Cognitive Dissonance and Outright Lies at the Edge of Extinction

In recent weeks and months I have been amazed at the general public and most scientists ability to ignore the blatant evidence that we are in early stage, non-linear runaway warming. From individual activists, to the donation soaked and addicted corporate NGO’s, who are literally dependent on “Business as Usual” to maintain their cash flows, they ignore the elephant in the room, squandering vital time to prepare for the already unfolding collapse.
On an individual basis the decision to deny the severity of the situation is up to each persons conscience and/or courage to accept the predicament we find ourselves in but when it comes to research universities and their tenured scientists, governments and the large NGO’s it’s a ‘Dereliction of Duty’ for them not to be ‘completely frank’. That for me is abject dishonesty, especially toward the youth. I’ve previously singled out Dr Michael E Mann, the corporate media’s ‘Go To Mann’, for this dishonesty.
Cognitive
Below I will lay out just a few examples showing that we are in the runaway phase of this extinction event.
This fire season alone, “Australia’s wildfires have destroyed more than a fifth of the country’s forests, making the blazes “globally unprecedented” following a years-long drought linked to climate change, researchers said Monday.” Bushfires burned a fifth of Australia’s forest: Bushfires burned a fifth of Australia’s forest: study   Remember this is not an El Nino year, the next El Nino, if we have one, will be brutal and will put this event on steroids. The double feedback from these fires is that the forests were formerly carbon sinks so that has been lost and all the carbon that has ben released will accentuate the predicament.

In August last year Professor Guy McPherson and I re-interviewed Dr Andrew Glikson from the Australian National University regarding an article he wrote titled:Beyond Climate Tipping Points: Greenhouse Gas Levels Exceed the Stability Limit of the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets

The pace of global warming has been grossly underestimated. As the world keeps increasing its carbon emissions rising in 2018 to a record 33.1 billion ton COper year, the atmospheric greenhouse gas level has now exceeded 560 ppm (parts per million) CO2equivalent, namely when methane and nitric oxide are included. This level surpasses the stability threshold of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. The term “climate change“ is thus no longer appropriate, since what is happening in the atmosphere-ocean system, accelerating over the last 70 years or so, is an abrupt calamity on a geological dimension threatening nature and civilization. Ignoring what the science says, the powers-that-be are presiding over the sixth mass extinction of species, including humanity.”
Links to the article and our interview with the exceptionally honest Dr Glikson can be found embedded below; Tipping Points in the Earth Climate System. Dr Andrew Glikson returns to Nature Bats Last

We are on the cusp of witnessing a sea ice free arctic ocean. The consequences of the albedo feedback loop and other side effects of the loss of sea ice like loss of habitat for algae, krill, sea lions, sea birds and polar bears. “Losing the remaining Arctic sea ice and its ability to reflect incoming solar energy back to space would be equivalent to adding one trillion tons of CO2 to the atmosphere, on top of the 2.4 trillion tons emitted since the Industrial Age, according to current and former researchers from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego.”

“At current rates, this roughly equates to 25 years of global CO2 emissions.For further reference see: ”Cascading Consequences of the Loss of Arctic Sea Ice

My cohost on Nature Bats Last recently commented on this aspect of the unraveling titled: “Edge of Extinction: Scientists don’t know why !!

“To believe that our species can avoid extinction, even as non-human vertebrates and non-human mammals disappear, is classic human hubris wrapped in a warm blanket of myth-based human supremacy. The evidence indicates humans will join the annihilation of “all life on earth,” as reported in the journal literature on 13 November 2018. Even tardigrades, the go-to survivor for those who deny the impacts of abrupt climate change on life, are unlikely to survive, according to a paper in the 9 January 2020 issue of Scientific Reports. If the organisms on which we depend do not survive, if even tardigrades do not survive, then humans will not survive.” Quoted from this article published by Counterpunch titled: Extinction Foretold, Extinction Ignored.

On next weeks episode of Nature Bats Last Professor McPherson and I will be interviewing  George Tsakraklides on his recent article titled “Collapse means Collapse.”the interview can be found at the NBL archive shortly after the live broadcast on The Progressive Radio Network.
‘People believe what they want to believe. It is a striking-yet all too familiar-fact about human beings that our belief-forming processes can be so distorted by fears, desires, and prejudices that an otherwise sensible person may sincerely uphold a false claim about the world despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. When we describe someone as being “in denial,” we mean that he or she is personally threatened by some set of facts and consequently fails to assess the situation properly according to the evidence, instead arguing and interpreting evidence in light of a pre-established conclusion.’
— From the ‘cover notes’ of Adrian Bardon’s book, THE TRUTH ABOUT DENIAL

As I have written before: The New Climate Denial Position is to deny Abrupt Climate Change. 

28/05.2025 Edit:

The Terrifying Theory of Stupidity You Were Never Meant to Hear – Dietrich Bonhoeffer




 

Unknown's avatar

I'm an anti-imperialist, environmental activist and blue ocean sailor, who is passionate about the earth and all it's inhabitants without favour. Brace for imminent impact as we bare witness to the non-linear unraveling of the biosphere and habitability disappearing for most if not all complex life on the only habitable planet we know of. To quote President Niinistö in North Russia: ‘If We Lose the Arctic, We Lose the World’. Folks we have lost the Arctic.

Posted in Early Stage Runaway, George Tsakraklides, Nature Bats Last, Near Term Human Extinction--NTHE, Professor Guy McPherson
84 comments on “Cognitive Dissonance and Outright Lies at the Edge of Extinction
    • sealintheselkirks's avatar sealintheselkirks says:

      It has a paywall so I couldn’t read more than the first paragraph but that said enough. Remember Kevin, technology will save us!

      And of course Orwell could have written this. He was cynical enough don’t you think?

      Ain’t gonna get better is what I’m thinking…

      sealintheSelkirks

      Liked by 1 person

  1. Kevin Hester's avatar Kevin Hester says:

    I used to admire Zeke many years ago but since he started making babies he’s lost all credibility.
    Quote: “even if we start rapid emissions reductions tomorrow we will very likely pass 1.5C by the early 2030s (and would pass 2C in the early 2050s under current policies).”
    This is complete nonsense and Zeke knows it.
    Using 1750 as a baseline we are well past 2C.
    SRM scares the hell out of me as wars could be fought over it, plus of course once started it has to continue, effectively forever.
    The grasping of straws at the edge of extinction is incredible.
    Cognitive Dissonance prevails.

    https://www.theclimatebrink.com/p/the-geoengineering-question?fbclid=IwAR1MV4iHw0TnSxvcmRUjZaCxLMiKnM3M2v8lpTrB__Ld7ellp0x-k1GN9eA

    Like

    • sealintheselkirks's avatar sealintheselkirks says:

      Can’t read it, subscription only and I don’t have the income to subscribe to everything being a retired old guy surfer dude.

      sealintheSelkirks

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Kevin Hester's avatar Kevin Hester says:

    Lying to Ourselves at The End of The World

    Why the denial keeps getting worse.

    Lying to Ourselves at The End of The World (okdoomer.io)

    Like

  3. Kevin Hester's avatar Kevin Hester says:

    Cognitive dissonance appears at the 14-minute mark, George on point as always.
    Post-Growth Australia Podcast: Beyond the Petri Dish with George Tsakraklides

    Like

  4. sealintheselkirks's avatar sealintheselkirks says:

    Not cognitive dissonance from the speaker I’m assuming because I agree with him that it’s always about the wants of the Capitalist wealthy that are funding research. Big impacts on outcomes that are often subtle I’m guessing…

    But climate science is starting to sound like a broken record because nobody is paying attention anymore? And it’s the scientists fault that people are, as Trump gushed and I quote: I LOVE the under-educated?

    How are they supposed to ‘spice the information up’ to attract their attention? Science is just so boring compared to re-runs of the Game of Thrones, sports programs, and their damned cell phones!

    The problem I see is that there just isn’t enough curiosity in the general population to want to ask questions, to WANT to know ‘abstract’ knowledge about anything beyond their immediate gratification. We’re slow evolving primates, if we can’t eat it or fuck it who cares, right?

    Facts are powerful? No, they’re not.

    Well hell, the disasters just aren’t big enough!! As I said in my other post today, let’s see a million dead in the US from one storm in one city with plenty more in the surrounding areas adding to the carnage; bobbing white babies this time floating in the grimy polluted water wearing red MAGA hats and beautiful blonde socialites in the latest Paris fashions right alongside of them. Will that get the public interested?

    Probably not. In general our species is not very observant nor is it gifted with high intelligence…and is never educated to it’s highest potential. People that ask questions of the rulers are not really appreciated.

    Like this collapse in the US to a Nazi Germany-like Oligarchy, nothing is really going to change except for the worst because the people in control want it that way. The science of what our climate is heading into is no different and we know that deep down in our bones.

    At least those of us that still have a curiosity know. Sucks to be us, eh?

    sealintheSelkirks

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Kevin Hester's avatar Kevin Hester says:

    George, on point as always.
    “The cognitive blockage is so immense that the average human today perceives anti-growth arguments as a personal threat on their life.”

    Delusion Is The Ultimate Renewable Energy Source

    Like

  6. Kevin Hester's avatar Kevin Hester says:

    Mis An Thrope
    “for awhile now cognitive dissonance seems to have waned dramitically and we are continuing our species trend of plausible deniability. the first insinuates discomfort of which we are clearly seeing there is none based on behavioral patterns.”

    Like

  7. Kevin Hester's avatar Kevin Hester says:

    Georges latest riff seems like a good fit here.
    On hope I quote Nitsche: “Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man”

    The Tragic Limitations of Human Intelligence

    Like

Leave a Reply

Kevin Hester

Kevin Hester is currently living on Rakino Island, a small island in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland, New Zealand, monitoring the unravelling of the biosphere and volunteering at the Rakino Island Nursery is currently developing a proposal to create a marine reserve near by. The Island has no grid tied electricity or reticulated water.  I catch my own water from the roof and generate my electricity from the ample solar radiation on the island.

My Submission to the Ministry of the Environment
Kevin Hester, Dropping Anchor in an Exponential World
Follow Kevin Hester on WordPress.com
Blog Stats
  • 516,737 hits
Categories
Tags
2C 4C 5C 6th Great extinction 16 Ocean Passages Abrupt Climate Change Acidification of Oceans ai Alaska North Slope Alberta AMEG Anecdotes of Neil Finn and My Life "Colliding" Anthropogenic Climate Disruption-ACD Anthropogenic Emissions Anti-Nuclear apartheid Appearances Arctic Arctic Methane Emergency Group Arctic News Blog Arctic Sea Ice Artificial Intelligence Assassination Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation-AMOC Atmospheric CO2 Australian Greens Baseline Temperature Dishonesty Ben Norton Beril Sirmacek Bill McKibben Bleaching Event BRIC's Brush Fire Canada Capitalism Kills Captain Paul Watson Catastrophe Cenozoic Era China Chris Hani Chris Mooney Class war climate climate-change Climate-Exodus Climate Change Research Centre Climate Wars CO2 Warming Collapse communism Contagion Coral Reefs Coral Sea Cory Morningstar CounterPunch Cruise Industry Dahr Jamail David Korowicz Deep Green Resistance Dimitri Lascaris Donald Trump Doreen Fräßdorf Dr. Guy McPherson Dr. James E Hansen Dr. Mike Joy Dr. Vincent Gauci Dr Andrew Glikson Draught Dr Natalia Shakova Dying Oceans East Timor Ecocide Ecosystem collapse El Nino Endangered Dolphins energy environment Eric Draitser Erik Michaels Extinction Radio Feedback loops First Blue-Ocean Event in Arctic Food Crisis Forestry Fort McMurray Fukushima Daiichi Gaia gaza Gene Gibson Geneva Conventions genocide George Perkins Marsh global-warming Going Dark Grace Gifford Great Barrier Reef Greenland Green Movement Guests Gulf Steam Gulf Stream System Habitat Habitat Wars Harold H. Hensel health Heatwave Mass Casualties history Imperialism India Interviews Invitations IPCC IRA Ireland Ireland unfree Irish Freedom Movement Isis israel Jack Williams Jason Box Jennifer Hynes Joanna Macy John Kiriakou John McMurtry John Pilger John Schramski Joseph Mary Plunkett Karl Marx Katharine Hayhoe Katie Goodman Kevin's New Webpage Kevin Lister Kevin Trenberth Kris Van Steenbergen Larissa Waters Leon Simons Limits to Growth Livestream Mairead Farrell Malcolm Light Mangroves Mark Eakin Marshall Brain marxism Mass Marine Death Max Wilbert Mean Air Tempature Methane Michael C. Ruppert Michael Dowd Michael E Mann microplastics Mid-East Middle East Mike Sliwa Monarch Butterflies Most Abnormally Warm Month Recorded. Nafeez Ahmed Naomi Klein Nature Bats Last Nelson Mandela New Webpage New Zealand North Africa November Speaking Tour with Guy McPherson Novosibirsk Reservoir Nuclear Nuclear War Overdevelopment-Overpopulation-Overshoot P.M. Kohn Key-Eco Terrorist Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum--PETM palestine Patsy O'Hara Paul Beckwith Paul Craig Roberts Paul Ehrlich Pauline Panagiotou Schneider Pauline Schneider Paul Street Peak Oil Pepe Escobar Perfect Storm permafrost Peter Sinclair Phytoplankton plastic Plastic pollution PM John Key Podcast Politics Pollution PRN Professor Paul Beckwith Professor Peter Wadhams Prof Guy McPhersons Abrupt Climate Change Tour NZ 2016 Psychopathic Records of Air Tempatures Relief Analysis Richar Vivers RobertScribbler Robin Westenra Runaway Abrupt Climate Change Runaway Global Warming Russia Sam Carana science SeeMoreRocks Blog Seymour Hersch Siberia-Yamal-Taimyr Sinn Fein South African Communist Party South Florida Corals South Pacific Steve Bull Storms of Our Grandchildren-James E Hansen Subsea Methane Super Exponential Supply Chain Breakdown Sustainability Syria Syrian Conflict technology Temperature Anomalies TEPCO The Collapse of Industrial Civilisation The Coming War on China The Pain You Feel The Rape Of Nanking Thom Hartmann Tipping Points Titanic Tomas Reis Tour NZ 2016 Transport Truthout Ugo Bardi ukraine Umkhonto we Sizwe United Nations Updates US Presidential Elections war War Crimes Warmest February on Record Warmest Russian Winter Warnings Water Vapor Weather Channel wet-bulb temperature William Kallfelz World War World War Three
Social