Open letter to Professor Anastasios Tsonis: Are you serious?

{I'm just a working guy and writing is a hobby so to speak, so please excuse the rough edges. 
But some of these issues and deceptive practices need to be exposed.
As for the writing I hope this evening's edits have helped a bit.   9/20/2013}
Also see  Prof. Anastasios Tsonis: The Art Of Misdirection (open letter 2)
Professor Anastasios Tsonis replies plus comments (open letter 3)
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I would like to share the following open letter.

Professor Anastasios Tsonis,

We have exchanged a few emails and I must say I am very disappointed by your evasion.  A couple fundamental questions regarding the general scientific understanding of Earth's geophysical processes and you turn silent as a salt pillar.  

While our email exchange has taught me nothing about global warming, it has given me another insight into the perplexing mind of your typical denialist type.

It all started with a pal waiving a quote of yours in my face: "We are already in a cooling trend, which I think will continue for the next 15 years at least. There is no doubt the warming of the 1980s and 1990s has stopped."

When I investigated I discovered that you were considered a distinguished professor in your field.  That's when I decided to write you and ask about the statement.  In truth, I was expecting a bit of explanation that would reveal that your words were taken out of context and that they did not actually mean you believed our planet's warming trend had reversed itself.

Just in case I was wrong, I included these questions:

          "Weren't the 2000s the warmest decade on record?"

          "Where does that claim leave the matter of 'greenhouse gases' and the imbalance in Earth's radiative budget?"

          "What about the heat that is being absorbed by the oceans?"
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To my surprise you acknowledged the quote and it's implication that greenhouse gas driven global warming had actually stopped and reversed itself.

To my first question, you suggested the top of the mountain is always the highest point and that it means nothing, since we are now going down the other side.  - Sort of weird logic... if the warming of the 80s, 90s stopped - how can the 2000s be warmer than the "top of the mountain" 90s?  {Sounds like a variation on that denier's optical illusion know as the "global temperature escalator" }

You altogether ignored the question regarding our planet's radiation budget imbalance: "I don't have a comment on this. It's an open question"

To the third question, about the increasing heat being stored in the oceans, you reply "it is another argument without solid proof."  

I guess here we can go into a philosophical discussion regarding "solid proof".  I mean, it can be argued that there is no "solid proof" the sun will rise tomorrow morning, either.  

In my email, I politely asked for a more detailed response, you said you were too busy to answer any such questions.  But, that doesn't seem to be stopping you from going around making claims that can only be interpreted as denying the basics of well known GHG geophysical facts!  You compound the impression of deceit by denying ARGO deep ocean observations.  Not to mention that you are ignoring our planet's cryosphere observations.

HOW can you justify ignoring such huge chunks of fundamental evidence and understanding?

It makes me wonder, Professor Tsonis, what happened along your path?  
A distinguished professor now willfully ignoring important evidence. Why?

What events in your life so degraded your commitment to honest and open scientific discussion?  

From my perspective, your professional trajectory seems to have split off into that Crichtonesque paperback-writer's realm of political story-telling mode - that is, an "artiste" who feels free to pick and choose facts - as is convenient for his storyline.  As opposed to the serious "learning" motived scientist.

I'm no scientist but I know the overwhelming evidence indicates that the ARGO ocean sensing system, together with earlier ocean observations, present clear and solid evidence that oceans, have indeed warmed at accelerated rates.  

Sure... one can haggle about exact fine-tuned numbers and fringe issues to no end - but, such misdirection doesn't alter any of the known facts.

Professor Tsonis, the thing I'm trying to wrap my head around is: 
What are your recent pronouncements all about?  What inspired them?                     
What are you trying to accomplish?

Why do you feel justified ignoring reams worth of important climatological information?
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Here are some easy reading articles and links that present the evidence at hand.  
OK, it is at the layperson's level - But, don't discount it! 

Truth is, the supporting scientific data and papers and arguments would drown regular folks.   That's why we need professionals to help translate.  Those who are interested can learn a great deal from all this information.  But, instead we get characters, playing games focused on keeping the public confused. 

You claim to be a scientist, yet feel free to present an incomplete story intent on making gullible people believe it's OK to ignore all this information - in favor of juvenile cherry-picked arguments.   

But, the evidence does exist... and what we ignore will hurt us and our children!

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Ocean Temperature

http://www.climatehotmap.org/global-warming-effects/ocean-temperature.html

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World's oceans are getting warmer, faster

Roz Pidcock | 25 Mar 2013, 

http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2013/03/worlds-oceans-are-getting-warmer-faster

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Argo research papers submitted or in press

http://www.argo.ucsd.edu/Argo_research_in_press.html

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New Study Finds Ocean Warmed Significantly Since 1993 - (05.19.2010)

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/mls20100519.html

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Trenberth can't account for the lack of warming

http://www.skepticalscience.com/Kevin-Trenberth-travesty-cant-account-for-the-lack-of-warming-advanced.htm

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Next I present a lecture by Professor Dean Roemmich of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography about the interesting history of tracking deep ocean temperatures; a history that happen to go back to Darwin's days.  

On the one hand, there is a compelling accumulation of evidence reflecting that oceans have been experiencing a warming trend for more than a century.  

On the other hand, it's true the evidence presented, wouldn't be enough to convict a person of a capital offense, or to build a rocket.  

But, then we are talking "Earth Sciences" and not "Physics and Engineering Science."  

Understand what I'm trying to say here?  Let me spell it out - it is dishonest to apply the standards used in basic Physics with the realities of understanding our Earth's geophysical operations.

Mr. Tsonis, contrary to your cynical claim, climatologists and other scientists have a damned good handle on what is going on within our atmosphere.  As any objective evaluation of climatological evidence makes absolutely clear.  Namely, increased atmospheric Greenhouse Gas concentrations are driving our "Global Heat Distribution Engine" (read climate) into more energetic realms.

We live in a the real world that demands recognizing the reality around us for what it is - then reacting to what we know to the best of our abilities.  

Our daily lives are not about focusing on and worrying about every loose-end or potential pit-fall.  In fact, obsessing over every inconsequential detail can cross over into actual mental illness and in any event is often quite counter-productive to living a happy productive life.  

The point I'm trying to make is that in the real world, we move forward, we must act on less than perfect knowledge and then dance the dance of life, to the best of our abilities.  Hopefully learning along the way - and keeping 'it' constructive rather than destructive.

135 Years of Global Ocean Warming - Perspectives on Ocean Science

UCTV - Sep 6, 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIayxdrX17g

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Also see: The Role of the Oceans in Climate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQOIHdlZngk

Kevin Trenberth: Senior Scientist and Head of the Climate Analysis Section

National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado. 

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As for Earth's radiation budget - it is simple and understandable physics  - Earth does continue warming, even if selected surface temperature records indicate a "slow-slow." 

Here are a collection of links to various serious descriptive articles at Science of Doom  (don't let the dramatic name fool you; they have very serious physics on their mind.) 

SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2013 

Science of Doom - understanding the physics of global warming 

http://citizenschallenge.blogspot.com/2013/05/science-of-doom-understanding-physics.html 

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013
CO2 – An Insignificant Trace Gas? The Science of Doom 

http://citizenschallenge.blogspot.com/2013/01/co2-insignificant-trace-gas-science-of.html

Professor Tsonis,
Here are links to a series of videos with layperson friendly explanations of the various points regarding the Earth's radiation budget, information that in your attack on clear scientific understanding you feel the need to hide away from the public. 
(H/T to Greenfyre)

CO2 Myths 

MYTH: Climate change is good for plants and crops 

Don’t it make my Green World Brown: 

CO2 and plant growth 

MYTH: Water vapour, not CO2 is driving climate change 

The Big Mist Take 

MYTH: CO2 is not driving climate change 

Sense from Deniers on CO2? Don’t hold your breath…. 

MYTH: The “lag” shows CO2 does not cause climate change 

The “Temp leads Carbon” Crock 

MYTH: Since it is a natural gas CO2 is harmless 

A Natural By-Product of Nature 

Global Cooling Myths 

MYTH: Climate change ended in 1998 aka decade of cooling
Heatwave Edition Part 1
Heatwave Edition Part 2
“1998 Revisited”
Party like it’s 1998 

MYTH: Scientist Mojib Latif predicts decade of a decade of cooling
“Birth of a Climate Crock” 

MYTH: Sea levels are not rising, or not like they said
All Wet on Sea Level rise 

MYTH: 30,000 scientists signed a petition
The great Petition Fraud: 

MYTH: Other planets warming prove it’s the sun
Mars Attacks!! 

MYTH: Weather stations are unreliable
Watts Up With Watts?
The “Urban Heat Island” Crock 

MYTH: They were predicting global cooling in the 1970s
“I Love the 70s!!”: CAUTION: may contain disco music  

MYTH: It’s a natural 1500 year cycle
That 1500 Year Thing 

MYTH: “The Hockey Stick” is broken
Medieval Warming? (& the Hockey Stick) 

MYTH: It’s the Sun &/or Sunspots
Solar Schmolar: Debunking the “It’s the Sun” fable 

MYTH: A cold day in ____ proves climate change isn’t happening
“It’s cold. So there’s no Climate Change”

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The original correspondence between Professor Tsonis and myself:

my first email to Prof. Tsonis:

On Sep 11, 2013, at 10:32 AM:

Dear Professor Anastasios Tsonis,

The internet is all a buzz with a quote that is being credited to you.

"We are already in a cooling trend, which I think will continue for the next 15 years at least. There is no doubt the warming of the 1980s and 1990s has stopped."

Is that an accurate reflection of what you believe?

If it is, may I ask:

Weren't the 2000s the warmest decade on record?

Where does that claim leave the matter of GHGs and the imbalance in Earth's radiative budget?

What about the heat that is being absorbed by the oceans?

Thank you for your time and hopefully interest

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Prof. Tsonis reply to my first email:

On Wed, Sep 11, 2013 at 9:51 AM:

Anastasios Tsonis wrote:

Dear Peter 

Yes this my quote. 

As for your question: at the end of the century we were sitting on the highest global temperature value of the modern record. Since then we have leveled off and we may in fact be cooling. "We have reached the top of the mountain", therefore it's not surprising that the last decade is one of the warmest on record. Think about it!  The important aspect is that the warming of the 80s and 90s has stopped and the models missed it completely! The important issue is that we have entered a new regime in global temperature tendency. In fact, I find it very misleading that scientists will present "the warmest decade" argument to justify their beliefs (or failures).

Regarding the oceans absorbing heat, it is another argument without solid proof. 

Best

Prof. Tsonis

Sent from my iPhone

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my second email to Prof. Tsonis:

On Sep 11, 2013, at 2:11 PM:

Dear Professor Tsonis,

Thank you for taking the time to share that interesting information.

Would have a comment regarding this question:

Where does that claim leave the matter of GHGs and the imbalance in Earth's radiative budget?

Best Wishes,

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Prof. Tsonis's reply to my second email:

On Wed, Sep 11, 2013 at 1:19 PM:

Anastasios Tsonis wrote:

I don't have a comment on this. It's an open question 

Sent from my iPhone

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my third email to Prof. Tsonis:

On Sep 16, 2013, at 10:47 AM:

Dear Professor Tsonis,

I've had a few days to think about your reply and am confused.  May I ask your patience and bring up few more questions?

Can you please describe this "new regime in global temperature tendency" you say we have entered?  

What are it's hallmarks?

You say "We have reached the top of the mountain" but that doesn't make sense to me considering trends in ice sheet and glacier melting.  There hasn't been a slow down in melting after the 80s and 90s steep surface temperature rise.  And from a number of studies it seems that increasingly warmer ocean currents are eating away at the bottoms of sheet ice and grounded glaciers.

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You say: "Regarding the oceans absorbing heat, it is another argument without solid proof."

But, everything I've been reading about the ARGO float system indicates that initial bugs have been worked out and that it is running well and that the incoming observation data does indeed show ocean warming at various depths.

Do you accept the ARGO results - or are there specific issues that cause you to reject the ARGO data?

Recently I came across this article by John Abraham "Abraham et al. (2013) explore the known unknowns in the oceans and global warming."  It's a summation and I have not read the actual paper - and would problem find myself out of my depth if I tried - but I do trust his summation to honestly reflect what is in the paper itself.  You can find this article at http://www.skepticalscience.com/abraham-2013-known-unknowns.html

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One last question, it seems that this central issue of Earth's radiative budget/balance and observations deserves more than a "No Comment."  Please, do you have anything more to offer regarding this question?

Where does that (Earth's cooling) claim leave the matter of GHGs and the imbalance in Earth's radiative budget?

Do you have any thoughts regarding the 2009 paper:

"An observationally based energy balance for the Earth since 1950"

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2009JD012105/abstract

I thank you for your time.

Best Wishes,

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Prof. Tsonis reply to my third email:

Anastasios Tsonis, Sep 16, 2013

Dear Peter 

I am dealing with a lot of people all over the world and I try to reply as much as I can. I simply don't have the time to get into an endless conversation. Sorry

Prof. Tsonis 

Sent from my iPhone

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PS

http://citizenschallenge.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-video-and-lecture-tour-of-our-global.html

http://citizenschallenge.blogspot.com/2013/04/videos-of-scientists-lectures-global.html

http://citizenschallenge.blogspot.com/2013/04/more-videos-what-we-knew-in-1988-plus.html

http://citizenschallenge.blogspot.com/2013/04/more-videos-machinery-of-climate-anti.html