For those unfamiliar with the Climate Wars, Professor Michael E. Mann has been a subject of shall we say “note.”
Mark Steyn published a book about him titled: “A Disgrace to the Profession”.
He is considered a prominent climatologist by the anthropogenic catastrophic global warming movement. He is probably the most litigious of climatologists and not the kind of person with whom I would like to have a beer. His libel suits against Mark Steyn and Tim Ball have been discussed repeatedly here and elsewhere. Yet at the same time he is always entertaining and good for a laugh now and then.
Now to the point of this post. In 2017, Michael Mann wrote a book called The Tantrum that Saved the World. Well, technically he was a coauthor, but he certainly has touted the book.
In this review of the book the central plot is summarized in this short paragraph.
She leads a march to City Hall, hoping that adults would sort out the mess. The gray-suited adults tell her to wait and then offer condescending excuses. Nothing happens until Sophia throws a tantrum that wakes up the world: “Cooperative action could turn this high tide. / They had strength in numbers and right on their side.”
One of Mann’s interviews about the book was actually titled:
When it comes to climate change, a tantrum is just what we need
The world is currently experiencing expansive disruptive protests, such as those throwing soup on invaluable historical works of art, wasting food in a milk pour, or blocking legal right of ways to tens of thousands of people.
Collectively, most people in the world would call these TANTRUMS, perhaps related to same kind of TANTRUM Professor Mann alluded to in his children’s book with the word TANTRUM in the title.
Well, children are growing up, doing what they were taught, and are spreading the word to engage in TANTRUMS far and wide.
tantrum (noun) · tantrums (plural noun)
an uncontrolled outburst of anger and frustration, typically in a young child:“he has temper tantrums if he can’t get his own way”
And this is where Mickey Mann now plays the role of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
The poem [sorcerer’s apprentice] begins as an old sorcerer departs his workshop, leaving his apprentice with chores to perform. Tired of fetching water by pail, the apprentice enchants a broom to do the work for him, using magic in which he is not fully trained. The floor is soon awash with water, and the apprentice realizes that he cannot stop the broom because he does not know the magic required to do so.
The apprentice splits the broom in two with an axe, but each of the pieces becomes a whole broom that takes up a pail and continues fetching water, now at twice the speed. At this increased pace, the entire room quickly begins to flood. When all seems lost, the old sorcerer returns and quickly breaks the spell. The poem concludes with the old sorcerer’s statement that only a master should invoke powerful spirits.
The results of these TANTRUMSdo not appear to be helping their movement. In fact, they are doing the opposite in the court of public opinion.
And here is Professor Mann frantically working to undo the spell which he, metaphorically, may have had a part in casting.
To mix metaphors, that genie is out of the bottle; Pandora’s box has been opened.
For those unfamiliar with the tale of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, please check out this clip from the classic 1940 Disney film, Fantasia.
