When journalism professors qualify as experts
Late last week, CNN.com featured as its main story an opinion piece by journalism professor and author of “The World Without Us,” Alan Weisman. In the article, Weisman attempts to make the case – in overwrought prose – that the eruption of the Icelandic volcano was a result of global warming.
Both Iceland and the United States exalt democracy as a social achievement worthy of lasting an eternity. Yet the latter's unprecedented strength has derived not just from enlightened government, but from the release of its own hot clouds: exhaust from its vast industries, fleets and mechanized agriculture.
As we have learned, these gases form an invisible barrier that, like a greenhouse's glass ceiling, keeps reflected heat of the sun from escaping our atmosphere. The denser that gaseous barrier grows, the hotter things get and the faster glaciers melt.
As they flow off the land, we are warned, seas rise. Yet something else is lately worrying geologists: the likelihood that the Earth's crust, relieved of so much formidable weight of ice borne for many thousands of years, has begun to stretch and rebound.
As it does, a volcano awakens in Iceland (with another, larger and adjacent to still-erupting Eyjafjallajokull, threatening to detonate next). The Earth shudders in Haiti. Then Chile. Then western China. Mexicali-Calexico. The Solomon Islands. Spain. New Guinea. And those are just the big ones, 6+ on the Richter scale, and just in 2010. And it's only April.
Beware of journalists attributing concerns to others more learned than themselves without quoting them by name. Ice is shrinking and the loss of that weight is causing volcanoes to erupt?
That’s the chart for sea ice extent as of today. Note that we’ve more sea ice today than at any time since this particular satellite was launched.
Oh, and for the theory advanced by Weisman? It was debunked more than a week before he made it.
Click the link for the science, but here’s the summary:
Is it credible that a 0.5°C decrease in the melting point could stimulate excess volcanic activity? Short answer – no. Volcanic activity is caused by magma rising to the surface, not glaciers melting. However, the loss of the glaciers would reduce the amount of steam and ash generated. Ash is formed when magma is cooled and fractured by steam. So the loss of the glaciers would reduce the size of the steam/ash cloud and make the Iceland volcanoes behave more like Hawaii volcanoes.
In short, the loss of all ice in Iceland would make the volcanoes less destructive.
This seemingly deep-seated human need to blame something or someone for everything that happens has reached its ridiculous conclusion. We aren’t to blame for volcanoes erupting any more than we would be to blame for some giant asteroid striking the planet.
Sometimes things just happen.
The environmentalist wackos need to get over themselves.
One comment on “When journalism professors qualify as experts”
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The cause of this kind of thinking is at the root of human depravity, the sin of pride.
"We are so important and powerful, we caused all of this."
Followed by,
"I am more important and wiser than you, and I will lead us to the solution."