"Not exactly."
"What is the change in temperature since 1880?"
"Looks like, uh, a third of a degree."
A third of a degree Celsius in a hundred and twenty years. Not very dramatic." She pointed to the graph. "And what was the warmest year of the last century?"
"Looks like 1934."
"Does this graph indicate to you that global warming is occurring?"
"Well. The temperatureis going up."
"For the last thirty years, yes. But it wentdown for the previous thirty years. And current temperatures in the US are roughly the same as they were in the 1930s. So: Does this graph argue for global warming?"
"Yes," Evans said. "It's just not as dramatic in the US as it is in the rest of the world, but it's still happening."
"Does it trouble you that the most accurate temperature record shows the least warming?"
"No. Because global warming is a global phenomenon. It's not just the US."
"If you had to defend these graphs in a court of law, do you think you could persuade a jury of your position? Or would a jury look at the graph and say, this global warming stuff is nothing serious?"
"Leading the witness," he said, laughing.
In fact, Evans was feeling slightly uneasy. But only slightly. He'd heard such claims before, at environmental conferences. Industry hacks could slap together data that they had massaged and twisted, and give a convincing, well-prepared speech, and before Evans knew it, he'd start to doubt what he knew.
As if she were reading his mind, Jennifer said, "These graphs show solid data, Peter. Temperature records from Goddard Institute for Space Studies at Columbia University. Carbon dioxide levels from Mauna Loa and the Law Dome ice cores in Antarctica.*All generated by researchers who believe firmly in global warming."
"Yes," he said. "Because the overwhelming consensus of scientists around the world is that global warmingis happening and itis a major worldwide threat."
"Okay, good," she said smoothly. "I'm glad that none of this changes your views. Let's turn to some other questions of interest. David?"
One of the graduate students leaned forward. "Mr. Evans, I'd like to talk to you about land use, the urban heat island effect, and satellite data on the temperature of the troposphere."
Evans thought,Oh Jesus. But he just nodded. "Okay..."
"One of the issues we're trying to address concerns how surface temperatures change with land use. Are you familiar with that issue?"
"Not really, no." He looked at his watch. "Frankly, you people are working at a level of detail that is beyond me. I just listen to what the scientists say--"
"And we're preparing a lawsuit," Jennifer said, "based on what scientists say. This level of detail is where the suit will be fought."
"Fought?" Evans shrugged. "Who's going to fight it? Nobody with any stature. There isn't a reputable scientist in the world who doesn't believe in global warming."
"On that point, you are wrong," she said. "The defense will call full professors from MIT, Harvard, Columbia, Duke, Virginia, Colorado, UC Berkeley, and other prestigious schools. They will call the former president of the National Academy of Sciences. They may also call some Nobel Prize winners. They will bring in professors from England, from the Max Planck Institute in Germany, from Stockholm University in Sweden. These professors will argue that global warming is at best unproven, and at worst pure fantasy."
"Their research paid for by industry, no doubt."
"A few. Not all."
"Arch-conservatives. Neocons. "
"The focus in litigation," she said, "will be on the data."
Evans looked at them and saw the concern on their faces. And he thought,They really believe they might lose this thing.
"But this is ridiculous," Evans said. "All you have to do is read the newspapers, or watch television--"
"Newspapers and television are susceptible to carefully orchestrated media campaigns. Lawsuits are not."
"Then forget mass media," Evans said, "and just read the scientific journals--"
"We do. They're not necessarily helpful to our side. Mr. Evans, we have a lot to go over. If you'd hold your protestations, we can get on with the issues."
It was at that moment that the phone buzzed, and Balder delivered him from his torment. "Send the guy from Hassle and Black into my office," he said. "I have ten minutes for him."
VANUTU TEAM
TUESDAY, AUGUST 24
12:04 P. M.
Balder was ensconced in a glass-walled office, with his feet up on a glass desk, working his way through a stack of briefs and research papers. He didn't take his feet down as Evans came in.
"You find it interesting?" he said. He meant the interrogation.