Some 120 students excused themselves from Tempe's 77-degree sunshine to hear a panel of global-warming challengers lecture in Discovery Hall Thursday evening.
Keynote speaker Christopher Horner of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a conservative Washington, D.C. think tank, told the audience about what he views as "demonstrably false predictions" of climate change.
In his presentation, sponsored by the College Republicans, titled "A Dose of Sobriety about 'Global Warming' Alarmism," Horner was highly critical of the scientific data underlying the climate-change theory and its advocates.
Showing graphs to illustrate his point, Horner said many environmentalists — including former Vice President Al Gore — confuse cause and effect when it comes to carbon dioxide emissions and rising temperatures.
Further, Horner said, many factors influencing the climate are often disregarded in favor of greenhouses gases.
Horner said many who call themselves climate-change experts say "it's warmer at 2 p.m. than at 2 a.m., but the sun has nothing to do with the Earth's temperature."
His arguments focused around a historical perspective, and he said that the planet also experienced a dramatic temperature increase during the "Medieval Warming Period."
Showing photographs of thermometers next to freeways and air-conditioning units — or even mounted on a chimney — he said some of the more alarming data these days have a simple explanation.
"We have placed our thermometers next to trains, planes and automobiles," Horner said.
Before Horner's lecture, two other speakers — Craig Idso of the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change, an Arizona-based nonprofit organization, and Robert Balling, an ASU professor of geology — presented the audience with biological and geological data challenging the climate-change theory.
Justin Clark, a 2007 justice studies graduate of ASU, said he came to the event with doubts about climate change, which were confirmed.
"I think we need more discussions like this on campus," Clark said. "It's very important now to have a very lively debate."
Paul Gambill, the president of the College Republicans, said, with the panel, that he wanted to bring a different, more critical viewpoint on climate change to ASU.
"I've really only seen one opinion on campus," Gambill said. "What is the University for, if not for debate?"
Gambill said the Young America's Foundation, a conservative youth organization on whose speaker list Horner is listed, helped sponsor the event, along with a $2,125 grant from ASU's Undergraduate Student Government.
Horner chatted with members of the audience after his speech, signing copies of his bestselling book, "Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming (and Environmentalism)."
Horner said he has given his presentation at about six college campuses in the last four months, where it was generally well received. His goal is to change what he sees as people's misconception on the climate-change issue, he said.
"If, at each campus, one person says, 'Holy cow,' then it was worth the trip," Horner said.
Reach the reporter at: andre.f.radzischewski@asu.edu.
