because of this chaos. Hopefully, there will be a culling, and the atmosphere will slowly come into balance as it did 120,000 years ago. The myth that CO2 stays in the atmosphere for 10,000 years or whatever is nonsensical bullshit. Climate science needs an enema.