Derek Sorensen

This was originally posted in September, 2012 on ecademy.com, a site which no longer exists. I’m posting it again here because the topic has become current again.

I believe that in July 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon and Michael Collins remained in Lunar Orbit. These three men were my childhood heroes, along with the Russian Cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space.

I believe that smoking causes cancer. That knowledge doesn’t prevent me from smoking, even though I know it should. I believe that AIDS is caused by the HIV virus.

I believe Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK, although I admit I don’t know enough about it to know why I believe that. Nor do I know enough about the assassination of Martin Luther King to really form an opinion.

I believe the Illuminati are a fictional construct and there is no New World Order, although I also believe that people in power would like more power, and some will do practically anything to get it.

I believe that the attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941 was a cock-up of the grandest scale on the part of the US Navy. In particular I do not believe any government would purposely permit their people and particularly their materiel to be wasted in this way.

I believe that Area 51 is a US Air Force base. I don’t believe there are any aliens there, either living or dead (although I did thoroughly enjoy the recent Pegg/Frost film, Paul).

I believe that the attacks of September 11th 2001 were the work of Muslim terrorists.

I don’t know enough about SARS to form an opinion.

I don’t believe a Flying Saucer crashed at Roswell in 1947.

I believe Princess Diana’s death was a tragic accident, caused by pursuit by Papparazzi and her driver being under the influence of alcohol.

I don’t know anything about the Oklahoma City bombings and I’m not sufficiently interested to want to find out.

I believe Coca Cola is quite tasty, although I prefer lemonade. I hadn’t heard until recently that Coca Cola might have done some clever marketing related to changing the formula. If they did, then fair play to them.

I don’t know enough about CFCs to be certain one way or the other about whether they have a serious impact on the Ozone Layer. I have come across some bits and pieces in the past about CFCs and patents, and the timing of the discovery of the Ozone Layer, but I’ve not done enough research subsequently to form a definite opinion. I’m content that not using CFCs is, on balance, a good thing.

I believe that protection of the environment trumps financial concerns. The caveat is that I feel the Precautionary Principle as commonly stated goes too far and is harmful both to the economy and to the environment.

I believe that global average temperatures have increased during the past century. I believe that human activities have contributed to that increase. 97% of carefully selected Climate Scientists also believe this, as do most climate sceptics. I don’t believe that this is catastrophic, and I don’t believe it will become a catastrophe. I think that overall, warmer is better. I also believe that the climate has always changed.

I believe that Stephan Lewandowsky is a sincere CAGW activist, who believes that a gerrymandered survey aimed to paint anyone who doubts the CAGW thesis as a swivel-eyed loon will help his cause. I also believe his paper will be retracted.

I believe this will be my last blog on the CAGW meme. Mother Earth has decided not to play along any more, and the whole thing will come crashing down in a handful of years, to be replaced by another scare story as justification for emptying your wallet, and the whole thing has gone so far beyond ridicule no longer even holds any entertainment value. I believe I might comment on other people’s blogs on the subject, and I’ll continue to whinge about inefficient methods of energy production such as Wind and Solar.

Recent research by Climatologists has found a link between rising CO2, Climate Change and a reduction in the nun population in Great Britain.

Abstract:

Unprecedented changes in global temperatures in the past three decades has led to shrinkage of wetlands, and in particular the bogs of Southern Ireland. Since these wetlands are the main breeding ground for the British Nun (latin name: nonna britannicus) , there has been a crash in the Nun population in the British Isles. Exact population numbers are not known, and whilst global Nun populations appear to be fairly stable, the British Nun sub-species has been placed on the WWF’s endangered species list.

Briffa, Jones, Mann, Doonican et al. British Nun population levels sensitive to Climate Change. Nature and Ecology, Feb 2011, doi:11.1136/nunclimate77564

It would certainly appear so.

In Scott Huse’s book The Collapse of Evolution, Darwin is quoted as saying:

To suppose that the eye, with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest possible degree.
– Darwin 1872

(more…)

Since time immemorial, mankind has sought answers to fundamental questions. Why am I here? What is my purpose of life? What is the point of anything? And the most important question of all: Is there a God, and will he answer my prayers?

At last, The Answer can be revealed: Yes there is! And … Yes He WILL!

Verified by Quantum Physicists at CERN, Geneva, Swizerland and Imperial College, London, England, The God Phone™ is the new way to get instant access Your Creator!
(more…)