Scientist who boasted he could ‘slaughter’ skeptics in debate backs off

Professor Stephen Schneider of Stanford University, a prominent proponent of man-made global warming fears, appears to be backing off of his boast that he could "slaughter" skeptical scientists in a global warming debate. In a May 24, 2009 interview, Schneider publicly boasted any skeptical scientist would be "slaughtered in public debate" against him.

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But after many dissenting scientists happily took up the debate challenge, it now appears Schneider is shying away from any such debate. [Editor's Note: Climate Depot has received numerous notes from scientists eager to accept Schneider's debate challenge in the past week.] "I certainly will not schedule some political show debate in front of a non-scientific audience," Schneider told the San Francisco Examiner in a follow up June 1, 2009 article. "A presidential like debate format with shallow staccato jibes and no nuanced arguments, no--confusion only in that style. I never do those anymore," Schneider explained. "If [Climatologist] Roger [Pielke Sr.] wants a debate, he can set one up at the American Meteorological Society meeting or the American Geophysical Union meeting and if dates work I'll be happy to go and will encourage others like Ben Santer or Kevin Trenberth to join in. That I would do," Schneider now asserts. Schneider explained: "Some of the skeptics are going ballistic over my admittedly too provocative word 'slaughter'--though given the framing I said I believe it would happen. But they misquote me in saying I challenged them to a debate. I challenged them to go to a legitimate scientific meeting with a knowledgeable audience and challenge from the floor with a room full of experts. I think they would be pretty unhappy with the outcome." Below is Climate Depot's May 24, 2009 report on Schneider's debate challenge.

Skeptics 'slaughtered'? Global Warming Professor Stephen Schneider boasts he could 'slaughter skeptical scientists in public debate!'

Sunday, May 24, 2009 - By Marc Morano--Climate Depot Professor Stephen Schneider of Stanford University, a prominent proponent of man-made global warming fears has publicly challenged scientists skeptical of warming fears to debate. (Schneider's public website with bio and contact info ishere. ) Schneider was interviewed by Thomas Fuller of the San Francisco Examiner on May 24, 2009. [Update: Former Colorado State Climatologist Dr. Roger Pielke Sr. accepts the global warming debate challenge. See: Pielke Sr. 'I would be glad to debate Dr. Schneider...he represents a 'narrow perspective on climate science' - May 24, 2009 ] Examiner Excerpt: Question: More specifically, the principal skeptic websites (Watt's Up With That, Climate Skeptic, Climate Audit and Climate Science) that I look at regularly seem to think they are winning the day. They think data is coming in that questions the established paradigm. Schneider: They have been thinking that as long as I have observed them and they have very few mainstream climate scientists who publish original research in climate refereed journals with them--a petroleum geologist's opinion on climate science is a as good as a climate scientists opinion on oil reserves. So petitions sent to hundreds of thousands of earth scientists are frauds. If these guys think they are "winning" why don't they try to take on face to face real climatologists at real meetings--not fake ideology shows like Heartland Institute--but with those with real knowledge--because they'd be slaughtered in public debate by Trenberth, Santer, Hansen, Oppenheimer, Allen, Mitchell, even little ol' me. It's easy to blog, easy to write op-eds in the Wall Street Journal. [...] Question: How would you characterize the state of play regarding scientific discussion regarding anthropogenic contributions to global warming? What is happening in science today that bears on the debate? Schneider: Not much change over the past few decades, except nature is cooperating with theory as formerly theoretical projections like heat waves and ice melt is now observed--at faster rates than predicted. All in IPCC and NAS reports. Why ice is melting faster than the models suggest is still not known, but certainly not encouraging! For complete interview with Schneider see Examiner's article here: Related Links: More Than 700 International Scientists Dissent Over Man-Made Global Warming Claims Democrats Refuse to Allow Skeptic to Testify Alongside Gore At Congressional Hearing - April 23, 2009 NASA's James Hansen: Skepticism 'can confuse the public' Monckton's Report: 35 Inconvenient Truths: The errors in Al Gore's movie Monckton: Have the courage to do nothing...US Congress told climate change is not real Monckton's Letter to Represenatives Ed Markey & Joe Barton - March 30, 2009 Al Gore Challenged to International TV Debate on Global Warming By Lord Monckton - March 19, 2007 Scientific Smackdown: Skeptics Voted The Clear Winners Against Global Warming Believers in Heated NYC Debate -- March 16, 2007 Lord Monckton Declared Victor in Global Warming Debate -- By His Opponent! -- August 19, 2008 Debate Over Whether 'Global Warming is a Global Crisis' -- March 6, 2009 Climate Depot's Morano debates former Clinton Official Romm - April 6, 2009