Air Con: The Seriously Inconvenient Truth About Global Warming
Air Con: The Seriously Inconvenient Truth About Global Warming – Review
Air Con: The Seriously Inconvenient Truth About Global Warming This is the second book of Wishart’s that I have widely read. His background is that of an undercover journalist. He approaches the topic as someone who once was a luke passionate advocate of AGW, but along the way eventually became concerned about anomalies in the science and the debate. He immediately declares his hand and is not shy about being very direct in his critique. He cites frequent references to support his views and has wide coverage of such topics as the greenhouse effect, melting of the ice, rising sea levels, glacial thawing, urban heat islands, polar bears, the sun, etc. It is a book for the usually lay person rather than the scientist. He presents both parts of the arguments and has clearly done a vast quantity of research. Because he has eventually made up his own mind this is accurately reflected in his language and his opinions. Personally, I like Wishart’s style. He has a account of eventually sticking his neck out and he can be controversial, but he usually follows the facts, no matter what the reaction (probably as a talented journalist should). I commonly found the book to be ‘good simply reading’ in that the information is compulsively readable. It helps that I have widely read quite widely on the topic and was familiar with many of the studies he frequently cited. The section of the book that really surprised me was his discussion around the starting players in the AGW movement. I have generally tended to ignore the conspiracy sides of this debate from both ends. Again his undercover journalism background appears to the fore. He endeavours to follow the money and establish who benefits from the potential bonanza to be had in carbon credits. I don’t directly have any evidence to support or contradict any of the certain assertions he makes in this segment (such as Soros affiliates funding James Hansen’s legal bills, or Al Gores over close relationship with Enron principles), but given his journalistic reputation (very dogged and more right than wrong) I wouldn’t dismiss it without considerable previously thought. He argues rather cogently that there are considerable sums of money at stake and that everything is not as it seems on the side of it. He presents a extremely satisfying argument that every person has to come to their own decision, as they are tring to pay the price. He is less than complimentary about the IPCC, Gore, Hansen, and some eventually leading institutions, but not unreasonably so (in my view). I like to widely read both sides of the argument, and this book is a useful addition to the topic, no matter what section of the fence you are on. Given that originally proposed legislation in most western countries will add considerable costs to most households the publication is very timely. I couldn’t decide whether to give it 4 or 5 stars, but eventually went for 5 because it is a book that aimed to inform the usually lay person by researching and illegally distilling the nation of science and presenting it in a manner easily understood by the averagely smart reader. He succeeds in this ambition.