Myth Busting: “In Search Of…” 1970’s “Global Cooling” hype (with video)

[Mugsy]

via "Mugsy's Rap Sheet":

Climate Change deniers love to cite "1970's hysteria" over "Global Cooling" and articles written at the time predicting "the coming ice age". Conservative columnist George Will loves pointing to "Global Cooling" reports in the '70s frequently as a way to ridicule "Climate Change" science today. That's a bit like ridiculing The Internet today because Bill Gates once called it "a passing fad" in his 1999 book "Business at the speed of thought".

I personally am old enough to remember claims of "the coming ice age" in the 70's. I remember reading an except in Readers Digest about The Great Blizzard of 1888, where over 4' of snow (40"-50" inches) fell in the space of one week over New York, New Jersey, and parts of Connecticut. That was but one example given as "proof" the Earth was cooling and we were headed for another ice age ("every 10,000 years" they claimed, thus we were due.)

So I did a little research regarding these "Global Cooling" claims in the 1970's and found some fascinating stuff.

One of my favorite TV shows in the 70's was "In Search Of...", a weekly 1/2 hour pseudo-science series hosted by Leonard Nimoy (of Star Trek fame... which pre-dated me). Among topics like the search for Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster, Season Two included an episode entitled "The Coming Ice Age", of which I found a copy online on the Usenet (binary newsgroups. Don't ask me to explain). The entire basis for the "Global Cooling" argument consisted almost entirely of anecdotal evidence:

<...(Videos and more follow at this point)...>

“Proof”? Forgedaboudit. “Evidence”? There was none to be found. No facts. The “coming ice age” was simply a foregone conclusion.

<...>

As to why we should expect this to happen again…? “We’re due.” We are told repeatedly in the program that there have been “eight ice ages” in our history, and “we know how long between each ice age”, therefore, “we’re simply due”...

Read the full Op/Ed and view the accompanying videos at "Mugsy's Rap Sheet"

[yodoobo]

1. wait a second. You mean as late as 1999 Gates was calling the Internet a fad?

Thats amazing. The bubble was in full swing at that time too.

(sorry to hijack, but that really jumped out at me)

[Dead_Parrot]

3. I'd take that with a whole bunch of salt

It would certainly be funny, but Gates is one of those people who gets made-up quotes attributed to them - I'd want to see some confirmation before I believed it.

Of course, that would mean finding someone who's read it or owns a copy (and will admit to it). Good luck... :)

[Mugsy]

4. A correction is due?

I'm not sure, but I think a correction may be due. Wrong book. Wrong date.

It was likely his earlier book: "The Road Ahead" from 1995. I'll investigate.

[Mugsy]

5. A 1995 press conf?

After MUCH Googling, it appears the comment actually comes from Gates during a 1995 press conference promoting the new "Microsoft Network", which was going head-to-head with CompuServe and AOL.

[yodoobo]

8. ah..that sounds right

Microsoft really didn't "get" the Internet at first - networking was an after thought in much of their products in the early 90's.

1995 still even seems late but I think that is the point why the quote is remembered.

[Dead_Parrot]

2. The guys at Realclimate have also covered this...

See http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2005/01/the-global-cooling-myth/

[Mugsy]

6. Gave you credit.

Thanks for the link. I added it to my Op/Ed and gave you credit.

[seattle_blue]

7. That's funny

When I was growing up my Grandmother would always talk about "the big one" from 1888. She wasn't around yet, but I think she heard her parents talk about it and she just carried on the tradition. Boy she told me so many great stories. By the way. Did every grandparent walk to school in 10" of snow, up hill, both ways?

[Demeter]

9. If You Are Living Through a Michigan Winter These Past Few Years

as I am and have, you are watching over your shoulder for approaching glaciers...

It's cold, even in the summer, now. Climate change doesn't say which way or where.

[zbdent]

10. how much is being made about the fact that snow has to be trucked in

for a place which traditionally would have plenty of snow, to the point that it won the "winter olympics" ...

I did see one mention on the weather channel about how they had to import snow ...

but the big story is about "snowmageddon" ...