“Shattered Consensus” by Patrick J. Michaels: A challenge to the global warming narrative
09/12/2025 / By Belle Carter
In “Shattered Consensus: The True State of Global Warming,” Patrick J. Michaels, a former president of the American Association of State Climatologists, challenges the prevailing narrative on global warming, questioning the evidence, methodology and motivations of those advocating for urgent action.
Michaels targets the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), particularly the “hockey stick” graph, which suggests recent temperatures are the warmest in the past 1,000 years. He argues that the graph is based on flawed methodology and manipulated data, citing discrepancies in the archived data of the original study.
Michaels contends that the IPCC has underestimated the impact of urbanization on temperature records, suggesting that some warming may be due to the urban heat island effect rather than solely to greenhouse gas emissions. He also emphasizes the role of natural climate variability, arguing that solar changes, rather than human activities, are the primary drivers of recent warming.
Michaels criticizes the reliance on climate models, which he believes produce inconsistent predictions and fail to account for factors like natural variability and the role of clouds. He disputes the notion that global warming is leading to an increase in severe weather events, citing studies that show no significant trend in the frequency or intensity of hurricanes, tornadoes or other severe weather events.
Michaels’ book serves as a reminder of the importance of critical thinking and open-mindedness in the climate change debate. He urges readers to question assumptions and consider a wide range of perspectives before making policy decisions, advocating for a more nuanced and evidence-based approach to climate science.
In the ongoing debate over climate change, few voices have been as persistent and provocative as that of Patrick J. Michaels. In his latest work, “Shattered Consensus: The True State of Global Warming,” Michaels, a former president of the American Association of State Climatologists, takes aim at what he perceives as the flawed and politically charged science underpinning the global warming consensus.
https://www.climate.news/2025-09-12-shattered-consensus-by-patrick-j-michaels.html
