Abigail Borah – US Youth Ejected From COP17 For Telling The Truth
Abigail Borah a member of SustainUS, a US based environmental youth activist group was ejected from the COP17 climate talks today. She interrupted a plenary meeting just before lead US negotiator Todd Stern was about to speak. As soon as she had finished her speech she was met with applause by the other delegates and escorted away by COP17 security.
This was her speech:
“I am speaking on behalf of the United States of America because my negotiators cannot. The obstructionist Congress has shackled justice and delayed ambition for far too long. I am scared for my future. 2020 is too late to wait. We need an urgent path to a fair ambitious and legally binding treaty.
You must take responsibility to act now, or you will threaten the lives of youth and the world’s most vulnerable.
You must set aside partisan politics and let science dictate decisions. You must pledge ambitious targets to lower emissions not expectations. Citizens across the world are being held hostage by stillborn negotiations.
We need leaders who will commit to real change, not empty rhetoric. Keep your promises. Keep our hope alive. 2020 is too late to wait.”
– Abigail Borah, December 8th 2011
THERAMBLINGSOFATEENAGEGIRL 
A cry of youthful uncertainty and fear. Her thoughts public forum when she is, well, mature. At that time she will realize that her efforts will be better spent caring for a friend or neighbor
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Abigail isn’t speaking for me. I’ve been an environmentalist over twice as long as she has been alive. I have followed and researched the AGW hypothesis for over 22 years.
The observations of climate over the last decade do not match up with the models and predictions of climate scientists for the last three decades. There is no support for the
hypothesis of AGW – merely evidence that the climate changes – we already knew
that. At best CO2 is a minor driver of climate and not the primary driver as
Mann and others would have us believe.
If the Climategate / Climategate 2 and UVA cover-ups don’t phase you – just ask yourself: How has the link between CO2 and our climate been confirmed? A correlation between the two – fine, evidence that our CO2 emmissions over the last century are driving climate – deficient. Evidence that AGW is an invalid hypothesis – plenty.
The infamous “Hockey Stick Graph” that attempted to “Hide the Decline” and
prompted the current alarmism was discredited for de-emphasizing the Medievel
Warm Period (MWP) and the Little Ice Age (LIA). Climate scientists have
attempted to explain this away by suggesting the impact of the MWP and LIA were
not universal. However, up to date evidence suggests the effects were indeed
global.
Then there was the claim that a less than 1 degree Celsius increase
in temperatures over a period of 150 years was extreme and direct evidence of
our influence on climate via increased levels of CO2 (a minor trace gas in our
atmosphere). Not – examination of ice core evidence shows that events like
Younger Dryas and others can result in several degrees of change in just a few
decades.
Next there was the claim of increasing sea levels. Not – the
evidence shows that the magnitude of increase has been consistent over the last
150 years. There is no evidence for accelerated sea level increases as a result
of any increase in CO2 during this period.
More recently the admission that water vapor is a bigger contributer to climate than CO2.
Now we are being told the climate is not as sensitive to CO2 as previously thought.
Plenty of serious evidence to show that clouds and solar activity play major roles in our climate
– interactions which are far from being fully understood.
And then there’s the question of time. On a geologic scale or even looking at a 10,000 year
climate chart, it’s plain to see that 150 years or even some multiple of that
time is too short a period to draw any conclusions about our climate and our
impact.
Any and all other evidence you may have seen or heard is at best,
evidence of a slight warming or the ability to more accurately record our ever
changing climate and planet. At worst, simply conjecture, speculation and
outright lies.
The money and reputations involved with AGW are immense. How
does one react when he claims to have observed the Emperor’s New Clothes when in
fact the Emperor is naked?
I, along with countless real scientists like physicists and geologists can assure you that the only consensus is among a small cabal of upper echelon climate scientists and a busy public that sees the latest weather headline as evidence that slightly elevated levels of a trace gas
in our atmosphere (the same gas we breath from our mouths and promotes plant
growth – increased greening of the Sahara as an example) is creating drastic
changes in our climate.
What you’re asking is for developing countries not to pursue the same comforts we have. Co2 emissions in the USA are on their way down. China’s emissions of CO2 are the single largest factor in increasing CO2 levels. Don’t those 1.4 billion people deserve to have a better life than dirt floors and a shared outhouse. When you’re very wealthy like Moore or Gore it’s quite easy to be liberal about these things – but frankly the rest of us will hold out for some more concrete evidence.
A 4 year old scaveging a mountain of trash for something to eat or sell on the side of the road is more aware than any “Green” person – he is aware that there are far more serious and immediate concerns the world should be addressing.
The recently completed BEST study clearly indicates there has been no significant change in temperatures in well over a decade – by some counts not since the mid ’90s.
See the graphs below . One details temperature over the last decade the other two, our climate over the last 10,000 years. You will notice that far from static – our climate changes frequently and radically. While we have ongoing climate change, there is a dearth of evidence linking recent increases (not unprecedented by historical standards) in CO2 to any change in climate.
Hoping I’ve triggered at least some curiousity – take a minute to check out this web site:
Watts Up With That http://wattsupwiththat.com/
P.S. How many children will die of peventable causes today while the world discusses CO2 emissions? How many people around the world, will go hungry tonight – go without ready access to clean water – sleep on a dirt floor – are without adequate health care.
Answers: 20,000 – countless – at least 1 billion – at least 1 billion – countless.
The world has gone from 1 billion to 7 billion in just over 150 years. The pressures of habitat destruction is and has been during this period our greatest environmental threat. While the polar bear is doing great because their habitat is not very accomodating to humans many smaller speices are lost every year.
How many acres of forrest are plowed over every year? How many smaller speices are estimated to go extinct every year? Answer: do your research – you’re the young environmentalist.
All the development you see around you took place just over the last century and a half as we added 6 billion people to the planet – what happens when we add another 6 billion by the end of this century. What happens to our environment then? If when we have more of something it is worth less – is that why there is a conference on CO2 and not on babies with flies in their eyes?
Impoverished peoples around the world benefit from cheap energy – please don’t make their lives more difficult by impairing access to inexpensive fossil fuel.
Finally, consider this. It is increasingly difficult to identify any impact from the oil spill in the Gulf last year (crude is a natural product which breaks down under the effect of sun and waves in the ocean). However take a look at the spill of human population in SE Florida. That spill just keeps getting bigger and bigger – it destroyes all the environment in its path – it’s not ever going away. This is an unnatural product – the result of an exceptionally agreeable climate and advances in health care and food production. Ultimately, to reach a balance with the earth and a quality of life for all it makes sense to stabilize the population. An exceptionally disagreeable proposition since unlike AGW there is no revenue for governments or profits for corporations with this option. The level of reorganization and the hardships that would result over the short term simply are not acceptable. The demands of “Green” advocates are not acceptable either.
Ultimately – as Henry points out above, the best thing you can do is offer assistance to those around you – be kind to others. Advocate help for the disadvantaged. Pursue happiness – it’s a short life
… if somebody links to whatsupwiththat he seems to me dubious …
PS: Abigail became already very famous all over the world. We know her even here in Germany. I fully respect such courage!
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I admire her courage.
Even a climate change skeptic changed his tune…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15373071