The Global Warming Culprits Identified

A Scientific Study Tells It All

A few days ago, I read following article  “Brisante neue Studie/Wer wesentlich zum Klimawandel beiträgt” (German language; “Explosive new study/Who contributes significantly to global warming”) published 11/21/2013.

There was another related story here titled “Neue Studie/Nur 90 Firmen verursachen wesentlich den Klimawandel” (German language; “New study/Only 90 companies primarily caused global warming”)

Both newspaper articles refer to a study by Richard Heede (Climate Accountability Institute in Snowmass, Colorado) to be published in the November 2013 edition of Climatic Change journal by the heretofore reputable Springer publisher titled “Tracing anthropogenic carbon dioxide and methane emissions to fossil fuel and cement producers, 1854–2010”. The full paper can be found, e.g. here.

Summary Of Findings

The author of the study claims that he could trace “63% of of cumulative worldwide emissions of industrial CO2 and methane between 1751 and 2010—to” 90 entities comprised “of the 50 leading investor-owned, 31 state-owned, and 9 nation-state producers of oil, natural gas, coal, and cement … Of these emissions, half has been emitted since 1986. The carbon major entities possess fossil fuel reserves that will, if produced and emitted, intensify anthropogenic climate change. The purpose of the analysis is to understand the historic emissions as a factual matter, and to invite consideration of their possible relevance to public policy.” (excerpted from the abstract, emphasis added).

Quotes from the study’s conclusion (emphasis added):

1. “This analysis offers a somewhat different perspective on the cause of and responsibility for dangerous anthropogenic interference in the climate system.”
2. “Identifying who the major carbon producers are, and have been historically, may provide a useful basis for future social and legal pressure.”

Just For Fun

Do we have to presume these 90 entities identified by Mr. Heede emitted all that stuff just for fun or as a hobby over this 250 year period?

Does it matter that there were 90 such entities? What if it had been 1,000 or only 10 entities?

Is it possible that a growing world population was demanding and consuming the output of these 90 entities and that humans greatly benefitted from the output?

Springer Publisher

Springer Publisher is a renown publishing house with a 170 year history. However, by publishing pseudo science studies like this it may well become a laughing stock in a much shorter time.

A Fulcrum Of Irrelevance

The motto of the Climate Accounting Institute is “Climate accountability as a fulcrum

for climate stewardship.” Well, a study like this is more like sign of irrelevance.