Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Bill Nye Issues 20K Challenge to Joe Bastardi

Anyone born between 1980-1995 grew up watching Bill Nye the Science Guy either for fun (guilty) or in science class.  Bill had a way of taking something complicated and breaking into simple terms for simple minds to understand.  Recently Bill has been one of main faces of the global warming/climate change.  This is somewhat odd because Bill has a BS in Mechanical Engineering but its a smart play by the liberals.  They know young people know who he is and they know we will listen to his message.

Joe Bastardi on the other hand is the co-chief meteorologist at Weatherbell Analytics.  He has a BS in meteorology from Penn State and spent a long time at AccuWeather.  Joe is known for some excellent long range forecasts and for being a climate skeptic or denier.  I have subscribed to Weatherbell since it opened because Joe and his team look at the weather in a very unique way and I have learned a lot.  Joe is a darling of Fox News and the conservative movement against climate change legislation/action.  Its also been said you can't spell Bastardi without and I and that criticism is valid.  JB has a HUGE EGO. Sometimes Joe thinks he is the only one who can spot a weather pattern 1-2 weeks away and it rubs a lot of people the wrong way.  He probably doesn't get the credit he deserves for some of his forecasts because he is a loud mouth like Joey Porter or Terrell Suggs.

Now 6 years ago Joe and Bill went on O'Reilly and butted heads.  This is a 6 minute video
Bastardi's point on Venus is pretty stupid but overall I score that a victory for JB.  Well that was 6 years ago and Bastardi has been predicting a "triple crown of cooling".  Instead we've had the warmest ocean and some of the warmest years on record.  I admit when I was in college/just out I thought the whole global warming thing was a scam but that was because the other side was calling every single weather event unprecedented and because of global warming.  That was bullshit then and that is bullshit now.  But after gaining experience in the environmental field I've moved to the center on this.  I'm pro renewable energy and I'd like it sooner rather than later.  I want to push for aggressive environmental controls to combat urban flooding, storm surge and other natural disasters.  

Anyway in November JB published this article on the Patriot Post . Read the article.  Now here is Bill Nye's response
Here is what stands out to me.  

1) Bill Nye will be correct on his forecasts

2) Bill Nye blew up Joe's carbon dioxide graph.  Life and land were much different in the past and certainly contributed to the CO2 divergence. 

3) Bill doesn't mention anything about JB's claim that the earth will cool AFTER 2016 and the 20 year period from the late 1990's to late 2010's will be nearly flat on the temperature scale.  

4) JB does futures/commodities forecasting for gas/oil companies and yes has spoke at conferences for them

What does it mean?  I'm not really sure.  I'm actually sick of it to be honest.  Its probably time to kick some people out of the conversation who only bring negativity.  Its time to acknowledge its not just natural changes that are influencing the climate and environment.  Its also time for some to acknowledge that natural climate cycles exist and that they also need to be studied.  There is so much going on in the world and we are already so divided.  The weather doesn't need to be something that divides us.  Let's put some differences aside, admit we are wrong (it feels good) and start solving problems.

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