In the wake of the typhoon that hit the Philippines, George Clooney has said that arguments against global warming are “stupid” and “ridiculous.” So where has Clooney been during this year’s very quiet hurricane season?

“Nearly one year after Hurricane Sandy ravaged the East Coast, the 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season has not produced a single land-falling hurricane in the U.S. Instead of having above-average storm activity, as the seasonal hurricane outlooks unanimously called for, the season has been quiet — notable for its inactivity.”

The earth has been around for a long time. It’s difficult to say whether this or that weather event is the worst or best we’ve ever seen since we don’t have records of best and worst weather events. There’s an interesting storm story in the New Testament book of Acts that went on for days:

“The next day as we were being violently storm-tossed, they began to jettison the cargo; on the third day [of the storm] they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned” (27:18-20).

It is the height of academic arrogance to assume that our time and place in history is unique and the only time that matters. No one really knows why the weather does what it does. There is no single cause. There’s no way to prove that man-made greenhouse gases are the culprit.

For all we know the Sun – that big hot star about 93 million miles from earth – might play a role. Scientists are perplexed with what they’re seeing on the Sun:

“Something is up with the sun. Scientists say that solar activity is stranger than in a century or more, with the Sun producing barely half the number of sunspots as expected and its magnetic poles oddly out of sync.”

Could the Sun have something to do with earth’s weather patterns?  The Sun’s impact can’t be a factor since the government can’t control and tax the Sun.

Clooney went on to say, “If you have 99 percent of doctors who tell you ‘you are sick,’ and one percent that says ‘you’re fine,’ you probably want to hang out with, check it up for the 99.”

Is this like Copernicus and Galileo contra mundum?

Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry character said, “A man’s got to know his limitations,” and George Clooney does not know his scientific knowledge limitations. It’s more than one percent:

“Only 36 percent of geoscientists and engineers believe that humans are creating a global warming crisis, according to a survey reported in the peer-reviewed Organization Studies. By contrast, a strong majority of the 1,077 respondents believe that nature is the primary cause of recent global warming and/or that future global warming will not be a very serious problem.”

 Of course nature is the cause. Nature has always been the cause. The human impact is negligible.

If Mr. Clooney is so convinced of his position, I’m sure he would be willing to debate the subject. Godfather Politics would gladly sponsor a debate between Mr. Clooney and a “stupid” and “ridiculous” global warming skeptic. How about it, George? The offer is open. You can contact me at info@godfatherpolitics.com

When we’re done, we can’t talk about movies. I loved you in Gravity.