Ignorance Levels Continue to Rise In Hyman's Head

It would be nice if Mark Hyman bothered to learn even the most basic facts about the topics he discusses in his editorials.

But until he actually bothers to do a minute’s worth of research on a subject, you can’t even debate the guy.

Take a look at Hyman’s latest “Point” for an example. He’s trying hard to come up with an argument that mocks Al Gore’s film “An Inconvenient Truth” and the scientific conclusions it shares with its audience.

In an editorial segment that apparently doubles as his audition tape for a slot at the Chuckle Hut Comedy Club, Hyman points out that astronomers have discovered that Mars is going through a planet-wide rise in temperature, part of a periodic fluctuation in the Martian global climate.

Mark “Slappy” Hyman jokes that Al Gore would probably blame this on “his source of all that is evil—Americans":

He will blame the Martian global warming on Ohio housewives using
hairspray, North Carolinians mowing their lawns too often and that one Illinois
house builder driving a pick-up truck instead of loading his tools into the back
of a 2-seater Honda hybrid.

He also makes the assertion that “Gore won't be able to accept the inconvenient truth that Earth's ozone layer is getting better.”

Here’s the thing, Mark: not only are you mocking scientific findings about the sudden rise in the Earth’s temperature that no single peer reviewed study has contradicted (925 studies have confirmed global warming, 0 have contradicted it) , but you display a complete lack of familiarity with the position you attack.

How do I know this? In his film, Al Gore *does* talk about the ozone layer getting better. Far from not accepting it, he holds it up as proof of what we can do to reverse global environmental issues. Thanks to regulations on emissions of the chemicals that weakened the ozone layer, the ozone layer *is* getting better.

To quote the film itself, Gore says, "We can turn [global warming] around just as we reversed the hole in the ozone layer. But it takes action right now, and politicians in every nation must have the courage to do what is necessary. It is not a political issue. It is a moral issue."

The depletion of the ozone layer and global warming are separate phenomena, Mark. That’s something you would know if you had bothered to see the film that you are attacking.

Which raises the question: why should anyone take a word out of your mouth seriously when you haven’t even bothered to educate yourself on the most elementary aspects of the issue, let alone actually watch the film you are critiquing?

Roger Ebert said of “An Inconvenient Truth”:

In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they
are: You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have
grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to.

You, Mark, have a much heavier weight on your shoulders. You’ll have to explain to your grandchildren not only why you didn’t see the film, but why you decided to attack the established facts it presents without even bothering to learn anything about the topic. (Maybe you could at least do them the favor of telling them not to move to Florida, a large chunk of which will be flooded if global warming isn’t reversed soon.)

And as for your attempt at humor, don’t quit your day job.

Well . . . on second thought, perhaps you should.

And that’s The Counterpoint.

Hyman Index: 4.48