As the heat and drought peaked across northern Europe in early August, the media became chock-full of climate doom stories of how the heat and drought were all sure signs of a tipping planet, always citing the ever-reliable doomsday scientists.
Right in the middle of the hysteria was German public television, such as ZDF. On August 3 in its late evening edition, Claus Kleber of the center-left national broadcaster delivered a report on what’s behind the heat.
Video rebuttal viewed over 340,000 times
What follows is a video of the ZDF report, followed by a rebuttal from retired climate professor Werner Kirstein. So far it has been viewed more than 340,000 times:
In the report in the first half of the video, the ZDF asks about the heat and then explains that the hot and dry is caused by a blocking high resulting from a stagnating jet stream, which in turn is caused by climate change that may be occurring “at an enormous speed”.
To their credit, ZDF does mention that such years have happened in the past, such as in the year 1540, but called that event a real outlier, and then made this year’s heat sound as if was on par with 1540 (it was not even close) and that these events were getting more frequent.
The reporter states (1:25): “This year, however, it could be a re-occurring event, at least that’s the fear of some climate scientists. The reason for the high temperatures? The Jet Stream.”
The report then explains how the warming Arctic is causing the Jet stream to weird out, stall and thus lead to heat waves: “And not only here [in Germany], but all over the northern hemisphere,” the reporter says (2:13).
Jet stream phenomenon: No consensus among scientists
Why is the jet stream stalling and leading to heat waves? The ZDF at least here reports, citing Prof. Markus Rex of the Alfred Wegener Institute: “There’s no consensus, but some scientists say it could be a consequence of global warming.”
Prof. Kirstein blasts ZDF for being very superficial
The video next introduces comments written by climate change skeptic scientist Werner Kirstein, who responded in writing to ZDF report (3:50). Kirstein first mentions that ZDF reported on the severe drought of 1540 “only very superficially”, adding:
Namely, you failed to mention that the hot and dry year 1540 (from February 28 to September 19) was by far much more extreme than now in 2018. For example over that long period in Zurich, it rained only four times. In Milan, it was completely dry for five months.”
Kirstein also cites the years 79 A.D., 1387 and 1473 as years as being”extremely dry and hot” and that “people were able to walk across a dried out the Danube.”
Climate scientists “only understand climate models using CO2”
Next Kirstein asks the ZDF and Claus Kleber why they only ask self-anointed climate scientists who “only understand climate modeling using CO2, but don’t understand anything at all about climate science”.
Misleading the public
Kirstein accuses German ZDF public television of a reporting that’s full of gaps and manipulatively selective:
“You continue to remain with the ZDF method of leaving out information and thus provide more impetus for the politically wanted climate change. Not with a lying press, but with a highly selective press that’s full of gaps you present the news, and perhaps wonder why you are indiscriminately liked only by viewers in retirement homes.”
Finally, Kirstein reminds ZDF moderator Claus Kleber:
There have been 12 hot and cold summers – without any detectable regularity – since 1900. Research and inform yourself properly before you anchor false impressions and a false climate policy in the minds of the viewers.”
Read more at No Tricks Zone
Leaving out very relevant information is lying. Since viewing all of the data doesn’t support the climate change cause, the only way to advocate it is by lying by omission.