A Quebec author is calling for realism and pragmatism in the climate change debate, saying “apocalyptic alarmism” is uncalled for.In her book Inconvenient Doubts – Climate Change Apocalypse : Really? Joanne Marcotte introduces readers to scientists, humanists and economists who defy the past thirty-plus years of “climate change catastrophism.”In a press release, Marcotte says her book “offers a counterweight to the climate change doctrine which claims that we are witnessing through our own fault an imminent planetary and humanitarian catastrophe. It is aimed at people who understand that science is a process of observation and discovery, not a religion.”The book takes a fresh look at questions alarmist doctrines insist is settled: What exactly is the consensus shared by the scientific community and the state of climate science? Is it warming or not? Are man-made CO2 emissions really the sole responsible of climate change? Are extreme meteorological events really more frequent and intense? How about the IPCC's climate models and scenarios? Are they that reliable? And is Net Zero even realistic? Marcotte says a healthy democracy would allow debate on such questions."Doubt is healthy. Skepticism is healthy. Questioning, acknowledging uncertainties and bringing nuance to the state of climate research are not only essential elements of the scientific process," she writes.In an email to this reporter, the author said the book was the culmination of two years of reading and podcasts from those who provided a “counterweight” to the “apocalyptic narrative of climate change.” This included authors such as Steven E. Koonin’s (Unsettled), Michael Shellenberger (Apocalypse Never), Bjorn Lomborg (False Alarm), Judith Curry (Uncertainty and Risk) as well as Roger Pielke.“I also got to know some economists such as Ross McKitrick and a whole lot of other very interesting people and sources. The more I read and listened, the more I was convinced their work must be shared in all sorts of ways,” Marcotte said.The Quebecer added her province needed her book on “the culture of climate alarmism” the most.“I found that it was absolutely necessary to find a way to inform French-speaking people of today’s state of the climate science since, as you would guess, the coverage here is not at all balanced, [to] say the least,” she said.“During the week of the French version launch, I am happy to have received quite a lot of interviews from Quebec City’s radio stations but still, the subject is taboo in the Montreal media outlets, even if a wide press release was sent to all of them.”At a time when the United Nations, the IPCC and governments worldwide demand trillions of dollars for their Net Zero project, Marcotte argues that it is perfectly legitimate to press scientists and governments to provide more explanations on uncertainties and risks. She also believes the media should offer more balanced coverage surrounding the United Nations, the IPCC and COP events.Marcotte holds a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from Université Laval and worked for several years in the field of computer systems architecture. She also has been commenting and analyzing political news on her personal blog and in selected media since 2009.Marcotte, who lives near Quebec City, is also known in her province for the 2006 political documentary L’Illusion tranquille (The Quiet Illusion). Five years later, her noted essay Pour en finir avec le Gouvernemaman called for an end to the province’s nanny state.Inconvenient Doubts is self-published and available in English and French on Amazon.ca in paperback and ebook.
