Guest Opinion by Kip Hansen

In a paroxysm of over-the-top alarmism, Justin Gillis, at the New York Times, fires off another advocacy editorial — disguised as a climate news story.

This salvo’s title is “The Real Unknown of Climate Change: Our Behavior” — but that’s not what he is writing about. The article’s URL reveals his real agenda:

http://ift.tt/2hdAR3zclimate-change-denial.html

I have written about Gillis’ work before — he seldom disappoints — regularly churning out articles filled with the worst kind of climate alarm speculation. Here’s the short list from this piece — all direct quotes:

1. “Because of atmospheric emissions from human activity, the ocean waters from which Harvey drew its final burst of strength were much warmer than they ought to have been, most likely contributing to the intensity of the deluge.”

2. “the most savage heat waves that we experience today will likely become routine in a matter of decades.”

3. “The coastal inundation that has already begun will grow worse and worse, forcing millions of people to flee.”

4. “The immense wave of refugees that we already see moving across continents may be just the beginning.”

5. “We all see the giant storms, more threatening than any in our lifetimes — and while scientists are not entirely comfortable yet drawing links between the power of these hurricanes and climate change, many people are coming to their own common-sense conclusions.”

6. “The sea ice in the Arctic is collapsing in front of our eyes.”

7. “Huge forest die-offs are beginning, even as the remaining forests work overtime to suck up some of the carbon pollution that humans are pumping out.”

8. “We are already seeing heat waves surpassing 120 degrees Fahrenheit, sooner than many experts thought likely.”

And finally, in a last cry of desperation, he says:

9. “We might be looking at, oh, 80 or 100 feet of sea-level rise in the long haul, a direct result of the failures of this generation to get emissions under control. What kind of shape do you think Miami – or for that matter, New York – is likely to be in after 80 feet of sea-level rise?”

There is only one part of one point in all the above that is even close to being true — that is in #1 — Hurricane Harvey drew extra moisture from the Gulf’s warm waters — like every Gulf hurricane before it, and that extra moisture “most likely” contributed to the intensity of the rainfall.

The rest are the usual litany of climate alarm talking points which Gillis manages to exaggerate even further — it would be a waste of digital ink to even comment on them.

There is one piece of good news that should cheer your hearts though — it certainly cheered mine:

“A personal note: I am leaving The New York Times to write a book about the energy transition. I will reappear in these pages occasionally, and I will continue to engage in the public conversation about climate and energy. I invite you to follow me on Twitter @JustinHGillis.”

Gillis is [finally] quitting the New York Times. Good thing, it is long overdue — he has always performed the task of an Opinion Columnist, a radical climate alarm advocate,  somehow (and unfortunately) mis-assigned to the climate news beat.  We are fortunate that he has not followed his predecessor’s example of simply shifting to the Opinion Section (where he should have been writing all along).

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Author’s Note:

I will not be following Justin on Twitter.

My previous essay’s on Mr. Gillis’ work are:  here, here, here, here (in which JG is commended), and here.   Honestly, I got tired of writing about his poor journalistic standards and his editorializing.

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