July 6, 2012

PHOTO CALL/MEDIA ADVISORY

Giant Ice Sculpture On National Mall to Symbolize the Melting Away of Climate Denialism

WASHINGTON–On Saturday morning, 350.org will unveil a giant sculpture on the National Mall—the word “HOAX?” carved in ice. Given the forecast for highs in the 100s, it will not last long, but organizers say that is the point: it will disappear like the arguments have from climate deniers.

For years, scientists have predicted that increased concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases would lead to more intense heat waves, increased drought, massive wildfires, and more powerful storms. In June, 3,215 daily high temperature records were set; and so far this year, more than 2.1 million acres have burned in wildfires. Today was the 9th straight day in the nation’s capital that has met or exceeded 95 degrees.

News accounts estimated that half of the incoming Republican House class in 2010 denied the existence of man-made climate change. In 2010, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) mocked climate activist with an igloo display not far from the ice sculpture that will be unveiled tomorrow. Recent events–as well as the findings of every major scientific academy in the world–disprove the viewpoint of climate deniers in Congress.

WHAT: A 6-by-12 foot ice sculpture spelling out “HOAX?,” with the Capitol Dome in the background.

WHERE: East side of 3rd St NW, by the Capitol Reflecting Pool.

WHEN: 11AM Saturday, until the sculpture melts. (Set up time is from 10-11am)

WHO: 350.org is displaying the installation. 350.org policy director Jason Kowalski will be availalble to answer questions and do interviews.

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Photos will be available shortly after the unveiling at www.flickr.com/350org

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Let’s see, a 6×12 foot ice sculpture….that’s a lot of ice. Care to take bets on how long it will last? I’m thinking at least until sunset. Forecast for Washington DC tomorrow says:

High 106° Low 84° – this isn’t much different than Dr. Jim Hansen picking a hot Washington day in June 1988 to disable the air conditioning while he addressed the Senate over his global warming concerns. Props…gotta have props.

Dr. James Hansen is getting ready to testify before the Senate on what he thinks is a serious problem, global warming. The sponsor for Dr. Hansen? Senator Tim Wirth.

If any of you have ever been in Washington DC during the summertime, you’ll be able to relate to this. Senator Timothy Wirth made sure that room was “steamy”. This transcript excerpt is from PBS series Frontline which aired a special in April 2007.

So it goes without saying, that if the case Dr. Hansen was to make before the Senate was so strong, why did Senator Wirth need to make use of cheap stage tricks?

Here he admits his stagecraft in his own words:

TIMOTHY WIRTH: We called the Weather Bureau and found out what historically was the hottest day of the summer. Well, it was June 6th or June 9th or whatever it was. So we scheduled the hearing that day, and bingo, it was the hottest day on record in Washington, or close to it. DEBORAH AMOS: [on camera] Did you also alter the temperature in the hearing room that day? TIMOTHY WIRTH: What we did is that we went in the night before and opened all the windows, I will admit, right, so that the air conditioning wasn’t working inside the room. And so when the- when the hearing occurred, there was not only bliss, which is television cameras and double figures, but it was really hot.[Shot of witnesses at hearing]

Watch the Frontline video:

UPDATE: Joe Bastardi suggests this graphic is relevant to Hansen’s 1988 testimony to illustrate how warming has stalled: