Everyone's A Fact-Checker (Or Should Be)

Self-inflicted wounds are the most painful. I deeply regret not fact-checking an article that recent mass murderers were registered Democrats. I wish I’d stopped after writing: “In 2011, less than 6% of gun homicides were by rifle (679 of 11,780); unlicensed hand guns wielded by minorities on minorities accounted for almost all gun violence.” Actually, I need to fact-check myself, because only 323 murders in 2011 were by rifle, compared to 6,220 by handgun, 1,684 by unknown types, 1,694 by knives, 726 by striking with hands and feet, 496 by blows from blunt objects, and 356 by shotguns (the shotgun murders had been included in the 2011 rifle number).

Analyses show recent mass murders are linked to mental problems, not rifles. The murderers exhibited mental disorders that patient privacy rules prevent catching through background checks.

Anyway, I hope I have learned a lesson.

So back to my “natural climate change” knitting, since the ICO’s editorial position is that humans now cause climate change that for millions of years nature accomplished without human assistance.

The latest truly embarrassing moment of borderline scientific misconduct by global warming alarmists involves research funded by the National Science Foundation published in Science, and aided and abetted by major periodicals such as New York Times and Nature, and non-major ones like Grist, New Scientist, and Climate Central, and supported at Real Climate and Skeptical Science.

Marcott et al. purported that the 11,300-years post-Ice Age period, that began with rapid, sustained warming then a long period of cooling, was reversed by rapid warming in the last 100 years – except its authors now admit it proved no such thing. See Dr. Pielke’s analysis: http://rogerpielkejr.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/fixing-marcott-mess-in-climate-science.html

These major media screw-ups still don’t make me feel better about mine, but inspire me to renewed effort fact-checking ICO letters and articles.