Point of Inquiry Michael Mann - The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars
Feb 20, 2012
In this discussion, Michael Mann, a prominent climatologist and director at Penn State, shares insights from his new book. He addresses the political attacks on climate science and the alarming issue of disinformation in schools. Mann recounts his journey from a computer scientist to a public advocate for climate action. He highlights the significance of the hockey stick graph and the importance of multiple lines of evidence for human-caused warming. Mann also emphasizes the need for solidarity among scientists and offers advice for younger researchers facing similar attacks.
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Classrooms Targeted By Denial Campaigns
- Mann and other climate scientists expressed sympathy when internal denial-group documents leaked, noting the harm of stolen materials.
- He still finds the revealed plan to insert denial into K–12 classrooms particularly worrying.
Industry Attack Backfires
- A coal industry front group ran radio ads to attack Michael E Mann's Penn State talk and urged cancellation.
- The stunt backfired: the event sold more tickets and book sales spiked after the attack.
Multiple Independent Lines Confirm Warming
- Paleoclimate reconstructions like the hockey stick are one of many lines of evidence for unusual recent warming.
- The strongest pillars are modern observations matched to climate-model predictions that require human greenhouse gases to explain warming.
