ROTHBARD AND DRIESSEN: U.N.'s threat to biodiversity - Washington Times

First, there is no scientific basis for claims that hundreds or even thousands of species are at risk. Up to half of all species could go extinct by 2100, insists global-warming alarmist James Hansen, because of climate change, “unsustainable” hydrocarbon use, human population growth and economic development. Fortunately, there is no factual basis for such hysterical claims.

Of 191 bird and mammal species recorded as having gone extinct since 1500, 95 percent were on islands, where humans and human-introduced predators and diseases wrought the destruction, notes ecology consultant Craig Loehle. On continents, just six bird and three mammal species were driven to extinction, and no bird or mammal species in recorded history is known to have gone extinct because of climate change.

The massive species losses claimed by Mr. Hansen, Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund and others are based on extrapolations from the island extinction rates - fed into virtual-reality computer models that assume rising carbon-dioxide levels will raise planetary temperatures so high that plants and animals will be exterminated. That is nonsense.

Second, the greatest threats to species are the very policies and programs being advocated in Rio. Those policies would ban fossil fuels; greatly increase renewable energy use; reduce jobs and living standards in rich nations; and perpetuate poverty, disease, death and desperation in poor countries.

Twitter / MichaelEMann: Important article by IU sc

Important article by IU science philosophy expert Elisabeth Lloyd on "...debates about satellite data & climate models" http://bit.ly/LZ9qqm