“Earth’s Climate System Is Ridiculously Complex – With Draft Link Tutorial“ (June 30th, 2011). I’m waaay behind commenting on Anthony Watts’ anti-science, but this post recently came to my attention. Gosh, if the Earth’s climate is so “ridiculously complex” how could we possibly really know anything? We might hurt our thinkin’ muscles trying to figger it out.
The Earth rotates! It orbits the Sun! There’s gravity! The Sun shines! Volcanoes and hot springs are hot! Cosmic rays rain down, as do comets! Funny, I didn’t notice any references to the much-discussed greenhouse effect.
Most importantly; even though the Earth’s climate is “ridiculously complex” it is absolutely clear that all changes are completely natural.
WUWT reader and obsessive googler “Just The Facts” has assembled a collection of mainly Wikipedia entries to prove this point, but it seems to me that he’s unintentionally shown the exact opposite. Climate scientists are well aware of our climate’s complexity, and are able to integrate the processes quite well. Thanks, Facts.
Of course denialists are waging a fighting retreat using the “complexity” and “imperfection” arguments, so a huge list of anything is useful for waving in the air. I think Winnie-the-Pooh said it best:
“When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.”
Climate scientist Michael Tobis tries to inject a little reality to the comments, but faces a determined onslaught of ignorance as well as the usual passive-aggressive moderation by Anthony and his staff. Eventually solar scientist Leif Svalgaard gets chokes on the ignorance and starts correcting them.
The comment by “Thomas S”, third one in, wins today’s booby prize: “Holy….!! This post will go down in history as the post that killed the AGW debate once in for all.” I wouldn’t put money on that, Thomas.
Wott's Up With That? 
Thanks for the quote from Winnie the Pooh–it’s great!–Regards, Tom Gray, Wind Energy Communications Consultant
[Seems to encapsulate a lot of denialism, doesn’t it? – Ben]
That is a big list.
1. Energy sources outside the atmosphere and hydrosphere (variable) ->
2. Local Maxima and Minima of Energy Levels on Earth ->
3. Energy sinks (variable, since the cosmic background radiation is variable.)
Ben, if someone were to have too much time (not me, I hastily add!), he could collect all the “final nail in the coffin of AGW”-type reactions on WUWT. Me thinks it’s going to be a very, very long list!
[It’s a fascinating phenomena. I hold out a faint possibility that someone’s pulling Anthony’s leg, but most likely it’s a sad illumination of the intelligence of Anthony’s supporters. – Ben]
Too little knowledge on any subject, is a dangerous thing.
(scratches head/face palm)
“This post will go down in history as the post that killed the AGW debate once in for all.”
It’s nice to see their motivation exposed: Kill the debate.
[Their desperate need. Otherwise, the secret world government will restrict their freedoms! – Ben]
Argument from Incredulity: the world is simply too big, and we are too small, to have any discernable impact on the climate. Look, it has wind and everything!
[The “big world” argument is the sign of a small mind! – Ben]
Fortunately, it seems like Watts and company are punting here.