A recent article at the New York Post by Bjorn Lomborg, titled “Shrinking island, vanishing polar bears — the climate scare stories that turn out to be false,”
Lomborg writes that two major themes can be seen in the last 20 years of climate change coverage from government and media: “stubborn unwillingness by campaigners to acknowledge
A recent article at the New York Post by Bjorn Lomborg, titled “Shrinking island, vanishing polar bears — the climate scare stories that turn out to be false,” points out that many of the harms the mainstream media claims climate change is supposed to be causing, for example, to polar bears, the Great Barrier Reef, and Pacific island nations, have not happened. This is true. None of the catastrophes that climate alarmists crow about have come to pass.
Lomborg writes that two major themes can be seen in the last 20 years of climate change coverage from government and media: “stubborn unwillingness by campaigners to acknowledge any inconvenient science, and ever-shifting favorite stories, first elevated and then dropped by the wayside.”
He says the one constant throughout those shifting stories is “a fixation on scaring the public, which has in turn shaped bad climate policies.”
This is true; illustrated nicely by the shifting narratives surrounding global greening in particular. Years ago, the dominant narrative was that desertification, or the deaths of lush ecosystems, was our future due to climate change. This was presented as a looming catastrophe in the media and in schools. Now that decades of data show the reverse is happening, that leaf coverage is actually expanding over time amid modest warming, the alarmists say the greening is dangerous, as covered in detail in this Climate Realism post.
Lomborg explores a variety of examples illustrative of climate crisis stories that are false, and sometimes abandoned or downplayed as they have falsified by data that has emerged over time. One case study Lomborg discusses is the polar bear craze.
He writes that “after years of misrepresentation, it finally became impossible for them to ignore a mountain of evidence showing that the global polar bear population has increased substantially from around 12,000 in the 1960s to around 26,000 in the present day.”
The alarmist media has tried to claim that melting sea ice is causing more polar bear encounters and aggression towards humans. However, the simpler explanation is that there are so many more bears than there used to be, and also more human beings in areas where bears naturally live. This is another attempt for media to spin a positive (bear populations recovering from previous overhunting) into a negative.
The second false alarm case study that Lomborg discusses is the missing decline of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and other coral reefs.
Lomborg recalls that “scientists predicted the reef would be decimated by 2022,” and “The Guardian even published an obituary.” He points out that the GBR has more coral cover right now in 2024 than at any point in time since recordkeeping began in 1985.
“The good news gets a fraction of the coverage that the scare stories did,” Lomborg writes.
Climate at a Glance and Climate Realism have repeatedly had to debunk false claims made in the media that the GBR and other barrier reefs are declining, so Lomborg’s point is accurate. It is rare that the media hypes any good news the way it does bad news about various ecosystems such as the GBR, a embarrassing admission from them after they spent decades catastrophizing about it. Even when they do begrudgingly report the record coral extent and data trends, both globally and in the GBR, they can’t help but try to warn that they still might suddenly reverse course and die off.
Lomborg’s also refutes claims that islands like Tuvalu are sinking below the waves because of rising sea levels. He points out that “almost all atoll islands are increasing in size,” which the New York Times (NYT) only just decided to share with their readership earlier this year, who, if they only relied the NYT for their knowledge of the issue, up to that point had likely been under the impression that the opposite was true.
“While rising sea levels do erode land, additional sand from old coral is washed up on low-lying shores,” Lomborg explains, and “studies have long shown this accretion is stronger than climate-caused erosion, meaning the land area of Tuvalu is increasing.”
It’s not just that; scientists have known for decades that atoll islands uniquely change with changing sea levels, scientists from over a hundred years ago such as Charles Darwin proposed that reef-based islands grow upwards towards the light even as sea levels change. In 2010, multiple studies reported that Tuvalu and other islands were actually growing. Eight of the nine coral atolls in Tuvalu have grown, and 75 percent of the nation’s smaller islands have also grown.
It is heartening when major news publications like the New York Post publish work done by Lomborg and other climate realists, who bravely insist on relying on available real-world data in the face of an onslaught of stories and reports referencing scary climate model scenarios. No doubt the Post will get some hate mail for it, but it is a sign of a good news organization dedicated to serving its reader’s interests by following the facts where ever they lead, even on controversial topics, to publish the truth, however unalarming, rather than hyperbole and lies.
5
Article Rating
Share this:
Aussie Government gives $4 million to Bjørn Lomborg, to set up a "Consensus Centre" at Lewandowsky's old university
April 17, 2015
In "Climate News"
California is handling climate change all wrong – Bjorn Lomborg
July 21, 2017
In "Climate News"
Is Aussie PM Turnbull quietly dismantling Abbott's Climate Legacy?
October 21, 2015
In "Politics"
PROMOTED CONTENT
Tags: Bjorn Lomborg, NY Post, Pacific Islands, polar bears
Post navigation
Somebody Please Tell Kathy Hochul That T
Login
Become a WUWT Sponsor - click here
Free signup if you want to post comments (includes ads) click here
The Maxim of our resolve
“Walk toward the fire. Don’t worry about what they call you.” – Andrew Breitbart | read more
Blog Stats
540,903,751 hits
“…the world’s most viewed climate website”
– Fred Pearce The Climate Files:
The Battle for the Truth about Global Warming
“…invaluable” – Steven F. Hayward, The Weekly Standard
“…changed the world and is one of the most influential resources on global warming. – Jonathon Moseley, American Thinker
“…flashy (apparently widely distributed)”– Michael E. Mann
Follow WUWT via Email
You are following WUWT via email
Email Address
Follow
Join 19.6K other subscribers
PROMOTED CONTENT
Rumors About Baron Go From Bad To Worse
If Your Dog Eats Grass, Add This To Their Food
If Your Dog Eats Grass, They Need This Nutrient Immediately
Bookmarks
ENSO METER
ENSO/SST Page
Feed Me
Meta
Copyright Notice
Material on this website is copyright © 2006-2024, by Anthony Watts, and may not be stored or archived separately, rebroadcast, or republished without written permission.
For permission, contact us. See the About>Contact menu under the header.
All rights reserved worldwide.
Some material from contributors may contain additional copyrights of their respective company or organization.
Top Posts & Pages
Swingeing tariffs on Chinese EV makers threaten to wipe out Europe’s legacy companies
Remember that 'let's dump iron in the ocean' experiment? Nature is actually doing it.
California Accuses Oil Giant Of Lying About Plastic Recycling In New Lawsuit
Somebody Please Tell Kathy Hochul That The Climate Jig Is Up
Biden-Harris Admin Launches ‘Environmental Justice’ Jobs Training Program
Recent Posts
True, New York Post, Oft-Cited Climate Catastrophes Have Not Materialized
Somebody Please Tell Kathy Hochul That The Climate Jig Is Up
Swingeing tariffs on Chinese EV makers threaten to wipe out Europe’s legacy companies
Biden-Harris Admin Launches ‘Environmental Justice’ Jobs Training Program
California Accuses Oil Giant Of Lying About Plastic Recycling In New Lawsuit
Climate Change goes SkyNet. Bigger computers, more power, to ‘make decisions’ for us.
Remember that ‘let’s dump iron in the ocean’ experiment? Nature is actually doing it.
Wrong, Time, Climate Change Did Not Cause Flooding in Europe
The U.S.-Canada Energy Relationship Is Underappreciated – And May Now Be Under Threat
Archives
Archives Select Month September 2024 (156) August 2024 (193) July 2024 (191) June 2024 (189) May 2024 (195) April 2024 (184) March 2024 (192) February 2024 (182) January 2024 (191) December 2023 (184) November 2023 (186) October 2023 (191) September 2023 (186) August 2023 (194) July 2023 (192) June 2023 (187) May 2023 (187) April 2023 (181) March 2023 (191) February 2023 (171) January 2023 (192) December 2022 (191) November 2022 (185) October 2022 (192) September 2022 (189) August 2022 (192) July 2022 (193) June 2022 (183) May 2022 (185) April 2022 (181) March 2022 (193) February 2022 (172) January 2022 (188) December 2021 (188) November 2021 (184) October 2021 (190) September 2021 (180) August 2021 (185) July 2021 (187) June 2021 (185) May 2021 (190) April 2021 (183) March 2021 (190) February 2021 (173) January 2021 (189) December 2020 (194) November 2020 (184) October 2020 (185) September 2020 (188) August 2020 (197) July 2020 (158) June 2020 (194) May 2020 (196) April 2020 (190) March 2020 (193) February 2020 (189) January 2020 (195) December 2019 (207) November 2019 (189) October 2019 (199) September 2019 (192) August 2019 (202) July 2019 (200) June 2019 (188) May 2019 (201) April 2019 (201) March 2019 (227) February 2019 (196) January 2019 (222) December 2018 (232) November 2018 (214) October 2018 (192) September 2018 (180) August 2018 (181) July 2018 (178) June 2018 (193) May 2018 (191) April 2018 (164) March 2018 (185) February 2018 (170) January 2018 (178) December 2017 (153) November 2017 (176) October 2017 (173) September 2017 (188) August 2017 (218) July 2017 (185) June 2017 (121) May 2017 (131) April 2017 (130) March 2017 (147) February 2017 (125) January 2017 (149) December 2016 (139) November 2016 (138) October 2016 (171) September 2016 (133) August 2016 (142) July 2016 (138) June 2016 (156) May 2016 (160) April 2016 (163) March 2016 (172) February 2016 (137) January 2016 (133) December 2015 (158) November 2015 (136) October 2015 (123) September 2015 (129) August 2015 (130) July 2015 (146) June 2015 (144) May 2015 (157) April 2015 (124) March 2015 (126) February 2015 (115) January 2015 (105) December 2014 (129) November 2014 (136) October 2014 (163) September 2014 (184) August 2014 (190) July 2014 (172) June 2014 (195) May 2014 (216) April 2014 (181) March 2014 (184) February 2014 (164) January 2014 (202) December 2013 (144) November 2013 (146) October 2013 (147) September 2013 (148) August 2013 (165) July 2013 (174) June 2013 (161) May 2013 (193) April 2013 (171) March 2013 (162) February 2013 (165) January 2013 (172) December 2012 (126) November 2012 (139) October 2012 (176) September 2012 (151) August 2012 (144) July 2012 (175) June 2012 (179) May 2012 (177) April 2012 (177) March 2012 (189) February 2012 (159) January 2012 (142) December 2011 (161) November 2011 (168) October 2011 (179) September 2011 (189) August 2011 (190) July 2011 (169) June 2011 (187) May 2011 (176) April 2011 (176) March 2011 (171) February 2011 (183) January 2011 (193) December 2010 (183) November 2010 (168) October 2010 (191) September 2010 (178) August 2010 (200) July 2010 (188) June 2010 (140) May 2010 (124) April 2010 (122) March 2010 (135) February 2010 (142) January 2010 (157) December 2009 (168) November 2009 (163) October 2009 (131) September 2009 (106) August 2009 (92) July 2009 (96) June 2009 (93) May 2009 (89) April 2009 (99) March 2009 (99) February 2009 (60) January 2009 (60) December 2008 (58) November 2008 (45) October 2008 (63) September 2008 (75) August 2008 (77) July 2008 (68) June 2008 (72) May 2008 (54) April 2008 (54) March 2008 (39) February 2008 (40) January 2008 (31) December 2007 (27) November 2007 (37) October 2007 (29) September 2007 (17) August 2007 (31) July 2007 (20) June 2007 (25) May 2007 (31) April 2007 (31) March 2007 (27) February 2007 (24) January 2007 (25) December 2006 (22) November 2006 (11)
Categories
Categories Select Category 2017 Solar Eclipse 350.org connect the dots 97% consensus 99% certainty Academic Freedom Adjustments/Corrections Aerosols Agriculture AGU AGU 2013 AGU 2014 AGU 2015 AGU 2019 AGU16 Air pollution Al Gore Alarmism Albedo AMO Announcements Antarctic Antarctic Ice Cores Antarctic Ice Mass Anthropocene Anthropogenic Ocean Warming Arctic ARGO data Astronomy Atmospheric physics Attribution Bad science Bad science journalism Bengtsson Climate McCarthyism scandal Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature Bias Biodiversity biofuels Biomass Book Review Cancun Climate Conference Cap-and-trade Carbon credits Carbon dioxide Carbon Fail Carbon footprint Carbon sequestration Carbon soot carbon tax Celebrities on AGW censorship CFC’s Chaos and Climate Citizen science Climate Attribution Climate cash Climate Change Debate Climate Communications Climate Craziness of the Week Climate data Climate Debate Climate Delusion Climate Economics Climate FAIL Climate Hypocrisy Climate Lawsuits Climate Models Climate Myths Climate News Climate News Roundup Climate Politics Climate Propaganda Climate reconciliation Climate Reference Network climate refugees Climate Science Climate sensitivity Climate ugliness Climate_change Climategate Climategate 3.0 ClimateTV Clouds CO2 Coal Cold wave Commentary Commentary Common sense Consensus COP conferences Copenhagen Climate Conference Copygate coral reefs Coronavirus Cosmic rays Covid News Cowtan & Way Curious things Current News Desertification Disaster disinvitation Dr. Patrick Michaels Drought Durban Climate Conference dust storms Earth Earthquakes Economics of Climate Change Economy-health Ecoterrorism Education Educational opportunity El Nino Basics Electric Vehicles Emergence Emergent Climate Phenomena Emissions End Of Snow Endangered Species Energy Energy Fail ENSO Environment EPA erosion Everything Climate EVs Experiments Extinction extreme weather Fake News Fakegate feedbacks Finance flooding fog FOI Forecasting Forests Fossil Fuel Divestment Fools Fracking Freeman Dyson FUG Fun_stuff Fusion power Gavin Schmidt Geoengineering Geology Lessons geothermal energy Gergis et al GHCN GISS Glaciers Global cooling Global Greening Global Temperature Update Global warming Global Warming in Perspective Global Warming Optimism GLOC Good News Gore-a-thon 2011 Gore-a-thon 2012 Gorefest11 Government funding of science Government idiocy Graph of the Week Gravity Green Blob Green Mafia Green New Deal Green tech Greenhouse Effect Greenland ice sheet HADCRUT4 hail Hausfather et al 2017 heat wave Hiatus in Global Warming History Hits and Misses Holocene How Climate Works Humor humour hurricanes Hurricanes hydroclimatology Hydrogen Hydropower Ice Ages Intermittent Wind and Solar IPCC IPCC AR5 leak IPCC AR5 Report IPCC AR6 Ira Irony It’s Worse Than We Thought! James Hansen John Cook Journalism junk science Karl et al. 2015 Katowice Conference Land Surface Air Temperature Data Land use land cover change Landslides Letters To The Editor Lewgate Lewis and Crok lightning Lithium Little Ice Age Local_issues Lower Troposphere Temperature Lukewarmerism Lunar tides and climate Malthusian Myths Marcott et al proxy paper Mass Extinctions measurement media MedievalWarmPeriod Meridional Transport Methane MetOffice Michael E. Mann Mining MJO Modeling modification Monarchs monsoons More On Series NASA NASA GISS National Climate Assessment Report Natural CO2 sources natural gas Natural Warming NCADAC NCDC NCEI Net-Zero Net-Zero News Newsbytes NGOs NOAA NOAA 2 year FOIA documents NOAA ERSST.v4 Pauses Buster Noble Cause Corruption nuclear power Numbers Obama Climate Plan Obamas War on Energy Obituary Obvious science Ocean acidification Ocean Heat Content Ocean Temperatures Oceans Oil and Gas Open Thread Opinion Optical phenonmena Ozone Paleoclimatology Papal Climate Encyclical Paris Climate Accord PDO Peer review PEOPLE WILL DIE! Permafrost Personal note petroleum Plankton and other critters Plastic – At Sea Podcasts Polar Amplification Polar Bears Polar Vortex Polarbeargate Politics Politics and climate change Polls Population Positive effects of CO2 Post-normal science Premium Content Presentations Proxies Puzzling things Quote of The Month Quote of the Week Radiation Radiative Imbalance Rainfall RCP 8.5 Science Fiction records Recycling Reference Pages Regulation Renewable energy reproducibility RICO20 Ridiculae Rio+20 Russia Salinity Satellite Temperature Records Satire Science Science Journalism Science Journlism Sea Sea ice Sea Ice News Sea level Sea Surface Temperature Snow snowfall social cost of carbon Solar solar flare solar power solar/climate connection Southern Annular Mode Space Spaceweather Specific Humidity Spencer-Braswell and Dessler St. Greta statistics Stephan Lewandowsky Stern Review Strategic Minerals Stratospheric water vapor Surfacestations paper Surveys Sustainability Tabloid Climatology TAO/TRITON Buoys Technology Temperature Temperature Reconstructions Tesla The “Clitanic” aka Spirit of Mawson The Grid The Rat-hole problem The Skeptic’s Case The Weather Channel The WUWT Hot Sheet The Yamal Deception thorium power Throwback Thursday Predictions thunderstorms Tipping Points tornadoes Total Precipitable Water Transportation Trenberth’s missing heats Trends Tropical Hot spot Tropics Tsunami UHI UKMO HADCRUT4 Uncategorized Uncertainty United Nations USCRN USGS USHCN & GHCN Volcanoes Vortex Vulcanism Waste heat Watts et al 2012 Weather Weather Attribution Weather_stations Wiki Wars Wildfires Willis Autobiography wind power WUWT-TV
Sea Ice Page
Solar Images and Data Page
Copyright ©2024 All rights reserved
