Climate narcissism

By Peter Murphy

Are humans causing extraordinarily bad weather events in the United States?

The question should seem ludicrous on its face, yet many serious, educated and accomplished people in the U.S. and globally claim we are, starting with the President of the United States, Joseph Biden. Add about half of the U.S. Congress, much of the corporate America, and the media and entertainment industries, which purportedly believe such drivel.

Making and believing evidence-free claims about human behavior contributing to catastrophic weather may be explained at least in part by the narcissistic tendencies of so many politicians and others with grandiose feelings of power and importance.

That human actions, namely, our economic behavior in an industrialized world, are causing the planet to warm in a tangible way and resulting in bad weather is belied by science and history.  Something deeper is occurring.

President Biden constantly asserts human-induced global warming is causing wildfires and hurricanes. His latest episode came during his recent trip to western states. “We know what the driver [of severe weather] is, climate change. We know what’s causing climate change, human activity,” Biden claimed. “This is no longer subject to debate… we don’t have much more than ten years.” The president further warned, “It’s not going to get any better than it is today. It only can get worse, not better.”

Note the “ten year” mantra should ring familiar, having been used for decades – and disproven.

In habitual fashion, the president provided no science, no evidence and no facts to substantiate his climate assertions, which he’s using to justify his massive, deeply flawed multi-trillion dollar agenda. As Congress moves to pass climate policies aimed at planetary warming, the chairman of the U.S. House committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Frank Pallone, echoed the president. “Bold action is clearly needed – the days of incremental climate change are gone,” which he blamed for “natural disasters.”

As part of the President’s $3.5 trillion proposed budget increase, billions of dollars are slated to subsidize electric car purchases and solar panel installation. Private corporations also will get billions in taxpayer money to reduce their carbon emissions as costly mandates are imposed on power generation and energy use.

All of which will accomplish nothing.

The planet’s climate trajectory, the vicissitudes of which have occurred naturally for thousands of years of recorded history and billions of years more, is due to a multitude of factors way beyond mankind’s use of fossil fuels. Such planetary realities will be unaffected by spending additional billions of dollars of money fresh off the printing presses.

Contrary to President Biden’s dogmatism on climate and severe weather, beware of anyone – especially a politician – claiming something is “not subject to debate.” This certainly applies to a complex, multi-faceted subject as global climate even as new research shows a much diminished impact of the stated “greenhouse effect” of carbon emissions and its related computer modeling.

Periodic hurricanes will continue as they have since time began. Weather expert Joe Bastardi recently documented major hurricane activity going back to 1900. There is nothing unusual about present-day hurricanes that wasn’t occurring in the last 120 years with far less economic industrialization and many fewer people. CFACT’s Paul Driessen further documented the commonality of other extreme weather events since the 1800s, which have zero correlation to planetary warming.

Wildfires in western states will continue – and worsen – not from climate “change” but until politicians cease their dereliction and overcome the radical Green movement by clearing deadwood throughout American forests. Blaming such fires on a half- to one-degree warmer climate in the last 40 years is absurd and unfounded.

With all the available science and history on the planet’s climate and weather events, combined with the litany of bogus climate predictions, why do so many charlatans and politicians from the president on down persist? There are many reasons, including the aforementioned political agenda, the money-making climate cottage industry influence, and lack of scrutiny by the media.

There also is, I contend, the narcissism effect. Narcissism has several characteristics that are replete among politicians. One need not have actual narcissistic personality disorder with its critical mass of behaviors to exude narcissism. Rather, narcissistic conduct I believe fuels fantastical climate assertions, especially from politicians.

Narcissistic traits include grandiosity, self-importance, attention seeking and need for control (including manipulation). Narcissistic people often also react angrily when challenged. They typically display these traits through pretension and dishonesty that fuels their desire for power and stature.

Hear politicians like President Biden, Representative Pallone and so many others discuss the supposed urgency of dealing with climate; they want you to believe they have the power to “heal” the planet. Can one act more grandiose and self-important?

Narcissism is pervasive in American society, especially in the political class that governs us. It is rampantly in evidence in pushing climate polices politicians claim will alter Earth itself. Narcissists are typically charming and accomplished individuals, but not rational. Neither is the increasing lunacy of climate politics.

Author

Peter Murphy is Senior Fellow at CFACT. He has researched and advocated for a variety of policy issues, including education reform and fiscal policy, both in the non-profit sector and in government in the administration of former New York Governor George Pataki. He previously wrote and edited The Chalkboard weblog for the NY Charter Schools Association, and has been published in numerous media outlets, including The Hill, New York Post, Washington Times and the Wall Street Journal. Twitter: @PeterMurphy26 Website: https://www.petermurphylgs.com/

From cfact.org