Rahmstorf rebuffed

The Potsdam Institute physicist whose 2007 paper Ross Garnaut relied on for his assertion that "on the balance of probabilities" CO₂-driven warming was accelerating dangerously, has been exposed as a scientific gadfly.

At the time of the publication of Garnaut's interim report, several well-qualified sceptics disputed Rahmstorf's projetions, including David Stockwell, Lucia Liljegren and Steve McIntyre with strong support from former Australian statistician Ian Castles. Ian also kindly supported my request to the Statistical Society of Australia to evaluate the Rahmstorf methodology in the interests of better informed public debate on Garnaut's recommendations (they eventually declined).

Now, A UK Met Office researcher and oceanographers have harshly criticised Stefan Rahmstorf for his extravagant prediction that warming would lead to sea-level rises of 1.88 meters by the end of the century.

"Critic Simon Holgate, a sea-level expert at the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory, Merseyside, has written to Science magazine, attacking Professor Rahmstorf's work as 'simplistic'.

'Rahmstorf's real skill seems to be in publishing extreme papers just before big conferences like Copenhagen, when they are guaranteed attention,' Dr Holgate said." Extract from Sea-level theory cuts no ice | The Australian

Interesting to note Rahmstorf's weasly response to the criticism, reported at the end of The Australian's story.

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