Summary of David Wright on climate nonsense | Tom Nelson Pod #142

00:00:00 - 00:55:00

In this YouTube video, David Wright, an 82-year-old retired engineer from Australia, shares his journey into climate skepticism and discusses various aspects of the climate change debate. He talks about his initial belief in climate change after watching Al Gore's documentary, but his subsequent skepticism after learning about the fraudulent production of the hockey stick graph. Wright praises alternative sources of information, such as blogs by Anthony Watts and Paul Homewood, as well as The Conservative Woman website. He discusses his skepticism about climate data, global temperature measurement, and the portrayal of extreme weather events. Wright also criticizes the concept of Net Zero and the economic impact of pursuing zero emissions. He questions the effectiveness of renewable energy and highlights the growing demand for electricity and air travel. The video concludes with Wright discussing the lack of scientific grounding among some climate change believers and the potential manipulation of climate models.

• 00:00:00 In this section, David Wright, an 82-year-old retired engineer from Australia, shares his journey into writing about climate change. It all started when he watched Al Gore's documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" in 2006, which initially convinced him of climate change. However, he soon came across an article revealing the fraudulent production of the hockey stick graph, which made him question the reliability of the information being presented. Since then, Wright has extensively read books, articles, and blogs on both sides of the climate change argument, mostly from non-mainstream media sources. He mentions following blogs by Anthony Watts and Paul Homewood and regularly reading The Conservative Woman, a website that provides alternative perspectives on climate change. Wright praises organizations like GWPF and the Heartland Institute for their factual information. He attributes his connection to The Conservative Woman to his son's recommendation, and he appreciates the site for not mincing words and discussing the truth about climate change.
• 00:05:00 In this section, the speaker discusses his journey into climate skepticism and the books he has read from the "warmist" side. He mentions three books, including "This Changes Everything" by Naomi Klein, which he describes as full of nonsense. He also criticizes a book by Tim Flannery and another book by David Wallace-Wells, stating that it was "300 odd pages of utter nonsense." The speaker agrees that proponents of global warming tend to ignore and suppress alternative views, giving examples of Dr. John Clauser's canceled speech and Facebook's fact-checking system. He believes that such actions are causing them to lose more support from the public.
• 00:10:00 In this section, David Wright discusses the pursuit of zero emissions and its impact on everyday life in Australia. He mentions that electricity bills have increased significantly, with a 21% increase last year and a further 35% increase this year. Additionally, petrol prices have doubled in the last seven years. He explains that renewables are often sold as a cheaper alternative, but in reality, they require massive subsidies to be economically viable. The discussion then turns to the amount of money spent globally on addressing climate change, which Goldman Sachs estimates to be 3.8 trillion dollars between 2010 and 2020. However, despite this massive investment, the reduction in fossil fuel dependence only decreased from 82% to 81%, highlighting the lack of significant progress.
• 00:15:00 In this section, the speaker argues that renewable energy currently only accounts for about 2% of the world's energy production, while the demand for electricity is constantly increasing. They also mention the rising demand for data, which requires a significant amount of electricity, and the growth of air travel, which heavily relies on fossil fuels. The speaker questions the effectiveness of flight shaming as airlines continue to order more planes and suggests that the public's behavior indicates that they are not concerned about the impact of flying on climate change. The speaker then discusses the measurement of Earth's temperature and criticizes the use of land-based and sea-based temperature gauges, suggesting that their placement allows the manipulation of data by the "global warming industry." They also mention the urban heat island effect and how it can artificially inflate temperature readings.
• 00:20:00 In this section, David Wright expresses skepticism about the accuracy and reliability of global temperature data. He explains that the temperature data collected is only a representation of a small portion of the world and it is unclear how the global average is determined. He also mentions a case where a temperature record showed a rapid increase followed by a sudden cooling, coinciding with fighter jets landing near the measurement site. Wright questions whether there was a retraction of this record and notes that it received little attention in mainstream media. He further discusses the misinformation surrounding extreme weather events being attributed to climate change, citing a false claim by The Guardian about historic floods in Vermont. Wright emphasizes that he conducts his own research and reads various sources independently, debunking claims of being part of a well-funded climate denial machine.
• 00:25:00 In this section, David Wright discusses his perspective on the Great Barrier Reef and how it has been used as a weapon by climate alarmists. He mentions that while there have been coral bleaching events, they are not caused by warmer oceans but rather by storms. He also highlights the work of Professor Peter Ridd, who has written articles skeptical of warming and has faced backlash for questioning the mainstream narrative. Wright notes that the only mainstream media outlet in Australia where climate realism is given any attention is The Australian newspaper, while other outlets like the Sydney Morning Herald publish nonsensical articles on the topic. He also mentions the strong bias towards climate alarmism in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the BBC in the UK.
• 00:30:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the lack of skeptical views on global warming being allowed on the BBC and how alternative viewpoints are being shut down. They mention some of the craziest claims they have seen from activists, including blaming a fit professional cyclist's death on global warming and attributing migratory bird visits to the UK to global warming. The speaker also mentions that polar bears have been used as a poster child for global warming, despite their populations actually growing. They highlight that many natural disasters, such as wildfires, floods, and droughts, are often blamed on global warming, even when there are other causes such as arson or fallen power lines. The speaker emphasizes that the main factor in turning wildfires into dangerous and fatal incidents is the presence of fuel, such as dry leaves in forests, and explains that the fuel load was not effectively reduced in some areas.
• 00:35:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the factors that contribute to wildfires, such as lack of controlled burns and fire breaks, as well as the role of environmental regulations in preventing these measures. They also mention that historical records show that wildfires in California and Australia have not burned more acreage recently compared to the past. The speaker mentions that there are measures individuals can take to reduce fire danger on their properties and highlights the importance of being cautious and following guidelines. The conversation then shifts to the topic of ocean acidification, with the speaker dismissing claims that the oceans are becoming acidic, stating that seawater has never been shown to be acidic and that this is just propaganda. They express their amusement and frustration with the media's portrayal of these issues, finding some of the claims to be absurd. Despite the potential consequences of climate change, the speaker maintains a positive and light-hearted attitude, stating that they find it interesting and stimulating. They also mention that unless politicians and world leaders take action, the future could become miserable. The speaker concludes by mentioning that their family and friends generally see them as obsessed with these topics.
• 00:40:00 In this section, David Wright discusses why he believes the concept of Net Zero is "crazy." He argues that achieving Net Zero is unrealistic and that the push towards it is making people's lives less agreeable. He questions the concerns about global warming's impact on food production, pointing out that recent years have seen record harvest levels. He also mentions the potential restrictions on driving and the introduction of "15 minute cities" that will make life miserable for everyone. Additionally, he criticizes extreme measures such as killing cows in Ireland and shutting down cattle farms in the Netherlands to reduce methane emissions, which he argues is currently at a level that is "totally meaningless" in the atmosphere. While there is opposition from farmers in the Netherlands, he notes that it is not yet strong enough to overthrow the government, but it could gain more support in the next general election. The Netherlands government has proposed that farmers either stop farming cattle or will be forced to sell their farms to the government. Ireland has also proposed killing 200,000 cows.
• 00:45:00 In this section, David Wright discusses the lack of significant action in Australia regarding climate issues, such as the ban on fossil fuel exploration in Victoria and the refusal to allow fracking in Queensland. He also mentions the shutting down of coal-fired power stations, with the largest one set to be demolished in 2025 without a clear replacement plan. Wright questions the belief in man-made global warming and argues that there is no evidence that CO2 traps heat in the atmosphere. He expresses concern about why intelligent and well-educated individuals, including politicians and industry leaders, still believe in this concept.
• 00:50:00 In this section, David Wright discusses how many people who believe in climate change have little to no grounding in science or knowledge of physics, chemistry, and thermodynamics. He argues that these individuals often rely on headlines and information fed to them rather than conducting their own research. To illustrate his point, he shares an example of two billionaires in Australia proposing to construct a giant solar farm in Alice Springs and export the electricity to Singapore, disregarding the losses that would occur during transmission. The project was eventually abandoned for reasons unrelated to its feasibility. Additionally, Wright questions the correlation between CO2 and global warming, referencing the hockey stick graph that eliminated the medieval warm period. He notes that there is no correlation between the increase in CO2 and the decrease in climate temperature during a specific period of time, challenging the mainstream narrative supported by climate models.
• 00:55:00 In this section, David Wright briefly mentions that climate models can be manipulated by programmers to produce desired results. He concludes by expressing his enjoyment with the conversation and suggests the possibility of doing another interview in the future.