re: #123 b_sharp

It doesn’t matter if his literal words were an error in repeating the talking point or if he got the talking point correct. The talking point itself is wrong. The inference we are supposed to make from the talking point, that the warming is due to solar forcing alone, is wrong.

Whether he truly thinks Mars is the same temp as Earth or that they both experienced the same temperature trend the specific words are irrelevant. What he wants everyone to take from the point is that coal, oil, and every other fossil fuel can be burned without consequence.

That is the point that needs to be addressed.

Absolutely! That is really the point that I have been trying to make all along. Since the argument that is making the rounds is about a spurious parallel in temperature changes among several planets, that is the argument that really needs to be addressed rather than the even stupider idea Smith uttered about the actual temperatures on Earth and Mars. Nobody believes the temperatures are the same on Earth and Mars. He clearly misspoke and is too pigheaded to admit it, so while we may make fun of him for that, it is also important to counter the actual pseudo-scientific message he and others are trying to convey.