Michael Shellenburger: MA In Anthropology; GOP House Climate Witness; Climate Hack And Liar
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The other four witnesses at that hearing included two medical doctors who spoke about the way climate impacts such as extreme heat and related air pollution from fossil fuels are literally killing Americans. Shellenberger used his testimony to argue that “climate alarmism” is creating mental health problems among young people and that concerns around climate change are largely overblown.
“My concern is with the gross misrepresentation of the best available science that is having these severe mental health impacts,” Shellenberger said in response to questioning from Ranking Member Rep. James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky. Shellenberger said climate change is in no way a crisis or emergency and that “it is not even our most severe environmental problem.” That stands in contrast to the 2019 statement from more than 11,000 scientists around the world declaring “clearly and unequivocally that planet Earth is facing a climate emergency.” Shellenberger has no training in medicine or climate science, holding a Master's Degree in Anthropology.
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Shellenberger defends his claim by arguing there is a difference in the technical definitions of “natural disasters” versus “extreme weather.” But as climate journalist Amy Westervelt wrote in a recent article on Shellenberger and his new book, “It’s hard to believe Shellenberger, as a lifelong comms guy, doesn’t know exactly what impression the line ‘climate change is not making natural disasters worse’ leaves with the vast majority of people, most of whom know nothing of the detailed differences between how scientists or the UN define extreme weather and natural disasters.” In other words, Shellenberger’s claims seem to be misleading. “Yes, Shellenberger cherry-picked some data points,” Westervelt wrote. “And yes, he occasionally makes breathtaking leaps in logic and leaves big gaps in the story.”
This approach of cherry picking and leaving gaps has been a tactic of climate science deniers for years, and these deniers and skeptics, including Republican members of Congress, are now actively promoting Shellenberger and his message of dismissing the severity of the climate crisis. As Westervelt notes, his approach turns “what could have been an intelligent critique of some prized environmental darlings … into a rambling screed embraced by climate skeptics.” And while Shellenberger’s arguments may resonate with many Republicans in Congress, Dr. Michael Greenstone, the University of Chicago economist who has recently published research on climate and health impacts, explained during the House Oversight hearing that these arguments in effect distract from what the real economic and scientific data on climate project.
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https://www.desmogblog.com/2020/08/06/michael-shellenberger-republican-star-witness-climate-hearings
