Sea Level Rise Is A Myth: The Land Is Actually Sinking | Daryl Ritchison

Episode Overview

• This episode features a debate between a host citing mainstream climate data and a guest challenging the interpretation of that data, specifically regarding sea level rise and extreme weather events.
• The central narrative revolves around the reliability of modern satellite data versus historical tide gauge records, with the guest arguing that long-term trends do not show the acceleration often reported in the media.
• The discussion provides a perspective on climate skepticism that acknowledges warming and sea level rise but disputes the rate of change and the attribution of extreme weather to human activity, making it relevant for listeners interested in the nuances of climate data analysis and contrarian viewpoints.

Key Concepts

• Data Methodology Differences: The guest argues that a discrepancy exists between traditional tidal gauge data (which he claims shows a steady rate of sea level rise) and newer satellite data (which shows acceleration). He suggests that merging these two distinct datasets violates the scientific method and introduces errors due to calibration adjustments and algorithm changes.
• Subsidence vs. Sea Level Rise: A critical distinction is made between absolute sea level rise and relative sea level rise caused by land sinking. The guest points to Louisiana as an example where sediment flow changes cause the land to sink, creating the illusion of rapid sea level rise, rather than the water volume increasing dramatically.
• Historical Climate Context: The guest emphasizes the importance of long-term historical context, arguing that current warming trends should be compared to previous warm periods like the Roman and Medieval Warm Periods (where agriculture thrived at higher latitudes) rather than just the late 1800s, to better understand natural climate cycles versus man-made warming.
• Urban Heat Island Effect: The guest posits that reported increases in heat waves and extreme temperatures are often a result of urbanization (concrete and population density trapping heat) rather than a global climatic shift, suggesting that local environmental changes skew global temperature datasets.

Quotes

• At 0:08 - "The sea level increase has not accelerated in the last hundred years. It's at its same steady pace it's always has been for the last several hundred years." - This quote establishes the guest's core argument: he is not denying the rise, but rather the acceleration of that rise.
• At 3:03 - "Then you get satellites thrown up there and then, 'Oh, now we're going to start using satellites,' but the calibration of those are far from perfect... you need to look and examine how things are put together better." - This highlights the guest's skepticism regarding the transition from physical gauges to remote sensing technology and the potential for data manipulation or error during that switch.
• At 5:01 - "There are man-made attributions out there, which I will not even come close to denying, but there are also natural cycles that sometimes get ignored in the mix too." - This quote clarifies the guest's position as one of nuance rather than total denial, advocating for a balance between acknowledging human impact and recognizing historical natural variability.

Takeaways

• Scrutinize the source and methodology of climate data when evaluating conflicting reports; specifically, check if datasets from different measurement technologies (like gauges vs. satellites) have been merged.
• Distinguish between local environmental factors (like land subsidence or urban heat islands) and global climate trends when analyzing reports of local flooding or heatwaves.
• Look for long-term measuring trends (100+ years) rather than short-term averages (17 years) to avoid "moving the goalposts" or being misled by natural variability in weather cycles.