2. What Is A Skeptic?
• “One who doubts the validity of what claims to be knowledge in
some particular department of inquiry”
• - "sceptic | skeptic, adj. and n." OED Online. Oxford University Press, June
2014. Web. 19 June 2014.
• Roy Spencer- Climate Confusion
• Principle research scientist for University of Alabama; served as senior scientist
for climate studies at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL.
• Awarded the American Meteorological Society’s Special Award
• B.S. in atmospheric sciences from University of Michigan (1978)
• Ph.D. in meteorology from University of Wisconsin-Madison (1980 & 1982)
• FUNDED THINK TANK OPERATIVE- EXXONMOBIL
3. Reasons For Skepticism
• 1. no recent warming
• 2. natural or manmade? If we don’t know how much of recent warming is
natural, then how can we know how much is manmade?
• 3. IPCC politics and beliefs. Since when does a scientist’s beliefs
translate into proof? Only global warming believers are allowed to have a
vote
• 4.climate change was obvious, but they failed to explain it.
• 5. Model forecast? Why believe them when they can’t explain the past?
• -theguardian.com, Dana Nuccitelli, Roy Spencer
4. Source Evaluation
• Climate Confusion is a book written with the purpose of
persuading the reader that global warming is not manmade or
harmful to the environment, was published by Encounter Books (a
conservative-libertarian leaning non-fiction publisher), and was
pretty well organized. It was published in 2009, and Roy Spencer is
an expert in the field; however, he is on a board of directors who
is largely funded by the oil & natural gas company Exxon-Mobil. It
does not have a bibliography, but is useful to the current research
project nonetheless. It seemingly covers the issue of climate
change partially, but the audience is most likely general readers.
5. Bibliography
• "sceptic | skeptic, adj. and n." OED Online. Oxford University
Press, June 2014. Web. 19 June 2014.
• "Climate Science Glossary." Skeptical Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 20
June 2014.
<http://www.skepticalscience.com/skeptic_Roy_Spencer.htm>.
• "FACTSHEET: GEORGE C. MARSHALL INSTITUTE, GMI." . N.p., n.d.
Web. 20 June 2014.
<http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=36>.
