User:SlimVirgin/Fred Singer
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Siegfried Fred Singer (born September 27, 1924)[1] is an American atmospheric physicist and professor emeritus of environmental science at the University of Virginia, who is known for his work in space research, atmospheric pollution, rocket and satellite technology and, more recently, for his outspoken skepticism about climate change.[2] He is the author or editor of several books, including Global Effects of Environmental Pollution (1970), The Ocean in Human Affairs (1989), Global Climate Change (1989), The Greenhouse Debate Continued (1992), and Hot Talk, Cold Science (1997). He has also co-authored Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500 Years (2007) with Dennis Avery, and Climate Change Reconsidered (2009) with Craig Idso.
S. Fred Singer | |
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Born | (1924-09-27) September 27, 1924 (age 99) Vienna, Austria |
Nationality | Austrian, American |
Education | B.E.E in electrical engineering (1943) A.M. in physics (1944) Ph.D. in physics (1948) |
Alma mater | Ohio State University, Princeton University |
Occupation | Atmospheric physicist |
Organization(s) | Professor emeritus of environmental science, University of Virginia Founder and president, Science & Environmental Policy Project |
Known for | Early space research; first director of the U.S. National Weather Satellite Service (1962–1964); involvement in global warming controversy |
Awards | Honorary doctorate, University of Ohio, 1970; Special Commendation from President Eisenhower for the early design of satellites, 1954; Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Federal Service |
Singer has had a varied career in the armed forces, government, and academia. Before obtaining a Ph.D. in physics from Princeton University in 1948, he worked as a scientific liaison officer in the U.S. Embassy in London, and designed mines for the U.S. Navy.[3] He became a leading figure in early space research, was involved in the development of earth observation satellites, and in 1962 established the National Weather Bureau's Satellite Service Center. He was the founding dean of the University of Miami School of Environmental and Planetary Sciences in 1964, deputy assistant administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, and chief scientist for the Department of Transportation. He held a professorship with the University of Virginia from 1971 until 1994, and with George Mason University until 2000.[4]
He has been involved in the global warming controversy for a number of years and in 1990 founded the Science & Environmental Policy Project to present the skeptical position.[5] Known as a leading climate contrarian, he was named in 2006 by the CBC as one of a small group of scientists creating a stand-off that is undermining the global response to climate change.[6] In contrast to the majority scientific view, Singer argues there is no evidence that increases in carbon dioxide produced by human beings cause global warming, that the temperature of the planet has always varied, and that if temperatures rise it will be good for humankind.[7] He is an outspoken opponent of the Kyoto Protocol, and has said of the climate models that scientists use to predict future trends that "models are very nice, but they are not reality and they are not evidence."[8]