Hill Heat: CNBC's Joe Kernen: Climate Science is "Witchcraft"Science Policy Legislation Actiontag:www.hillheat.com,2005:TypoTypo2014-02-27T19:07:28-05:00Brad Johnsonurn:uuid:2fcf69cd-8364-4895-b3fa-c65b9ce3895b2014-02-27T16:06:00-05:002014-02-27T19:07:28-05:00CNBC's Joe Kernen: Climate Science is "Witchcraft"<p>On Thursday’s Squawk Box, <span class="caps">CNBC</span> pundit Joe Kernen claimed that climate science is “<a href='http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/27/joe-kernen-kernen-climate-change-witchcraft_n_4865985.html'>witchcraft</a>” for the conclusion that rising atmospheric <span class="caps">CO2</span> from industrial emissions is increasing the planetary greenhouse effect. Arguing with Andrew Ross Sorkin about the news that <a href='http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2636'>January 2014 was the fourth warmest</a> in recorded history for the planet, Kernen made several factually incorrect claims.</p>
<center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gSie1qXZU94?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>
<p>Kernen said: “The other warmer months were like in the ‘90s. Why would there be a warmer month when <span class="caps">CO2</span> was 30% less in the ‘90s?”</p>
<p>In fact, the other warmer Januaries were in the 2000s: ‘07, ‘02, ‘03, ‘14. Five of the 6 next warmest months were in the ‘00s: ‘10, ‘05, ‘98, ‘04, ‘09, ‘13. 1998 was a warm year because of a very strong El Nino, such that some of the vast amount of heat stored in the oceans was added to the atmosphere.</p>
<p>Carbon dioxide was 10 percent less in the 1990s, not 30 percent less. The global <span class="caps">CO2</span> average for 1990-1999 was 360 ppm, which is 9 percent less than the 2013 annual average of 396.5 ppm. <span class="caps">CO2</span> levels were 26 perecent less than the present day in the 1880s, and the earth was 0.8 C (1.44 F) cooler then.</p>
<p>Kernen has regularly questioned the science of man-made global warming and pilloried scientists and activists as the “eco-taliban.”</p><p>On Thursday’s Squawk Box, <span class="caps">CNBC</span> pundit Joe Kernen claimed that climate science is “<a href='http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/27/joe-kernen-kernen-climate-change-witchcraft_n_4865985.html'>witchcraft</a>” for the conclusion that rising atmospheric <span class="caps">CO2</span> from industrial emissions is increasing the planetary greenhouse effect. Arguing with Andrew Ross Sorkin about the news that <a href='http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2636'>January 2014 was the fourth warmest</a> in recorded history for the planet, Kernen made several factually incorrect claims.</p>
<center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gSie1qXZU94?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>
<p>Kernen said: “The other warmer months were like in the ‘90s. Why would there be a warmer month when <span class="caps">CO2</span> was 30% less in the ‘90s?”</p>
<p>In fact, the other warmer Januaries were in the 2000s: ‘07, ‘02, ‘03, ‘14. Five of the 6 next warmest months were in the ‘00s: ‘10, ‘05, ‘98, ‘04, ‘09, ‘13. 1998 was a warm year because of a very strong El Nino, such that some of the vast amount of heat stored in the oceans was added to the atmosphere.</p>
<p>Carbon dioxide was 10 percent less in the 1990s, not 30 percent less. The global <span class="caps">CO2</span> average for 1990-1999 was 360 ppm, which is 9 percent less than the 2013 annual average of 396.5 ppm. <span class="caps">CO2</span> levels were 26 perecent less than the present day in the 1880s, and the earth was 0.8 C (1.44 F) cooler then.</p>
<p>Kernen has regularly questioned the science of man-made global warming and pilloried scientists and activists as the “eco-taliban.”</p>