Munich Re sinks lower than 'science by press release,' and goes for science by climate terror headline--but buried in the release Munich Re says they found no CO2 link to US thunderstorms

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4/10/13, "Fool Me Once: Munich Re's Thunderstorm Claims," Roger Pielke, Jr.

Following is Munich Re 4/8/13 headline:

"So let's recap:

Munich Re claimed to have discovered the first "climate change footprint" in economic loss data.

That was incorrect.

Munich Re claimed in the headline of the press release announcing SEFS13 that "climate change effects increasingly influencing US thunderstorms."

That turns out not to be supported by the paper, which actually concludes the opposite.

SEFS13 argues a causal mechanism between increasing humidity, thunderstorm variability and by extension, to normalized losses.

The paper fails to report that in the region where most US thunderstorm activity and damage has occurred, the data shows no change in humidity 1973 to 1999 -- undercutting its core argument. The paper reports data for an accompanying region where there has been an increase in humidity, but very few losses. 

Misleading public claims. An over-hyped press release. A paper which neglects to include materially relevant and contradictory information central to its core argument. All in all, just a normal day in climate science!" 

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From Munich Re press release: "The current study has not been able to conclusively attribute the variability in severe thunderstorm forcing situations and losses to either natural climate variability or anthropogenic climate change."

Roger Pielke, Jr.: "Got that? The paper says nothing conclusive about attribution. It is not an "initial climate change footprint." It does not support the claim that "climate change effects increasingly influencing US thunderstorm losses." via Climate Depot

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Ed. note: It has never been about science or facts.


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