Michigan Climate Change Denier Spanked by British Press

In the January 19, 2009 edition of the Flint Journal, columnist John Tomlinson opined that this cold Michigan winter proves that global warming is a hoax, and that the world is in fact undergoing the very opposite, nuclear winter.

His claims are systematically torn apart in a column by George Monbiot of the Guardian UK. The sheer number and audacity of his climate change denials puts him in direct competition with another columnist, Christopher Booker of the Sunday Telegraph, in a race to include the greatest number of misrepresentations, distortions and falsehoods in a single article, statement, lecture, film or interview about climate change. Monbiot devised the competition as a facetious way to highlight the shoddy journalism and junk science the pair and others of their ilk use to defame the issue of global climate change.

A good Michigan resource for those who want to wade through the vitriol published by the skeptics is provided by Peter Sinclair of Midland. Sinclair was trained by Al Gore as a grassroots Climate Presenter and has been presenting the latest mainstream science on climate to educational, civic, and church groups around Michigan for the last year. More recently, he has begun to post the “Climate Denial Crock of the Week,” informative animated rebuttals to “denialist” theories, on YouTube.

Lending credence to the belief that global warming is a very real threat, Virginia just became the fifth state to enter a climate change agreement with the United Kingdom. Agreements have already been established between the UK and California, Florida, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Governor Granholm’s decision to enter into such bilateral commitment is not only prescient of the need to combat the effects of climate change, but to develop a more climate-friendly global economy.

As was noted in that arrangement “fighting dangerous climate change will involve immense effort from us all - and it's clear that ... Michigan can play a critical role, both in cutting emissions and laying the foundations for a low-carbon economy." It’s refreshing to see that when Michigan cuts a progressive course in the fight to be an economic, as well as an environmental leader, other states follow our lead. Now is no time to heed the denialist agenda, rooted in an outdated business and social model. Now is the time for Michigan to set the path of the future, through science, technology, and industry to emerge as a leader of the nation and globe in sustainable business.