A Bad Year for the Experts

The experts on climate change are equally confounded. Don't we understand that if the world doesn't act now on global warming and climate change, the polar caps will melt and drown New York City? Either various Americans fail to see drowning New York City as a bad idea, or they doubt the wisdom of trusting supposed scientific "consensus" when outside the consensus other scientists are telling us the dangers are greatly inflated.

Likewise, as common sense notes vividly, the case for sharply reducing carbon-based fuel use in favor of "clean" sources that aren't even ready yet is a case with many holes in it. For instance, how do we phase down oil and coal without dire effects on the economy? How do we know for that matter if we did so the strategy would save New York?

The scientists who pat us on the head, saying, there, there, trust us, have yet frankly to earn that trust. What about the "Climategate" flap in England: those blatant attempts (discovered in stolen e-mails) to quieten or ostracize contradictory evidence on climate change? What about the EPA and its decree that We Begin Now -- Now! -- to Regulate Green House Gases!? What about the accompanying admonition by the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (a mere businessman) that the decree points us toward "a top-down command-and-control regime that will choke off growth"? Yes, and job creation. During a grave recession. While Congress works to cure the sick and lame by bringing health care under its thumb.

Pa, this stuff sure don't sound right: A good enough reason, many Americans would say, not to do it. Not without much, much, much more careful thought than the world army of experts seems prepared for.