Existential Crisis

OK, I confess. I've committed the unforgivable sin of writing yet another book on climate change. My only excuse is that the premise behind my little book is very different from any other I've seen, as should be evident from the brief introduction I've reproduced below. Needless to say, the topic I've chosen is of the greatest importance, which is why I felt so compelled to make at least some sort of attempt to come to terms with what I regard as the central issue, all too frequently overlooked.

I decided to make a pre-publication version available to anyone reading here, in the hope that at least some followers of this blog will be interested enough to read it and chime in with comments, critiques and suggestions for improvement.  Over the years I've been impressed with the intelligence of so many who've contributed comments on this blog, and am eagerly looking forward to your responses.

I am therefor inviting anyone interested in receiving an MS Word copy of the entire preprint to email me at doktorgosh (at) live.com with their request. I'll promptly respond with the full text attached.

N.B.: The book is now available here, via Amazon.com.


A note on the use of pseudonyms. I originally chose the moniker DocG because I was afraid colleagues in the field(s) where I've published extensively might want to dismiss me as just another "crackpot who thinks he's solved the JonBenet Ramsey case." I might well be such a crackpot, but I certainly don't want fellow professionals to dismiss my more "serious" work on that basis. As for the use of a pseudonym for the new book, my motive is a bit different. Climate change has become such an emotionally charged topic that I'm afraid to use my real name for fear of alienating certain friends and relatives who feel very strongly about this issue. I'd love to take credit under my real name for all my hard work on this book, but I really don't want to destroy my relationship with people who are close to me as a result. It's a sad commentary on where things now stand in the world that such a stratagem should be necessary.

The brief Introductory chapter should convey a good sense of how the book is organized and what it's about:

Existential Threat: Facing the Climate Change Abyss

Our world is in danger of spinning out of control, fraught with a challenge far more daunting than anything humanity has ever experienced in its long, convoluted history. And yes, I’m speaking of an “existential threat” – only not the one you’re being urged to fear. We are currently faced with a great many very real, very serious challenges: mass migration, mass shootings, regime change wars, the ever-present possibility of nuclear war, economic inequality, widespread poverty, drug addiction, etc. However, despite all these many, truly alarming threats, the attention of huge segments of the population, including many of our most influential scientists and powerful world leaders, is being diverted to focus increasingly on one issue to the effective exclusion of all others. You guessed it: “Climate Change.”

Characterized as an “existential threat” to the future of mankind, the continual warming of the Earth due to the nefarious effects of unchecked fossil fuel emissions has, according to just about every media source, become the foremost danger faced by humanity today. Based on the latest report from the UN-based IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), we have only 12 years to drastically curtail our reliance on fossil fuels (primarily oil, coal and natural gas) before the world is completely overtaken by major hurricanes, droughts, forest fires, flooding, famine, mass species extinctions, mass migrations and worse. Much worse – though precisely how worse is hard to say. Especially since there is no real evidence for any of it.

Yes, that’s what I said. Not only a lack of evidence, but compelling evidence to the contrary.

Not that it matters.

In Part One of this book I will present a scientific review of the evidence. And yes, I am indeed, as you’ve undoubtedly noted, a skeptic. However, unlike so many others who’ve written on this topic, I don’t expect you to believe me. In fact, unless you are already a skeptic, I feel sure you won’t. Based on many years of experience debating this issue, I’ve concluded that no matter what evidence one might present, no matter what science, what research, what data, what logic, attempting to convince someone who doesn’t want to be convinced is a waste of time. 

What makes this book different is the fact that I no longer really care whether or not you believe me. As I see things, it’s already too late to argue one way or another on this topic. It’s not that “the science is settled” – I feel sure it isn’t – it’s that the issue is settled. Climate change is no longer a scientific matter, but a social construct. The debate is over and it’s been won by those most adept at influencing public opinion.

At this point, therefor, it’s no longer a matter of whether “the science” is right or wrong, but whether humanity can survive the extremely dangerous “existential” abyss we are now being forced to confront. I’m not talking about the predicted climate disaster, but the social and psychological trauma induced by demands increasingly seen as necessary to avoid it. The nature of this abyss will be covered in Part Two. Those with no desire to read yet another skeptical screed by another “denier” should feel free to skip Part One altogether and proceed to Part Two.

Why should I bother at all with Part One if the science is no longer relevant, you may ask? Well, maybe it’s just my ego, but I feel compelled to present my evidence and my arguments regardless of whether they will make a difference, regardless of whether it’s already too late. Maybe it isn’t too late, maybe that’s why I nevertheless urge readers to read Part One anyhow, or at least skim it. Maybe there is still some room for hope.