The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : The Amazing Revkin: Unshackled

Text Size

The Spectacle Blog

The Amazing Revkin: Unshackled

By Paul Chesser on 9.8.10 @ 11:13AM

Freed from the need to feign journalistic objectivity, former New York Times global warming reporter Andrew Revkin -- author of two slutty (but fawning) takes on climate dogma -- has made his way to the op-ed page. Channeling Tom Friedman, today the Amazing Revkin focuses on all this crazy weather (which is not climate) we've seen lately:

Though today’s extremes can’t be reliably attributed to the greenhouse effect, they do give us the feel, sweat and all, of what’s to come if emissions are not reined in. Martin Hoerling told me that by the end of the century, this summer’s heat may be the status quo in parts of Russia, not a devastating fluke. Similar projections exist for Washington, the American Southwest, much of India and many other spots.

With the global population cresting in the coming decades, our exposure to extreme events will only worsen. So whatever nations decide to do about greenhouse gas emissions, there is an urgent need to “climate proof” human endeavors. That means building roads in Pakistan and reservoirs in Malawi that can withstand flooding. And it means no longer encouraging construction in flood plains, as we have been doing in areas around St. Louis that were submerged in the great 1993 Mississippi deluge.

I'm sure the Amazing Revkin's thought experiments on "climate proofing" human endeavors also include limitations on procreation, as I noted last year from a Worldwatch Institute blog post:

At a Wilson Center discussion on Wednesday, New York Timesreporter Andrew Revkin considered this idea and stated that having fewer children was one of the best ways that individuals could reduce their carbon footprints. Humans reproduce exponentially, and having two children instead of three could reduce energy consumption that would otherwise occur for generations.

Where do these crazy people get such ideas?!

topics:
Global Warming, Environmentalism, New York Times, Climate Change

View all comments (10) | Leave a comment

JP| 9.8.10 @ 11:28AM

What is stunning is how such an educated man can be so ignorant. Anyone who pays attention to past weather history can uncover loads of "extreme weather" that preceeded the internal combustion engine.

Every summer for the last half decade there has been rush of scientists to report on the a)End of Winters as We Know Them b)Heat Waves will become the norm and c)The Desertification of the World Has Begun.

Funny how Revkin is mum concerning the harsh Southern Hemisphere Winter of 2010.

Vangel| 9.9.10 @ 10:10AM

"What is stunning is how such an educated man can be so ignorant..."

You may be too trusting of what you read. An educated man looking to make the best living that he can might come to the conclusion that hyping a nonexistent crisis may be the best path over the medium to long term even if he does not believe in it. After the truth is know such an educated man could publish one of those, 'we were lied to' books that tend to make the naive fools who fell for obvious lies better.

This reminds me of the argument about how all those smart people on Wall Street could have made such huge errors and lose so much money. Well, the basic math showed that it was far better for the individuals if they made massive amounts of money quickly even if the risks they took wiped out the companies that they were working for. If by being reckless you could make in two years more than you would in 25 years of working prudently, wouldn't you choose to be reckless? The same is true of our friend, who prefers to rake in cash spreading the message of doom over making far less by telling the truth.

Uncle Wes| 9.8.10 @ 11:29AM

Liberal and Crazy are synonyms. It's what allows them to easily...and almost convincingly...rave and ramble without foundation. It's actually a lot of fun.

Tom Carter| 9.9.10 @ 9:45AM

"Lower reproduction" of the so-called "educated" individuals like Revkin by the radical dogmatists at Columbia, Harvard, Stanford, UCal, etc., would be a very good thing. Revkin, therefore, is simply a product of system he is a part-of.
TLC-Los Alamos

Vangel| 9.9.10 @ 10:21AM

"Revkin, therefore, is simply a product of system he is a part-of."

Let us not forget the market that he serves. There is a lot of money in doom and gloom and if there is a need someone will serve that need.

Andy Revkin| 9.9.10 @ 11:40AM

An amazing bit of blather from Chesser and JP. The point of the piece was that extreme weather is "normal," (did you read the section on Vermont and Ghana's history?), while the *risk* of more frequent heat, drought, flooding could be raised by unrelenting buildup of heat-trapping gases.

The second point highlighted above stands on its own completely independent of a discussion of human-driven global warming. If you rebuild a bridge in Pakistan, say, it'd be wise to be sure it's designed to withstand flash floods. Duh. If you build in the Mississippi floodplain, don't do it with insurance underwritten by taxpayers. Duh.

Kathryn U| 9.9.10 @ 12:00PM

An environmentalist remarked that CO2 dangers are a First World Middle Class Myth.

So...first world middle classers. Let's keep emphasizing the selfishness of procreation. We can implode our population all by ourselves.

Who needs outside enemies?

Hugh K| 9.9.10 @ 12:09PM

"I'm sure the Amazing Revkin's thought experiments on "climate proofing" human endeavors also include limitations on procreation..."

It is a puzzling business model, to say the least, that the NY Times would continue to employ an individual promoting the drastic reduction of potential future subscribers that could ultimately advance its demise.

I'm begining to warm up to the "Amazing" Revkin.

JLK| 9.9.10 @ 12:41PM

How entertaining. Revkin (if it really is him) feels he must reply to this one small website with a few people giving their (anti) Revkin opinions? After all He has a big megaphone from the "Mighty" NY Times!

Are you starting to feel like the soldier assigned a machine gun and a few grenades to hold back the advancing enemy while the rest of your division is allowed to withdraw?
JLK

Jimbo| 9.9.10 @ 3:04PM

Though today’s extremes can’t be reliably attributed to the greenhouse effect, they do give us the feel, sweat and all, of what’s to come if emissions are not reined in.
Like this in 2010?
snow in the Amazon? hundreds of penguins die in Brazil as well as over a million tropical fish.