I read the book. I have not checked the many papers in the back. (Crichton does that with his novels, provides a bibliography of peer reviewed papers.) The point of the book, though, was not just that weather is complicated, but that the "state of fear" is purposely induced and managed to serve a ruling elite.

Before we condemn the progressives for that, realize that these burning issues of the day are created and controlled by conservatives, as well. People come here because of the Atlas Shrugged movies and all they can do is condemn President Obama. Worse, they take as much space making fun of his name as they do identifying the policies they oppose.

They do not understand Atlas Shrugged as anything other than a political novel about the issues of our time.

Atlas Shrugged is a love story. If there is a message about exploitation of the producers it has to do with Hank Rearden's family life (and to a lesser extent Dagny's).

But with a "state of fear" gripping them, people come here to ring the alarm about pressing world issues every bit as complicated as the weather. That was one of the points from the underlying theme of this presentation: that we do not even have measures of simple economic activity, let alone their interactions.

"We should get the government out of the banking business." Fine. How do you achieve that? Shut down all the Federal Reserve banks and let everyone figure it out for themselves praxeologically? Sell the Federal Reserve banks? (To whom?) Should the government buy the Federal Reserve Banks? Should the government issue money at all? Should the government operate its own banks, the same way that a private business could have its own financial institution? I could ask questions all day long…

Without those questions, and the admission of ignorance they bring, all we have is a "state of fear" what Harry Browne called "the burning issues trap" in his book How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World.

The youtube does not open on my PC.

MM usually has worthwhile comments but has missed it here.
The carbon change movement is a massive global scam. Its footsoldiers are the usual do-goodist dupes and include a few Gulchers. Scientific criticism and those those who call the politics behind it are subject to massive smears, proper scientists have been fired. There is widespread censorship with events canceled and speakers denigrated. Mass letter writing campaigns are used to get papers withdrawn from journals and to get scientists blacklisted.

Many like to run with the sheep, and many will support a populist cause even when the cause is bad. True, but it is government money, in volumes that swamp dissent, that have built it and keep it alive.

' is purposely induced and managed to serve a ruling elite. '
quite so, all governments benefit as they can claim to be saving the earth but especially the left, it is a windfall for the bankers, the public service industry, scientists who can tune research to include the word carbon in the title. But overall, it is a leftist political message as can be seen by the way opinion divides.
It may take some generations before hoi polloi can see that yes there is a ruling elite, this elite uses the language of the political left, and they misappropriate our money to enhance their own wealth and power.

I was educated in this reality that the media sets the agenda. (they obviously get it wrong a lot) And, the government reacts. Now, in my mid-life I am watching very damaging actions being taken and it's like watching a slow-motion train wreck.

The news media, it is obvious, is primarily in the business of keeping people frightened.

I absolutely loved Eaters of the Dead. Great book...