James Hansen

{{bronze}}[[File:James Hansen.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Hansen in 1988 being right about global warming and getting no credit for it from deniers.]]{{sciencenav}}
'''James E. "Jim" Hansen''' {{lived|1941}} is an alarmist, [[warmist]] [[shill gambit|shill]] for the [[global warming]] [[hoax]] and bankrolled by none other than the nefarious [[George Soros]].<ref>[http://archive.is/iKjjE Is Global Warming Alarmist James Hansen a Shill for George Soros?], [[NewsBusters]] (Archived Copy)</ref>

...which is the case if you live in the alternate universe of [[global warming denialism|global warming deniers]]. In [[reality]], Hansen is an [[United States|American]] atmospheric [[physics|physicist]], former head of [[NASA]]'s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) and an adjunct professor at Columbia University in [[New York City]]. He wrote a book on global warming in 2009 called ''Storms of my Grandchildren''.

==Science stuff==
===Early days===
Hansen spent his early career researching the atmosphere of [[Venus]]. This work on Venus inspired him to look at the effects of [[greenhouse gas]]es on [[Earth]]'s atmosphere. He coined the term "Venus syndrome" in reference to the runaway global warming on Venus that caused its oceans to evaporate.<ref>[http://climatetasmania.com.au/2010/03/13/hansen-interview/ James Hansen interview on Climate Tasmania]</ref> On Earth, this remains a logical possibility, but still a speculative and ''very'' worst-case scenario.<ref>[http://bravenewclimate.com/2010/05/09/clarons-despair/ Clarons Despair], Brave New Climate</ref> It could happen, but only if we burned about ten times the total fossil fuel deposits on Earth in a very short amount of time.<ref>
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/130729-runaway-greenhouse-global-warming-venus-ocean-climate-science/ National Geographic</ref> The fact that Hansen was wrong on this one entirely theoretical question hasn't prevented [[bullshit]] artists from trying to use it to discredit his entire body of work, however.

===The models are(n't) broken (or, that 1988 paper)===
Hansen's work during the 1980s demonstrated that global temperatures were rising. His work consisted mainly of reconstructing temperatures from weather station data and building some of the earliest climate models. A 1988 paper of his which was a centerpiece of his testimony to [[Congress]] has become a ''bete noire'' among deniers.<ref>Hansen et al. (1988) [http://pubs.giss.nasa.gov/docs/1988/1988_Hansen_etal.pdf Global Climate Changes as Forecast by GISS Three Dimensional Model.] ''Journal of Geophysical Research'' vol. 93, D8, pp. 9341-9364.</ref> He offered three different scenarios, of which "scenario B" fits the current rate of [[greenhouse effect|greenhouse gas]] emissions the best. While this scenario did overestimate temperatures to a certain degree, it actually provides the best fit for current temperatures and emissions.<ref>[http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2007/05/hansens-1988-projections/ Hansen's 1988 Projections], ''Real Climate''</ref> Magnifying this discrepancy or outright falsifying Hansen's [[prediction]]s has become a part-time job for many deniers, most notably [[Patrick Michaels]] in a 1998 Congressional testimony wherein he simply erased all but the least accurate of the scenarios.<ref>[http://www.skepticalscience.com/Hansen-1988-prediction.htm Hansen's 1998 prediction was wrong], Skeptical Science</ref><ref>[http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2006/06/pat_michaels_fraud_pure_and_si.php Pat Michaels: Fraud, pure and simple], [[ScienceBlogs|Deltoid]]</ref> A host of other deniers including the bullshitters at [[Climate Audit|Climate Fraudit]] have [[quote mining|quote mined]] or otherwise misrepresented this paper in order to claim that [[PRATT|the models are "broken" or "incredibly alarmist."]]

===Further work===
Hansen has done prolific work in climatology and is also known for his work on black [[carbon]].<ref>Dorothy Koch and James Hansen. (2005) [http://pubs.giss.nasa.gov/docs/2005/2005_Koch_Hansen.pdf Distant origins of Arctic black carbon: A Goddard Institute for Space Studies ModelE experiment.] ''Journal of Geophysical Research'' Vol. 110.</ref> Many of Hansen's predictions are less conservative than those of the [[IPCC]] (making him a nutty "alarmist" among deniers, of course), though some of his own earlier predictions have been on the conservative side, so take that for what it's worth.

==Controversies (Some of them manufactured)==
===Activism===
[[File:NASA Scientist James Hansen Arrested.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Hansen being arrested on August 29, 2011]]
Hansen has become known for his activism on climate change in recent years and for not hiding his massive hate-on for deniers, which is why he has been promoted to the higher echelons of the [[Evil Liberal Science Conspiracy]], probably second only to [[Michael Mann]]. In a 2008 statement, he commented that the CEOs bankrolling denialist [[think tank]]s should be put on trial for "high crimes against humanity and nature", which caused quite some butthurt.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jun/23/fossilfuels.climatechange?feed=science&gusrc=rss Put oil firm chiefs on trial, says leading climate change scientist], ''The Guardian''</ref> He was also arrested at two protests against strip mining<ref>[http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=10144 Hannah, Hansen arrested in mountaintop removal process], West Virginia Public Broadcasting</ref><ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/27/james-hansen-arrested-wit_n_740887.html James Hansen Arrested With 100 Others at Mountaintop Removal Mining Protest in DC], ''Huffington Post''</ref> and one against the [[Ethical oil|TransCanada pipeline]].<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-29/nasa-s-hansen-arrested-outside-white-house-at-pipeline-protest.html NASA's Hansen Arrested Outside White House at Pipeline Protest], ''Bloomberg''</ref>

===Censorship at NASA===
As was the case with many other [[scientist]]s in the [[George Bush|Shrub administration]], Hansen was [[censor]]ed at least once from appearing before the [[media]] and it was later found that [[NASA]]'s findings had been downplayed for [[political]] purposes. The [[public relations]] arm of NASA had prevented him from making public appearances to talk about his work. A 2008 investigation by NASA concluded:
{{cquote|After carefully reviewing the relevant facts and circumstances in this matter, we conclude that officials in the NASA Headquarters Office of Public Affairs did, in fact, manage the release of information concerning climate change in a manner that reduced, marginalized, and mischaracterized the scientific information within the particular media over which that office had control.  Further, on at least one occasion, the Headquarters Office of Public Affairs denied media access to a NASA scientist, Dr. Hansen, due, in part, to that office’s concern that Dr. Hansen would not limit his statements to science but would, instead, entertain a policy discussion on the issue of climate change.<ref>[http://oig.nasa.gov/investigations/OI_STI_Summary.pdf Investigative Summary Regarding Allegations that NASA Suppressed Climate Change Science and Denied Media Access to Dr. James E. Hansen, a NASA Scientist], NASA Office of Inspector General, June 2, 2008. ([http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/2008/06/17/nasa-internal-investigation-of-climate-science-political-interference-let-higher-ups-off-the-hook/ Further commentary at Climate Science Watch])</ref>}}

===Christopher Horner Suits===
In 2011, Christopher Horner, a hack at the [[Competitive Enterprise Institute]] and author of ''The Politically Incorrect Guide<sup>TM</sup> to Global Warming and Environmentalism,'' spammed Hansen with Freedom of Information Act requests regarding payment for his lectures and scientific awards (apparently, some of those AAAS awards carry tidy sums in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, no kidding).<ref>[http://climscifoi.blogspot.com/2011/05/ati-appeal-to-nasa.html ATI appeal to Nasa], Climate Science FOI Report</ref><ref>[http://climscifoi.blogspot.com/2011/06/ati-nasa-lawsuit.html ATI NASA lawsuit], Climate Science FOI Report</ref> [[Ironically]], deniers like Horner who constantly whine about "[[academic freedom]]" saw fit to urge Hansen to "[[release the data]]." Except it wasn't data about any substantive scientific issue, but about his scientific awards (and bogus connection to [[George Soros]]), which are already listed on his ''curriculum vitae'' anyway.<ref>[http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/hansencv_201308.pdf Hansen's CV]</ref> 

The fictional Soros connection is based on the fact that he accepted ''pro bono'' [[legal]] advice from the {{wpl|Government Accountability Project|Government Accountability Project,}} which receives grants from Soros' {{wpl|Open Society Foundation}}. This was summarily inflated to Soros bankrolling Hansen to the tune of nearly $1 million — definitive proof that global warming is a hoax!<ref>[http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2007/09/investors_business_daily_has_a.php Investor's Business Daily has as much as 100 lies on every page], Deltoid</ref>

===Freeman Dyson===
Hansen is also friends with eminent physicist (and unfortunate climate [[crank]]) [[Freeman Dyson]], though they do throw insults at each other when it comes to global warming.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/magazine/29Dyson-t.html?sq=Freeman%20Dyson The Civil Heretic], ''New York Times''</ref>

===''New York Times'' op-ed===
An op-ed by Hansen published on May 9, 2012<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/opinion/game-over-for-the-climate.html?_r=1&gwh=113DE6292C13F7E24F3FB11E6FF4427E "Game Over for the Climate"], ''New York Times''</ref> sparked a minor controversy among some meteorologists and climatologists. Hansen claimed that a semi-permanent drought would develop in the Western and mid-Western [[United States]], leading to Dust Bowl-type conditions, among other things. This prompted a response from Martin Hoerling disputing his claims. A second response by climatologist Kerry Emanuel challenged the claims of both Hansen and Hoerling.<ref>[http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/11/another-view-on-extreme-weather-in-a-warming-climate/ Varied Views on Extreme Weather in a Warming Climate], ''New York Times''</ref> Hoerling expanded on his original arguments, while Dan Miller, a venture capitalist and engineer, defended Hansen.<ref>[http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/15/more-on-extreme-weather-and-global-warming/?gwh=90867BC764C8678C9C96F4A6F049D3FF More on Extreme Weather and Global Warming], ''New York Times'' again</ref>

==External links==
*Hansen at [http://www.giss.nasa.gov/staff/jhansen.html NASA] and [http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/ Columbia]
*[http://pubs.giss.nasa.gov/docs/2003/2003_Hansen.pdf Can we defuse the global warming time bomb?], NASA
*[http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/features/200111_altscenario/ Global warming in the 21st century: An alternative scenario], NASA
*[http://www.skepticalscience.com/Hansen-hit-a-home-run.html Hansen et al hit a climate home run - in 1981], Skeptical Science
*[http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/06/29/090629fa_fact_kolbert The Catastrophist], ''The New Yorker''
*[http://scienceblogs.com/framing-science/2007/06/reticence_the_ipccs_communicat.php Reticence? The IPCC's framing problem], Science Blogs
*[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/17/60minutes/main1415985.shtml CBS's ''60 Minutes'' on Hansen]
*[http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/9216 Charlie Rose interview]
*[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17926941 James Hansen and Mark Bowen on Censored Science], NPR
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZExWtXAZ7M Damn it, Hansen!] You whiny, greeny, [[nuclear power]]-supporting wim... Oh.

==References==
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[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Global warming]]
[[Category:Climatologists]]
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Categories: Authors, Global warming, Climatologists