Global Warming is a Bunch of Hooey

On Monday this week, The Capital Times published an article in which the main source, retired professor of meteorology Reid Bryson from UW-Madison, described theories of man-made climate change as "hooey" and "religion." For the most part, the article seems disjointed. And, surprisingly, Bryson resorts to the sorts of ad hominem attacks that are usually reserved for political contexts of this and other scientific debates. Take, for example, this criticism of both graduate students and journalists:

Reporters will often call the meteorology building seeking the opinion of a scientist and some beginning graduate student will pick up the phone and say he or she is a meteorologist, Bryson said. "And that goes in the paper as 'scientists say...'"

I would question any reasonable graduate student's motivation in committing such deception - especially since it's not likely to go unnoticed. Almost as much as I question how a reporter wouldn't adequately research their source. And the absence of evidence for such a charge is conspicuous to say the least.

Near the end of the article, journalistic balance wins the day as current UW professor Galen McKinley is called upon to make her case for anthropogenic climate change. I think McKinley comes across as more credible than Bryson, even if the reporter decided not to include information on how much money she makes or how many wedding anniversaries she's celebrated.

Of course, this portrayal of credibility may be to atone for an error from the last time The Capital Times talked to McKinley. In 2005 they interviewed her for this article about climate change, entitled

Global Warming Debate Over, Prof Says
Calls New Study As Solid As Proof That Smoking Causes Cancer

Unfortunately, when the first edition went to press, there was an apparent need to save space and two words were excised. The altered headline was:

Global Warming Debate Over, Prof Says
Calls New Study Solid Proof That Smoking Causes Cancer