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Germany’s eco-evangelical, leftie weekly Die Zeit has a surprisingly sober online piece that almost got by me.

It actually harshly criticizes global warming science – unusual for Die Zeit, which is an influential “intellectual” weekly that has been preaching the science is settled for years. Not long ago it one-sidedly attacked skeptics and portrayed them as gangster-types led by Godfather and mastermind Marc Morano, aided and abetted by the evil Fred Singer and German Fritz Vahrenholt.

In the latest commentary, Andreas Frey of Die Zeit writes:

We need less alarmism, more fundamental research and courage to take risks!”

Climate alarmism headed for a dead-end

Frey compares the climate change scare to another scare that swept across Germany in the 1980s: forest die-off because of acid rain. That catastrophe never materialized, of course. Frey writes that the climate change movement is caught in the very same trap and finds itself well on its way to a dead-end.

The pattern observed is similar to the issue of forest die-off. Though the catastrophe never came about, forest still isn’t doing well. But who wants to hear about it?”

Damaged science

In point number 2 of his commentary, Frey writes that many climate scientists engaged “in spreading fear, warning of dire scenarios for our future“. But that has backfired, as Frey writes:

The flood of alarm threatens the credibility of the entire field – and thus damages science. But the alarmist is proud about having made the climate issue popular; he mingles gladly with politicians (and he even fancies himself as one) and thus knows precisely what is needed to curb the collapse of the planet: eat no meat, don’t drive cars, don’t consume electricity made with coal, don’t fly. Thus he has stepped over the line between science and activism.”

Media have been too uncritical

In point no. 3, Frey surprisingly even writes that the media have been too uncritical of the science they’ve been fed by alarmist scientists…something that Die Zeit is guilty of well beyond the shadow of any doubt. In fact, skeptics get labeled as gangster-like evil climate mobsters (see above). Astonishingly, Frey describes the mindset of the media as follows:

Whatever you do, don’t say anything bad about climate scientists, don’t express any doubts about their results or forecasts – that could be fodder for climate skeptics! That’s how journalists often reacted.”

UN conferences have failed

In point no. 4, Frey claims that “climate diplomacy has failed. Emissions continue rising – all the UN conferences amounted to nothing.”

It probably was just too naïve to believe that the countries would come to their senses and obligate themselves to make cuts.”

Bring on fracking!

In point no. 5 he reiterates the global warming is still a real problem and adds that Germans must be willing to take more risks in combatting climate change. He says Germans must be more open to geo-engineering, CO2 sequestation and fracking.

Climate science has lost its relevance

In point no. 6 Frey writes of the “diminishing relevance of climate science” , which he says is confirmed by studies. Frey asks what’s the use of studies that show the world’s cultural monuments are threatened by sea level rise, and that El Ninos lead to more war? Frey thinks the science is often focused on the wrong things.

Finally, in point no.7 of the essay, Frey believes that climate scientists aren’t the ones who should be advising policy advisors after all. He writes that the science has to become more open to other scientists from other fields, such as sociologists, historians, geographers and ethnologists. He adds that “there are many possibilities for adaptation. In the climate debate adaptation will become an increasingly important topic, and everyone has to be allowed to join the discussion.”

Yes. it’s been a long time since we’ve witnessed sobriety at Die Zeit. It’s almost as if they forgot to take their dose on panic pills one day. Don’t get your hopes up. This is probably the last sober piece we’ll see from Die Zeit for quite some time.