🎙️ My guest today is Prof. Steven Koonin, co-hosted with Tom Nelson - host of The Tom Nelson Podcast. Prof. Koonin is an American theoretical physicist and former director of the Center for Urban Science and Progress at NYU, as well as a professor in the Department of Civil and Urban Engineering at NYU School of Engineering. In the past he was the Chief Scientist of BP’s oil and gas division, served as Under Secretary for Science in the Department of Energy, in the Obama administration, and was the vice-president of Caltech, one of the most prestigious scientific institutes in the world.
Steven is the author of the book “Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn’t, and Why It Matters”, where he argues that while there are some basic facts about climate change that experts agree upon, the meaning of those facts is not so settled, and mainstream scientific studies do not support the notion that there is any kind of climate crisis at all.
This conversation discusses Climate Realism - the sane approach to the “Climate Change” alarmism, and the role of media in shaping public perception. We touched on topics such as the use of the term 'climate denier,' bias in the energy industry, the challenges faced by young scientists who question the climate narrative, the role of journalists in spreading misinformation, and the influence of organizations like the UN and Covering Climate Now. We talked about the viral documentary 'Climate the Movie' and censorship attempts. Lastly we touched on the funding dynamic in climate research, and geoengineering / chemtrails. Steven emphasizes the need for open scientific discussion and the importance of prudence in considering these interventions. We end with the challenges & optimism in maintaining integrity and truth-telling in a corrupted world.
"For young scientists, speaking out against the climate narrative can be a career killer" — Prof. Steven Koonin
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We talked about:
00:00 Coming Up
01:14 Introductions
03:54 Challenging the Term 'Climate Denier'
06:43 The Climate Discussion "Silence"
09:03 Impacts on Those Speaking Out
10:53 Steven's Evolution to Climate Realism
16:33 Misrepresentation of Facts
21:37 Organized Online Propaganda
27:34 Climate - The Movie
32:03 Geoengineering & Chemtrails
41:10 Red Team, Blue Team
44:33 Dating CO2 in Deep Ice
45:55 Playing Bongos with Richard Feynman
49:06 Message of Hope
My takeaways:
The term 'climate denier' is offensive and misleading, as sceptics like Steven Koonin base their arguments on scientific evidence.
Experience in the energy industry can provide valuable insights into how to effectively change the energy system.
Speaking out against the climate narrative can be a career risk for young scientists due to funding and publishing challenges.
According to Koonin, misinformation in the media is a result of journalists not digging deeper and scientists not correcting the misrepresentations.
The UN's claim to 'own the science' and collaboration with Google to control search results proves bias and censorship.
The documentary 'Climate the Movie' faced attempts at cancellation but gained widespread attention and support from viewers. It has been well-received and has sparked open discussion about climate change, unlike platforms such as Facebook that label it as misinformation.
The funding dynamic in climate research is discussed, with the observation that adding climate speak to a project can qualify it for climate-related funding. This raises questions about the integrity of research and its bias.
Geoengineering, such as stratosphere aerosol injection and cloud seeding, is a topic of interest and debate. While it may be technologically feasible to lower the surface temperature of the globe, there are concerns about unintended side effects and the long-term viability of these interventions.
There is a need for a red team, blue team approach in climate science to encourage open and rigorous scientific discussion and challenge the consensus. However, this approach is not currently favored by the Biden administration.
Maintaining integrity and truth-telling in the face of corruption is a challenge, but it is essential for scientists to lay out the facts and let people decide for themselves.
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