Andrew Dessler vs. The ‘asshole’ World

“Hey assholes. We’ve been telling you for decades that this was going to happen if we didn’t reduce greenhouse gas emissions. You didn’t listen and now it’s all happening. We hope you’re happy. Enjoy the heatwaves, intense rainfall, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and many other things, you fucking morons.” (below)

It was supposed to be a funny. But really, it is a sad commentary of an agenda-driven, frustrated climate scientist/activist at a world that is (correctly) demoting his rigid climate alarmism for realism.

Professor Andrew Dessler (aka Angry Andy) is the smartest guy in the climate room. He is hot headed. He says nasty things about even the most polite of his scientific adversaries, not unlike his infamous cohort, Michael Mann. Dessler’s predictions are exaggerated, even falsified (here’s one on Texas weather from 2009).

He does not understand the primary driver of energy density, much less energy economics.

And when it comes to his own extreme views, he is a master of misdirection and silence. Consequently, he wants to censure his opponents and refuses to engage in live debate (he would lose). And, not surprisingly, he exhibits authoritarian tendencies.

If Dessler’s personae is this bad now, imagine how he will be post-COP26 (little-to-nothing will be accomplished, as James Hansen predicted) and in the years ahead?

Dense mineral energies are not to be denied for a better economy and a better, greener environment. Warmer winters, warmer nights, and CO2 fertilization, coupled with growing societal wealth (absent climate activism) for adaptation to weather is the obvious way forward.

Industrial wind turbines, solar panels, and batteries taking over the landscape are not the way to go (again, as James Hansen has noted).

The Latest

Here is Texas A&M’s Andrew Dessler from earlier this month on Twitter:

Andrew Dessler@AndrewDesslerI just got a copy of the embargoed IPCC Summary for Policymakers. I hate to break the embargo, but this is too important to wait. Here it is, the entire SPM. Surprisingly, it’s just one paragraph long.

Hey assholes. We’ve been telling you for decades that this was going to happen if we didn’t reduce greenhouse gas emissions. You didn’t listen and now it’s all happening. We hope you’re happy. Enjoy the heatwaves, intense rainfall, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and many other things, you fucking morons.

He adds:

Much cruder language than I would have expected, but sometimes foul language is called for.

The above is but the latest from a troubled soul. There are many other examples, one of which is here:

Who should be madder about calling people who reject climate science ‘climate deniers.’ Climate deniers, because it lumps them in with holocaust deniers? Or Holocaust deniers, because it lumps them in with climate deniers. (Andrew Dessler, July 18, 2019)

Unbridled Alarmism

Dessler’s madness comes from an arrogant, extreme view of what he believes is settled, incontrovertible science. He believes:

If “some humans survive” is the only thing we care about, then climate change is a non-issue. I think it’s certain that “some” humans will survive almost any climate change. They may be living short, hard lives of poverty, but they’ll be alive.

I find the path we’re on now — the rich world survives (if lucky), but abandons everyone else — to be morally problematic.

Conclusion

Andrew Dessler ultimately discredits himself. Exaggeration for its momentary impact has grown so old and tiresome that it is easily dismissed. Did not Fred Krupp of the Environmental Defense Fund once warn:

There has to be a lot of shrillness taken out of our language. In the environmental community, we have to be more humble. We can’t take the attitude that we have all the answers.

And insults to his opponents–and the world at large–only adds to his problem.