The Happer files - This is what a Kangaroo Judge looks like.

This is informational background for an upcoming blog post.

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Dr. William Happer, one time scientist 

and current  master of the art of 

Science by Rhetoric and Malicious Slander.

A closer look, with links and selected quotes from a dozen articles.

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Now that I’m back home, I’ve been working on catch up, starting with the Kerry, Representative Massie exchange during the 4/9/19 House Oversight hearing.  

I learned that Kerry's allusion to Kangaroo Court was inspired by rumors that the infamous cold-warrior William Happer has been elevated to run Trump's climate science review board or whatever it is.  I’ve also found out that Kangaroo Court is an actual legal term.  Check it out,

1. A bogus court, the intention of which is to provide the illusion of a fair justice system where none exists.  (https://legaldictionary.net/kangaroo-court/)

I’m familiar with William Harper’s long history of misrepresenting well understood climate science.  He misleads by way of an amoral disregard for honesty.  

Instead he’s mastered Science by Rhetoric and irrelevant distractions, rather than science by constructively assessing all the known facts in a good-faith learning process.  It’s crazy making and confusion that Happer has dedicated his dotage to.

If a Kangaroo Court is mission focused in complete disregard for reality, then referring to Dr. William Happer as a Kangaroo Judge is a stone sober descriptive, plain and simple. 

To support this contention I offer the following collection of quotes and links from,

Physicist William Happer, the 'Unmoored' Climate Science Denier Heading a White House Climate Probe

          By Graham Readfearn • February 20, 2019

(Happer) Not even giving physicists a bad name!

              Posted on February 16, 2017 by ...and Then There's Physics

Peabody coal's contrarian scientist witnesses lose their court case

             John Abraham | May 2, 2016

Peabody's Outlier Gang Couldn't Shoot Straight In Minnesota Carbon Case, Judge Rebuffs Happer, Lindzen, Spencer, Mendelsohn, Bezdek

             By John Mashey • June 7, 2016

Greenpeace exposes sceptics hired to cast doubt on climate science

              Suzanne Goldenberg, US environment correspondent | December 8, 2015

Exposed: Academics-for-hire agree not to disclose fossil fuel funding

             By Lawrence Carter and Maeve McClenaghan | December 8, 2015 

MacCracken v. Happer: The Real Truth about Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change

              September 21st, 2011 |  Global Warming Denial Machine, 

The Real Truth about Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change: Paragraph-by-Paragraph Comments on an Article by Dr. William Happer

              Michael C. MacCracken, Ph.D. |  September 2011

Serving up a NOAA-thing burger

             Gavin Schmidt @ 9 February 2017

FOXLEAKS: Fox boss ordered staff to cast doubt on climate science

             BEN DIMIERO ››› December 15, 2010

BS Science: Climate Change Denial

             by Jeremiah Tattersall  |  April 28, 2011

Skeptical Science Blog Posts regarding Dr William Happer

• Schmitt and Happer manufacture doubt
•         Posted on 15 May 2013 by Dumb Scientist
• Lindzen, Happer, and Cohen Wall Street Journal Rerun
•         Posted on 22 August 2012 by dana1981
• Yes Happer and Spencer, Global Warming Continues
•         Posted on 3 April 2012 by dana1981
• Yes Happer and Spencer, Global Warming Continues
•         Posted on 3 April 2012 by dana1981
• The Latest Denialist Plea for Climate Change Inaction
•         Posted on 31 January 2012 by dana1981
• Even Princeton Makes Mistakes
•         Posted on 26 May 2011 by Chris Colose

A striking resemblance between testimony for Peabody Coal and for Ted Cruz

             John Abraham  |  January 20, 2016 

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Physicist William Happer, the 'Unmoored' Climate Science Denier Heading a White House Climate Probe

By Graham Readfearn • February 20, 2019

Examining William Happer, Fraudster Against Humanity

Anonymous12/12* (Veizer?) ignored the information I shared, instead he came at me with the following,

“CC wrote: “You can start here: The Band Saturation Effect - New Modtran Model 1 http://www.kaltura.com/index.php/extwidget/preview/partner_id/1090132/uiconf_id/20652192/entry_id/1_etyzlvw7/embed/auto?" 

*My reply. - Will Happer is far more qualified in this area and one of those annoying sceptics too.” 

I’ve even read claims that William Happer is ‘the authority’ that provides the scientific basis that could be used to challenge the EPA’s endangerment finding of the atmospheric pollutant CO₂.  

Curiously, this Republican “authority” on climate science, has never studied the topic, nor done any research in the ‘area’ of climate sciences, nor presented any serious scientific papers on any aspect of the topic!

William Happer used to be a recognized authority in the relatively simplistic area of atomic physics, optics and spectroscopy.  But, that’s the end of it!  

Happer’s education and experience is totally inadequate for understanding complex global system science!    As I detail in this review.

What Happer has is that astounding Republican amorality and chutzpah, he’s good at fighting dirty and rhetorical fancy dancing, not to mention he’s politically extremely right wing and proud of it.  Oh have I mentioned William Happer receives retirement income from the coal industry?  

Shhhh, it’s a secret:

https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/watch-industry-funded-climate-denier-goes-off-on-camera-lies-about-fossil-fuel-funding/

Someone with such passionate political interests can never be an unbiased reviewer of science.  But all that honesty integrity sort of thing seems out of fashion these days. 

Happer is a political advocate, a salesman for his product.  Truth and learning about this Earth is the last thing on his mind.  Yet they should have been the first things on ours.  

In the following I consider Happer’s own words and compare them to the backdrop of readily available current scientific understanding.  As usual you’ll find many links to further supporting information along with an appendix of relevant articles and videos at the end of this examination of Dr. Happer’s public claims.

Let's Debate William Happer's CO2 Delusion

Anonymous12/12  (Veizer?) inspired me to take on Mr. CO2 Coalition's Dr. William Happer by examining his "Carbon Dioxide Benefits the World - talking points”. 

As I was finishing my closing to part one of that review, it occurred to me this was turning into a good stand alone declaration and invitation, why bury it?  The review itself to be posted shorty:

Closing thoughts regarding Happer's Carbon Dioxide Benefits the World.

In the final analysis Dr. Happer and Republican climate science myths are deluded nonsense. 

Projecting a comic book image of our Earth, one driven by willful ignorance, corporate power-politics and self-interested avarice with a sociopathic disregard for humanity; this biosphere we depend on; and the future.  

Educationally, it’s pure garbage!  Nothing in it is serious science or objective information.

I defy any Dr. Happer fan to engage in an honest open constructive fact-based debate, that can intelligently dispute my claims.  

Bullying, threats, dirty tricks can shut down the discuss, but can you come up with serious honest arguments and evidence?  

Can you teach anything constructive? Can you learn anything from new information?

So, what is the deal with Earth and climate and CO₂ and current events?

Part 2: Examining William Happer, Fraudster Against Humanity

The Depravity of Climate Science Denial

Global Warming: Happer’s Neglected Facts

Risking civilization for profit, ideology and ego.

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Global Warming: Happer’s Neglected Facts

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(Feb. 9th - Silly me.  I was actually expecting my bud Anonymous 12/12 (Veizer?) to check back the way he promised.  Ready to engage in some serious debate.  But alas, another self-certain loud mouth runs for cover - and since I'm very busy and to be honest literally sick of our current political situation in particular the Democrats continued utter ineptness, this exercise in futility is off the burner again.  The sense of abandonment and hopelessness, along with the terror of what's coming next - because it certainly will be uglier than anything America's white bread liberals can imagine, if current trends are allowed to continue - is getting too heavy.

And no one is out there trying to really engage and network, beyond boosting membership counts.  If we aren't changing minds, we are losing!

To inform and empower and engage, nothing, nothing, nothing, while the Trumpsters are running circles around us with their reality fabrication machine.  It's enough to drive an empathetic observant thoughtful person into the sick bed.  Thus I need to pull my focus in toward what I do have a little bit of control over, my day to day, the people and commitments in my life, and to savor the little time of peace and happiness we have left.)

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First, Crucial Facts Republicans and Happer Neglect:

Climate change: Where we are in seven charts

By Nassos Stylianou, Clara Guibourg, Daniel Dunford, Lucy Rodgers, David Brown and Paul Rincon  |  January 14, 2020

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46384067

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STATE OF THE CLIMATE

State of the climate: Heat across Earth’s surface and oceans mark early 2019

Zeke Hausfather   |  April 23, 2019 |

https://www.carbonbrief.org/state-of-the-climate-heat-across-earths-surface-and-oceans-mark-early-2019

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The Trump administration says the climate will warm by a disastrous amount — and there are few plans to address it

Jeremy Berke Oct 1, 2018

https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-administration-climate-will-warm-by-7-degrees-by-2100-2018-10

• A report released by the Trump Administration said the climate is going to warm by 7 degrees Farenheit by 2100.
• The report was written to justify President Trump's decision to freeze federal gas-mileage standards for cars and light trucks by 2020.
• The predicted effects of climate change, including increased flooding associated with hurricanes, wildfires, and heat waves are already becoming a reality.

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A Grave Climate Warning, Buried on Black Friday

ROBINSON MEYER  |  NOVEMBER 23, 2018

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/11/national-climate-assessment-black-friday/576589/

In a massive new report, federal scientists contradict President Trump and assert that climate change is an intensifying danger to the United States. Too bad it came out on a holiday. …

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Happer says: Most research that tries to project future climate has focused on developing and applying complex computer models that attempt to simulate the Earth’s climate system. 

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Right.  Computer models are powerful.  Think about it, they can even build passenger jet planes.  All sorts of complex modern marvels are totally dependent on “computer modeling,” it’s not to be dismissed.

Those models are filled with increasingly precise information, precise enough to make air to air missiles a reality.  The experts really do know a thing or two that the likes of Happer simply disregard. 

"Who Says CO₂ Heats Up Our Planet?" 

Worse, Republicans don’t want to learn!

Kerry v Massie, A Study in Democratic Party Failure. April 9, 2019

We must learn from our failures!  Case in point John Kerry’s implosion under Congressman Massie’s deliberately cynical and distracting questioning on April 9, 2019.  Here I propose an alternative version of how that exchange could have been turned into a winning moment for rationalism, constructive learning and honest science, rather than descending into the waste of precious time it turned into.

It takes more than superficially knowing climate science bullet points.  You need to internalize the understanding behind those bullet points.  This is impossible without a deep appreciation for our climate engine’s evolutionary story.  

You must also anticipate the GOP’s repetitive juvenile misdirection and the rhetorical dirty tricks they have honed to perfection over the decades.

{This is also an open letter that I sent off on May 3rd to 

GOP Massie’s three offices.  It begins with the following.}

Honorable US Representative Thomas Massie, 

I am an engaged student of Earth Sciences and since our global heat and moisture distribution engine, read climate system, dictates global environments, climate sciences has become central to my pursuit of understanding our beautiful magnificent Earth and her life story.  I’m simply a student, but I’ve been at it five decades now, so I know a thing or two.

I believe in constructive honest debate as opposed to theatrical political debate.  This exercise is a combination of sincere letter to you where I answer the questions you raised, in the hope you learn something;   > a direct challenge and examination of your malicious rhetorical games;   > along with an examination of Secretary John Kerry’s text book example of why Democrats keep losing;  > and of course, as always, a personal learning project.

Incidentally, it’s worth pointing out that it requires a serious appreciation for our planet’s deep-time evolution, a prerequisite, before any true understanding of our global heat and moisture distribution engine is possible.  I build my presentation around the video of your April 9th performance. 

A response would be appreciated.

Sincerely, 

Peter Miesler

aka Citizenschallenge

near Durango, Colorado

{I suspect GOP's Congressman Massie will hide, they aways do, but should I get a response I’ll be sure to share it here.}

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DSi2gzIkHM

Anonymous12/12 (Veizer?) drops by with more complaints.

I received some more comments from Anonymous12/12 yesterday.  Same games, so once again his comments get rejected.  Though, I’m certainly not going to ignore them because they so perfectly represent what rational people are up against and what I’m trying to write about.  

Anonymous12/12’s three comments offer another good vehicle for me to try to convey what I’ve learned from decades of listening to the disingenuous contrarian monologue.  Mostly I’m addressing Anonymous12/12, but occasionally I switch my attention to readers, all of it is food for thought.  The embedded images show that I haven’t changed any of his words.  

What's the point.

Dissect the debate, understand what they are going to come at you with.
  
Be prepared! 

(latest edit Jan 5, near midnight)

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Unknown at 11:56 AM  (2/3)

(click on image)

Peter, Firstly happy new year to you. 

Hopefully less insults hypocrisy about insults 

when there have been many more from your side*. 

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*I think not!

The irony of your type complaining about hypocrisy isn’t lost on me.  

Yes, I did say your previous comment typified the behavior of an Intellectual Juvenile Delinquent.  After reading these comments, I see nothing has changed. 

You continue exhibiting a certain thuggish behavior.  
Why not respect my rules?

I’m ready for a serious dialogue, but you aren’t offering one, you have games on your mind.

A good faith dialogue is upfront and with a free exchange of information and references done in plain english.  That said, I will share your comments on my terms and with appropriate commentary.

_______________________________________________

Can you please send a copy of the interaction between 14 scientists and the work of Drs Shaviv & Veizer the link isn’t working. 

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Send a copy?  Sure, give me an email address.

Or you could look for yourself: https://stephenschneider.stanford.edu/Climate/Climate_Science/Contrarians.html  (the following is a fraction of what you can find over there.)

Confront GOP Massie’s pseudoscience insinuation. 4/9/19

Considering John Kerry’s Failure to Communicate with and Confront GOP.

I made these remarks after finishing a review of some deceptive opining by Mike Hulme.  

It occurs to me I'd like to share the same message over here

since I seriously am looking for someone to work for.

citizenschallenge - at - gmail com

Watching GOP Rep. Thomas Massie April 9th questioning of John Kerry I was struck by how much Massie’s questioning and attitude resembled a smug entitled middle schooler, gotcha games and all.  It was laughable.  If not for the societal tragedy of having such a know-nothing in such a position of power.

That’s why I vowed to give his little theater a closer look when I could.  Now I can and of course it turns out more convoluted and time consuming than expected.  Instead of the single post I had originally envisioned, I’m going to have to go with installments.  

My first post was a closer look at the person who was at the heart of Massie's “pseudoscience” word play.  Namely, Trump’s climate “brain trust” the infamous William Happer a man who’s a firm believer in taxes being more important than truthfully understanding climate science.  A one time physicist who in old age hires himself out to attack active scientists.  

William Happer is motivated by extreme right wing political passions and a paycheck.  He is the poster boy of a Professional Pseudoscientist if there ever was one. 

That collection serves as supporting information for this second installment where I’ll focus on Rep Massie’s bizarre and basically unhinged insinuation that climate science is pseudoscience.  

As for Massie’s middle school gotcha game with Kerry, it was smoke’n mirrors.  But that’s just fine for the Republicans.  Confusion and inaction are their goals.

Kerry was the pathetic failure in that he didn’t have the wherewithal to turn the table on Massie.  Use the moment to switch to kindergarten mode.  Treat Massie as the kindergartener intellect that he is!  Then very carefully respond to Massie cynical questions.  

For instance, the fact that Kerry wasn’t sharing his opinion, he was sharing the well known Considered Expert Opinion, which is widely available. 

Publicly enunciate how Massie was simply playing a cynical game of diversion.  Point out that Massie didn’t have anything substantive to offer. 

Pruitt - Dr. Alley Explains Role of CO2 in Atmosphere's Evolution.

Based on the most up to date understanding, Richard Alley explains the fascinating interplay between geologic and chemical forces and how that directly influences our atmosphere's greenhouse properties and thus controls what will thrive in Earth's biosphere.

There are so many folds within folds of complexity that a talk or two doesn't do the topic justice, so I'm going to continue focusing on Deep-time and the evolution of Earth's atmosphere.  Here I present an excellent talk by Professor Alley, who earned his PhD in 1987.  Since then he’s established himself as a giant in the field of ice core studies and Paleoclimatology, having written over 240 refereed scientific publications, along with countless articles, and by now probably hundreds of engaging talks sharing his ever growing understanding with the lay public.  

This one was given at the National Academy of Sciences 152nd Annual Meeting and Symposium—Earths, Moons, Mars & Stars.  Below the fold I include notes and post many of his slides to help you fully appreciate the Professor's story.

National Academy of Science's member Richard Alley presents 

On 4.6 Billion Years of Earth’s Climate History: The Role of CO₂ 

http://www.nasonline.org/news-and-multimedia/video-gallery/152nd-annual-meeting/symposium.html

National Academy of Sciences

Published on Jun 1, 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujkcTZZlikg

Professor Richard Alley:

“You will meet people who say, ‘we are just telling stories,’ and no we aren’t.  
We actually will generate hypotheses, that lead to new measurements, 
that lead to new samples, that are taken specifically for hypothesis testing.”    

 Dr. Alley presents the scientific process in action, 

developing an internally consistent understanding:

Index for Confronting Science Contrarians, citizenschallenge

Lets close out 2019 with an index of previous posts.  

Happy New Year (what a shame it rings more hollow than in times past.)  

A healthy democracy requires and informed and engaged citizenry.

My Mission Statement:

We The People have a moral ethical right - along with a pragmatic need - to learn what scientists have learned about this planet's biosphere and climate engine without constant dishonest crossfire.     

We should not tolerate serious scientists always being drown out by amoral, dishonest and frankly ignorant arguments - that an astoundingly ruthless PR factory repeats over and over again, without ever learning a damned thing from the evidence in front of us.       ( email @ citizenschallenge gmail com )

Confronting Science Contrarians BLOG ARCHIVE:

Pageant of Earth's Evolution (in 24hr) part one

Pageant of Earth's Evolution (in 24hr) part two

• ▼  2019 (83)
• ▼  December (7)
• Diary, 12/25/2019 - Rhetorical Jujutsu, case in point
• Questioning the Geologic Column. Mind over Matter.
• Examining an Intellectual Juvenile Delinquent, "Anonymous", Dec 12, 2019
• Bringing it back to Earth Centrism
• Pageant of Earth's Evolution (in 24hr) part two
• Introduction to Cc's Pageant of Evolution project.
• Pageant of Earth's Evolution (in 24hr) part one