2009年：這是氣候變化和全球變暖的活躍分子想忘掉的一年

2009年：這是氣候變化和全球變暖的活躍分子想忘掉的一年
2009: The year climate change and global warming activists would like to forget
December 31, 10:48 AM

For those who believe the manmade climate change theory, the new year cannot get here fast enough. As 2009 comes to a close, many are faced with the realizations that not only are they losing in the court of public opinion, the ‘consensus’ about anthropogenic global warming is far from solid. The year saw preeminent scientists join the chorus of those saying that other drivers besides man influence the climate, a scandal erupted that shook the very foundation of climate science and a much touted climate summit fell into disarray.
對於那些相信人為氣候變化理論的，新的一年並沒有足夠快速來到這裡。在2009年即將結束，許多人都被迫面對現實，不僅在公眾輿論的法庭他們輸了，亦在人類活動引致全球變暖的'共識'上仍遠遠不足。這一年看見卓越的科學家參加了那些人的合唱團，他們說除人外還有其它因由影響了氣候，一宗醜聞的爆發震撼了氣候科學的基礎，和曾大大吹捧氣候峰會陷入混亂。
As 2009 dawned, climate change advocates continued to sound the alarm about carbon dioxide’s accumulation in the atmosphere and the warming they believe it causes. With President Barack Obama taking office in January, it was thought their brand of climate science would find a new foothold on which to advance the cause. As Obama prepared to take office, Dr. James Hansen sent the president-elect a letter warning of the dire consequences at hand saying that he had four years to save the world.
All seemed to be pointing toward a banner year for the advancement of the manmade climate change theory. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that the year prior, 2008, was the eighth warmest on record for the globe. The United States however saw its coldest temperatures in 10 years but that mattered little.
High hopes were soon dashed as many noted scientists and public figures raised their voices in dissent. From meteorologists to geologists to climate scientists, those who don’t agree with the theory refused to be silenced.

Former astronaught and moon walker Dr. Harrison Schmitt joined those that believe other forces are at work driving the earth's climate. (NASA)
前月球太空人沃克哈里森施密特博士参加那些，相信是其他勢力正在做工作去推動地球的氣候。 （美國航天局)

John Coleman, founder of the Weather Channel, railed against the manmade climate change theory calling it a hoax and ‘bad science.’ Former astronaut Harrison Schmitt stood tall among doubters saying that global warming was simply a ‘political tool’ and that many scientists had sold out their objectivity. Dr. John Christy of the Earth System Science Center at the University of Alabama continued to be an unbiased dissenter. Princeton’s Dr. William Happer appeared before Congress saying, “what used to be science has turned into a cult.”
Another prominent voice in weather and climate, William (Bill) Gray, Professor Emeritus of Colorado State University, said the American Meteorological Society was being hijacked by alarmists. Other scientific organizations including the American Physical Society (APS) and the American Chemical Society (ACS) saw rifts grow in their membership. It became clear as the year progressed that the so-called scientific ‘consensus’ was anything but.
Even the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) saw its share of controversy. The Obama administration which had promised new transparency was accused of suppressing a report from its own employees that voiced doubt in the manmade climate change theory. Later in the year two of its lawyers released a YouTube video warning that proposed legislation would not accomplish anything.
Advocates that believed man was the dominating force in the climate continued to sound their warnings, often with outrageous claims that sometimes appeared laughable. James Hansen, as usual, was the most prominent of these as he took the final leap from scientist to activist not only in words but in actions as well. Not to be outdone, Dr. James Lovelock famously pronounced that 90% of the world’s population would be culled by 2100 due to climate change. President Obama joined in making false and extreme statements warning of ‘cataclysmic’ storms despite evidence to the contrary that no such thing is occurring.

Al Gore had a pretty rough year with his mission of saving man from climate change. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)
戈爾有從氣候變化拯救人類的使命，有幾艱難的一年。 （美聯社照片/安雅飲用水缺乏)

Former vice president and Nobel Laureate Al Gore was as visible as ever throughout the year. He however continued to make a number of visible gaffes that did more to damage the cause than advance it. He was forced to pull slides from a presentation he gave that were incorrect, the cover of his new book contained scientific impossibilities and at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen he misspoke on a number of issues.
In Congress, cap and trade legislation aimed at curbing carbon emissions seemed on the fast track but soon fell by the wayside. The Senate and the House of Representatives held many hearings on the topic with the House eventually passing legislation. The upper house however was hesitant to move on the issue for fear of facing a disgruntled electorate not willing to bear any additional financial burden and public opinion polls showing greater doubt. It now appears unlikely the issue will see a vote in the Senate until after the next election cycle.
November brought forth an event that would shake the very foundation of climate science. The Climategate email scandal broke right before Thanksgiving when thousands of emails from some of the world’s top climate scientists were released on the Internet. The messages were not only embarrassing for those involved but proved to be more damning as they revealed collusion amongst scientists to withhold climate data, foil openness in the debate, silence dissenting opinions and modify data to fit their theories.
The mainstream media ignored the event for days and weeks but the Internet gave the story life and it soon turned into a major controversy. Investigations into the actions of the climate scientists have been launched and new revelations about the actions of those involved continue to be discovered.
主流媒體忽視氣候門事件日復日，但互聯網給故事生命，很快就變成了主要的爭論。調查氣候科學家的動作亦已經啟動，新揭露有關涉案人員的行動不斷地被發現。
Climategate’s effects cast a pall over the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen early in December. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had hoped the summit would yield a comprehensive climate change treaty. In the weeks leading up to the event, that seemed doubtful and soon it became an impossibility.
氣候門的影響投下了陰影在12月初在哥本哈根的聯合國氣候變化大會（COP15），跨政府的氣候變化專門委員會（IPCC）曾希望這次會談能夠產生一項全面的氣候變化條約。在會議之前的幾個星期看來有令人懷疑之處，很快它已变成為不可能的事。
Not a day went by that scientists and politicians weren’t forced to address the email scandal and the doubts it had sewn into the public consciousness. Divisions amongst developed nations and poorer nations soon turned into insurmountable rifts and chasms. Richer nations demanded accountability for all nations while developing nations insisted on billions of dollars in financial aid.
President Barack Obama flew to Copenhagen in the closing days of the summit and many hoped he would be able to salvage the talks. The differences were too large though and the Copenhagen Accord that emerged had many saying it wasn’t worth the paper it was written on.
Arguably 2009 was one of the most eventful since the manmade climate change theory was first put forth. The year started with the science seemingly ‘settled’ and a ‘consensus’ pointing to man being the dominant influence on climate. In 12 short months however, the tide shifted. Scientific evidence to the contrary finally saw the light of day, cracks emerged amongst the so-called consensus and major events rattled the basis of what had been thought to be fact. The year has proven that the debate is not over nor is anything truly settled about anthropogenic global warming.
2009年可爭論地是人為氣候變化理論首先提出後最多事的一年，年初時科學似乎'已定案及有'共識'指向人對氣候有主導性的影響。但在短短12個月後，潮流轉移了；相反那邊的科學證據終於看到曙光，所謂的共識出現裂縫和哪些以為是事實的被主要項目撼動了基礎。這一年已經證明辯論還沒有結束，有關人為造成的全球變暖的任何事情亦沒有得到真正解決。

Delegates to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) saw years worth of work leading up to the event fail.
http://www.examiner.com/x-25061-Climate-Change-Examiner~y2009m12d31-The-year-climate-change-and-global-warming-activists-would-like-to-forget