Justin Gillis reports in the New York Times this morning that climate change dissenters have latched on to the work of Richard S. Lindzen, a Meterology Professor at MIT. Dr. Lindzen’s research supports the theory that the change in cloud formation, as a result of CO2 accumulation in the atmosphere, will act to reduce the temperature of the earth—a counterbalancing affect. While nearly all climate scientists disagree with Dr. Lindzen’s assessment—forcing him to publish his most recent work in an obscure Korean journal, it is clear that our general lack of understand about the role of clouds in the atmosphere is a major impediment to climate predictions.

It was, in fact, that great unrecognized climate specialist who said it best, way back in 1969, as:

Rows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I’ve looked at clouds * that way

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now

From up and down, and still somehow
It’s cloud illusions I recall
I really don’t know clouds at all

Perhaps we could all link hands and sing “Both Sides Now,” as the glaciers melt, the waters rise and much of the planet goes under.