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The Forum > Article Comments > We should prepare for climate change: Professor Bob Carter 1942-2016 > Comments

We should prepare for climate change: Professor Bob Carter 1942-2016 : Comments

By Jennifer Marohasy, published 21/1/2016

Professor Carter did not like the term sceptic, he considered himself a rationalist, and popular usage of the term 'climate change' a tautology.

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Jennifer,

Thank you for posting this wonderful tribute to Bob Carter and excellent explanation of what he stood for.

Bob Carter did an enormous amount to help save us all from stupidity. He was one of four non-climate scientists who convinced Senator Steve Fielding (the only engineer in Australia’s Parliament at the time) that the climate scientists’ projections of catastrophic human caused global warming were not based on sound objective, analysis of the relevant evidence and were highly suspect. This was the beginnings of the undoing of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Environment Minister Penny Wong and the advocates for the ‘Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme’ and later Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s Carbon Tax.

Thank you Bob Carter for helping to bring some rational, objective analysis to the debate. Thank you for the long view you brought to the debate that only geologists can bring. Thank you for so much!

I'd also like to encourage those who didn't agree with Bob carter to be respectful. I'll copy below a comment I read on a web site yesterday:

"This is indeed a sad loss.

If I might make an observation here, when a senior politician from any Party passes away, there are tributes from both sides of the political fence. While alive, that politician was on one side, and the other side opposed everything he may have said or done, and yet when he dies, their praise for the ….. man he was is always forthcoming.

It would seem that in this case here, those who were on the opposite side to Professor Carter either do not know of his passing, (which I doubt) or are just not observing the niceties here.

Not a word form any of them, not even from those who were once on the same team as he was, those at JCU.

Their silence says more about them than it does about Professor Carter, who was always a gentleman."
Posted by Peter Lang, Thursday, 21 January 2016 9:43:31 AM
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A fitting tribute, Jennifer. Well said.

Perhaps some of the bed-wetting kidults who think we are all frying up commenting here could read some of Bob's published work or listen to him on video clips and learn about real climate science from a real climate scientist.

Unlikely, I know, but stranger things have happened.
Posted by Captain Col, Thursday, 21 January 2016 9:58:57 AM
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I am extremely sorry that we have lost one of the few qualifed people in Australia who knew what he was talking about when it came to climate change. His contributions should never be forgotten. When, finally, the idiots are proven wrong, as they will be, that will be a fitting memorial to him - one which should be appropriately celebrated.
Posted by ttbn, Thursday, 21 January 2016 10:29:28 AM
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Professor Bob Carter made some useful contributions to geological studies of Australia and its surrounds. I particularly liked his linking with Astronomy and his work to discredit young earth creationist.
He actually took them to court at one stage.

@Captain col aka Runner calling people who dis agree with you bedwetters says a lot about you. Reading a couple of sentences into any of your posts confirms it.
Posted by Cobber the hound, Thursday, 21 January 2016 11:13:16 AM
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I think it is always a sad time when we lose a scientist that was prepared to speak his mind in the public forum. Right or wrong, he contributed to the debate.

I am not surprised that many who disagreed with him have not commented, as this is pretty recent news to many. I have only learned of Prof. Bob Carters death today.

Also, why would anyone want to respond to those who would use his death as a chance to call their opponents names and further their own political agenda?
Posted by Bugsy, Thursday, 21 January 2016 11:20:15 AM
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Good to see you have some nice words about Bob, Cobber, but not a sausage about his real struggle against the bedwetters in climate change. What are your views about Bob's contribution in that field? I think he was a giant.

What would be your views of the James Cook University where Bob was professor for 30 odd years, not having the decency to even note his passing? I think it's disgraceful. The JCU disowned Bob because of his science (he insisted he didn't have opinions) and shut him out. They even spelled it out.

Because his "views on climate change did not fit well within the School's own teaching and research activities" So much for James Cook University's commitment to genuine scholarly inquiry.

Those and their supporters are the bedwetters. Any comments?
Posted by Captain Col, Thursday, 21 January 2016 12:03:24 PM
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Thanks Jennifer for your fine tribute to a great man, great scientist, great communicator and delightful lunch and dinner guest. If Universities were staffed with more Bob Carters, the world would be a better place. He searched for truth when promoting lies was more remunerative.
He was a true gentleman in every sense of the meaning. May his life continue to inspire others who seek the truth in their scientific endeavours.
Posted by John McRobert, Thursday, 21 January 2016 1:35:25 PM
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Is this just for tributes or did the man find something no other scientist has found, all we have established is the man was a truth seeker, so what did he find truth in.
Posted by 579, Thursday, 21 January 2016 1:56:17 PM
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Climate has always changed, it has from one day to the next. Climate Change is far more than an answer that is farcical. Co2 promotes plant growth, of course it does, as long as it stays at ground level it will hurt no one.
Professor bob probably had his good times before climate change became a danger. All Professors are seen as radical, it is the nature of being over educated.
Climate change is going to take as long to explain as climate change is with us. To go against every other scientist as if they do not exist is dangerous. Co2 in the atmosphere happened long before man walked on earth. Volcanic eruptions probable cause of climate change, man putting co2 into the atmosphere a probable cause of climate change.
To outright dismiss Co2 as a climate change substance is dangerous. Sorry but I can not go along with prof: Bob. As do nothing is not an option.
Temperatures have not risen, as sea water absorbs most of it we should be thankful.
Ice pack’s getting thicker is a direct contradiction to every piece of proven science that is not the case. More sea ice is a direct result of fresh water freezing before salt water freezes.
Lets be fairdinkum at least.
Posted by 579, Thursday, 21 January 2016 2:50:24 PM
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I'm constantly amazed at the anti climate change lobby. And given his views and prognostications. I number Professor Bob in that camp?

I'll agree that an ETS is just not a good idea, given the amount of rorts and rip offs evidenced in some of the operating models?

Even so, there is real money and quite massive economic growth to be had in sensibly decarbing our economy!

So why all the fsus and hyperbole and hyperventilating?

Even so, I respect Bob for the courage of conviction he always brought to the table, even where I disagreed with his views or analysis.
Rhrosty.
Posted by Rhrosty, Thursday, 21 January 2016 4:03:19 PM
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Thank you, Jennifer for an excellent summary of the views of a valued member of our community. His contribution to science will be with us for a long time to come.
He was unassuming and tolerant, and bore the scurrilous attacks of the ignorant quite cheerfully. It is a privilege to have known Bob Carter.
Posted by Leo Lane, Thursday, 21 January 2016 9:14:41 PM
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Professor Carter's statement:

"Irritatingly, especially for governments, science does not operate by consensus and it is often best progressed by mavericks."

should be remembered long by those who claim X thousands of scientists agreeing on climate change is some sort of proof.
Posted by plantagenet, Friday, 22 January 2016 7:29:17 AM
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Denying everything is no proof, blind freddy can see change is happening and rather quickly. This has been talked about for 22 years, time that has been lost.
I get my information from the NASA site, which is cutting edge science, I do not like the word skeptic, it puts me straight off.
We must believe in the best science on offer, and not believe somehow it will correct itself. Man has come a long way and sometimes made a mess of our atmosphere. We are battling with a compromise of nature. Man has created what volcanic action caused in times gone by.
Alternate science has not satisfactorily found any other source for climate change, Co2 is the most prevalent and causing chain reactions to occur
Posted by 579, Friday, 22 January 2016 8:11:54 AM
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What has been denied, 579?
The fraud promoters have no science to deny. Refer me to science which shows any measurable effect of human emissions on climate.
Forget the laboratory science on CO2. If that worked in practice, we would not have had a cessation of global warming over 18 years ago.
Why do you not read the Climategate emails, 579, and stop talking nonsense?
Posted by Leo Lane, Friday, 22 January 2016 12:02:23 PM
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Blind Freddy Human emissions that are causing climate change are very well documented. Co2 is a known climate changer for the past 150 years. So what else would you like to know
Posted by 579, Friday, 22 January 2016 1:09:11 PM
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You have made your ignorance of science quite clear 579.
Bob Carter summed up the science in 2009, and nothing has changed since then, other than him continually being proved right:

“, the hard reality is that after twenty years of intensive research effort, and great expenditure, no convincing empirical evidence exists that the human effect on climate (which is undeniable locally) adds up to a measurable global signal.
Rather, it seems that the human global signal is small and lies submerged deeply within the noise and variability of the natural climate system”.
http://www.quadrant.org.au/magazine/issue/2009/4/a-new-policy-direction-for-climate-change
There is no science to back your statements 579, which can only stem from ignorance or dishonesty. Care to clarify for us whether you are ignorant or dishonest? We cannot tell simply from your baseless incorrect statements.
Posted by Leo Lane, Friday, 22 January 2016 10:07:54 PM
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I'm sure it is comforting to Bob Carter's family that he still had supporters as found in this comment's column and with the author. But the truth is, what Carter said was largely rubbish and the university was right not to renew his contract. It should have taken his title of 'Professor' away too because that title should only be associated with those that seek the genuine truth and not push an ideological barrow. My sympathies to his family and friends, but Carter will not be missed by the rest of us.
Posted by popnperish, Saturday, 23 January 2016 9:02:09 AM
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may Bob's family find peace from the only true Peacegiver. True science based on truth will stand, the rest will be another example of men's fololish pride now disregarded. Bob was largely right about the gw fraud totally wrong about Creation.
Posted by runner, Saturday, 23 January 2016 9:23:38 AM
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Skepticism is a means of pushing ones own barrow, for reasons only known to themselves. Prof Bob was discredited by persons further up the chain than anybody here.
Birds of a feather as someone sayd. That does not mean bobs wisdom was correct.
Since when has skepticism been taken seriously, If the man had significant findings he would be best served explaining it to real science. And not publishing in skeptic science. Only useful to like minded persons.
Skeptics and conspiracists, a very close match are in a world of their own, and cannot be verified by science or normal people.
Throughout history the world has gone through serious changes, none of which can not be explained, ice ages match with huge spikes in Co2 as shown in ice core samples. This time it is mans fault for emitting massive amounts of Co2 into the atmosphere 24 hours / day for 150 years.
In days gone by Volcanic action was the culprit for climate change, it can happen again on top of mans wisdom.
Nature can only handle so much, the balance is critical, and nature has been compromised, congratulations.
Posted by 579, Saturday, 23 January 2016 10:10:07 AM
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'Skepticism is a means of pushing ones own barrow' really 579 and truth means the fact of the matter. It seems you know very little fact.
Posted by runner, Saturday, 23 January 2016 10:28:59 AM
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Runner.
Aren’t we best served by real science that only releases statements of fact rather than a barrage of stories that may be the case.
I am far to realistic to put faith into skeptical or conspiracy theories , I believe in best science. I never was a gambler.
The science of Climate Change is ongoing and always will be, we have never been through this before, not recorded history at least.
So try to understand that science is doing its best for all of us, without the maybe scenarios. There is no one solution, every experiment has to be replicated before anything is conclusive.
Posted by 579, Saturday, 23 January 2016 12:09:22 PM
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Your ignorance is amazing, popnperish, even for a dedicated fraud supporter like you.. What you say is rubbish, unless you are able to refer us to science which shows a measurable effect of human activity on global climate. The human effect is trivial, and not measurable.
Show us where anything that Carter said is not scientifically correct.
Fraud supporters , like you, asserted that the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere would cause increased global warming at the very time when global warming stopped, over 18 years ago.
Carbon dioxide is a minor greenhouse gas, and does not determine the global temperature. The laboratory science upon which people like you rely, has been shown empirically, not to work
Posted by Leo Lane, Saturday, 23 January 2016 12:51:37 PM
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Global warming stopped 18 years ago, not even santa clause will believe that one. Big Changes are under way to try and put an end to rising Co2 emmittions.
So sit tight and enjoy the ride, no doubt it is going to become quite radical in terms of weather extremes while we try to reverse the effects of man made climate change. Albeit 22 years to late. That probably means if we can cut our concentration down to 1960 levels tomorrow it will take another 40 years to get a reversal of severe weather extremes.
Posted by 579, Saturday, 23 January 2016 2:03:38 PM
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579 said:
[…] blind freddy can see change is happening and rather quickly.[…]

Perhaps you could point it out on this chart then.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lPGChYUUeuc/VLhzJqwRhtI/AAAAAAAAAS4/ehDtihKNKIw/s1600/GISTemp%2BKelvin%2B01.png

579 said:
[…] I do not like the word skeptic, it puts me straight off. […]

That’s a bit of a problem then given scepticism a cornerstone of science.
Perhaps science isn’t for you.
Posted by Dustin, Saturday, 23 January 2016 9:59:08 PM
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Global mean temp; tells the story. With Climate Change it means just that, winters are varied beyond normal and summers are varied beyond normal. So global mean temp; is not a true indicator of anything.
Most change is seen in the northern hemisphere, more so than the southern hemisphere at the moment. Greenland and Arctic ice melt has no doubt got to do with that. Even higher sea level rise is experienced in the northern hemisphere. Even the last ice age was mostly confined to the northern parts of the world.
The upsizing of weather extremes, hotter fires, and deeper floods, and colder and more intense snow storms. The world is in the grip of climate change.
The NASA site is a wealth of information as the science is analysed and concluded, without the need for skepticism.
Posted by 579, Sunday, 24 January 2016 8:15:33 AM
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When it comes to claims the earth is overheating it is perhaps worth taking a few minutes for a reality check. Have you checked local rainfall and temperature records? That global mean temp is a statistic derived from homogenised data and complex algorithms. What about just looking at local maximum temperatures back 100 years. Do they show a similar trend, or not, to the data at the NASA website? What about sea level rise? Can you see any evidence of sea level rise at your favourite and/or local beach?
Posted by Jennifer, Sunday, 24 January 2016 1:00:54 PM
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It is no use giving 579 sensible advice, Jennifer. He has no desire to be sensible, and has not yet clarified whether he is an ignoramus or a liar. He supports the global warming fraud, so he is one or the other, or both. He says he obtains the nonsense in his posts from NASA.
Since the climate fraud James Hansen left NASA, the front man became Gavin Schmidt, who has the quaint and unscientific notion that global warming has not stopped. Roy Spencer is involved with the satellite measuring of global temperature, and assures us that global warming has stopped. Schmidt was invited to debate the issue with Spencer, but”climate communicator Gavin Schmidt is afraid to discuss global warming on-camera with Roy Spencer”
http://tomnelson.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/don-miss-this-absurd-ballet-as-award.html
So 579 obtains his nonsense from a science lacking loser. It appears highly likely that he makes up some of the nonsense, as it is too ridiculous even for Schmidt
Posted by Leo Lane, Sunday, 24 January 2016 11:35:18 PM
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Jennifer.
Doesn’t look like you are going to get any advancement on anything except, descending into abusive language when all else fails.
I am glad the world has decided to push forth with a global clean up.
Posted by 579, Monday, 25 January 2016 6:43:59 AM
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This is the solar plant that fries birds and needs to be supplemented by burning gas to reach operational output?

Although solar heat emission only varies by a small amount, other changes occur during a solar cycle - changes in emissions of other parts of the spectrum and changes in magnetic flux. These influence the climate. This influence is demonstrated by the historical link between sunspot cycles and changes in the earth's climate - e.g. the 'little ice age' which occurred during a period of low sunspot activity.
Posted by Gerard, Monday, 25 January 2016 10:01:02 AM
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The standard response of a fraud supporter, like 579, when he hears the truth about himself. He disingenuously describes it as:” descending into abusive language “. A true description of his output as science deficient and untruthful, is considered by 579 to be abusive. He never responds with science or rational assertions, but as a fraud supporter there is nothing available to him but baseless complaints.
Reminiscent of Michael Mann, the “hockey stick” fabricator, who sues people for calling him a fraud, then works hard to prevent the matter from coming to Court, where the evidence will be considered, and a decision given as to whether it is permissible to describe Mann as a fraud. The last thing a fraud supporter wants.
What do you mean by this nonsensical statement, 579:” I am glad the world has decided to push forth with a global clean up.” ?
Posted by Leo Lane, Monday, 25 January 2016 11:47:37 AM
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the alarmist again with egg (sorry snow) all over their face in the US, Japan and other everywhere else they made idiotic scare predictions. Facts again uncovering the stupidity of those recently having a luv fest in Paris.
Posted by runner, Monday, 25 January 2016 9:14:28 PM
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At least 579 has retired from the field, relieving us of any more science deficient nonsense in support of the climate fraud.
Good to see the back of you, 579. One less fraud supporter to waste space here.
His last shot, I think, was an expression of faith that the Paris lie-fest would have an effect. Fortunately, the “targets” are not enforceable, so any damage, from the Paris nonsense, is unlikely.
Posted by Leo Lane, Tuesday, 26 January 2016 9:21:37 AM
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Jennifer,
"When it comes to claims the earth is overheating it is perhaps worth taking a few minutes for a reality check."
I agree completely. A reality check is the quickest way to discredit the claims of fraudsters like Leo. Do you agree that the 2015 temperatures have conclusively disproved the claim that global warming has stopped? It would've been interesting to hear what Bob Carter would've said about it had he survived.

"Have you checked local rainfall and temperature records? That global mean temp is a statistic derived from homogenised data and complex algorithms. What about just looking at local maximum temperatures back 100 years. Do they show a similar trend, or not, to the data at the NASA website?"
Yes they do. There've been quite a lot of temperature records set over the last few years.

"What about sea level rise? Can you see any evidence of sea level rise at your favourite and/or local beach?"
Of course not. Tides and waves make sea level rise imperceptible so far.

___________________________________________________________________________________

runner, bigger storms are entirely consistent with global warming predictions. I suggest you listen to the predictions the scientists made, not the red herring of a few alarmists in the media.
Posted by Aidan, Tuesday, 26 January 2016 7:09:05 PM
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Aidan I suggest you learn what true science is as opposed to soothsaying. Fitting every storm into your narrative is childish and deceitful.
Posted by runner, Tuesday, 26 January 2016 8:01:33 PM
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runner, I'm well aware of what true science is.

"Fitting every storm into your narrative is childish and deceitful."
So you were, BY YOUR OWN STANDARDS, being childish and deceitful when you made that "egg (sorry snow) all over their face" comment.

But although it is deceitful to claim that a single storm proves or disproves anything, there is absolutely nothing deceitful about pointing out that scientists predict global warming will result in bigger storms. Indeed it's been known for decades that it would result in either bigger storms or more storms (or both) but more recently modelling has shown that bigger storms is the more likely outcome.
Posted by Aidan, Tuesday, 26 January 2016 8:25:03 PM
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