Roy Spencer is a climate scientist and skeptic who has published a book titled "Climate Confusion" that argues global warming is not manmade or harmful. He cites 5 main reasons for his skepticism: 1) no recent warming, 2) uncertainty around what causes recent warming, 3) perceived political biases in the IPCC, 4) failure of models to explain past climate, and 5) lack of reliability in model forecasts. However, the book was published by a conservative publisher and Spencer receives funding from ExxonMobil, indicating potential biases.

1. Climate Change
And Its Skeptics

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>.