Just one example of the effects of temperature increase of several given in Michael's presentation is the amount of ice loss in Greenland expected in the next century considering the reported high temperatures for that region in the 20th century, the 1930s and 1940s being the greatest. Even if the most recent reports of loss of 57 cubic miles of ice annually is sustained over the next 100 years, only a little over 0.8% of Greenland's total of 690,000 cubic miles of ice will be lost.
As for the prominent "alarmists", Heartland Institute senior policy analyst, James Taylor, told the participants that the organizers had invited many to present their views but none would come to speak.
"No scientific theory is true because a majority of scientists say it to be true. Scientific theories are only provisionally true until they are falsified by data that can be better explained by a different theory. And it is by falsifying current theories that scientific knowledge advances, not by consensus." - Joseph L Bast; President, The Heartland Institute in his opening remarks 3/2/2008 of the conference. http://www.heartland.org/NewYork08/newyork08.cfm
For the entire report by Ronald Bailey http://www.reason.com/news/show/125281.html