Yeah, see, I thought that at this point the primary driving factor behind alternative energy sources was "Jesus Christ our oil usage is going to outstrip our supply in our childrens' lifetimes if something doesn't change" rather than global climate change

The whole thing about global waming seems a bit.... off-base

I mean, the dialogue hasn't been about the planet heating up for a while now

This brings up the question: What do people serve to gain by "pretending" that we are causing the world to heat up? Are they doing this for the lolz? After Al Gore did his Inconvenient Truth speeches, did he watch a video of the audience and laugh for two hours?

I'm not saying AGW does exist, but if scientists knew it didn't, why wouldn't they say as much?

Simple:

There is big money in alternative energy, but only when it is being forced on people through government regulations and incentives. Alternative energy is (far) more expensive than traditional sources. If AGW is proven to be a farse, then there will be little incentive by energy companies to pursue such technologies in the near-term, and they will loose out due to lack of competition.

kowenicki -

It really depends on what is defined as "alternative". I am thinking they are referring to solar, wind and geothermal which are being pushed by most governments as what is needed to replace fossil fuels. On the other end, you have superior energy technologies like nuclear which are non-renewable, but certainly are much better than any other energy generation technique we have (plus we got fission in 30-40years!)

Was the hacker from Exxon Mobil ?

Money.

Money.

Money.

Scientists need jobs. Businesses and politicians stand to make a lot of money from AGW through cap and trade as it will push energy production in a different direction. So it is a bad cycle. People argue that the oil industry pays off politicians and researchers for their gain - it should be no exception to believe that alternative energy companies are somehow more righeous.

But nuclear power IS alternative energy!

My understanding was that "alternative energy" was basically anythingn that wasn't coal, oil, or natural gas

Stickball could you link the original article?

OP updated with the link.

Also here:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100017393/climategate-the-final-nail-in-the-coffin-of-anthropogenic-global-warming/

BLOG?

Is this news or just a rumor?

Stickball I appreciate the point being made here but it is kind of lost when the journalists you are linking to uses the phrase "eco-fascists" without a dollop of irony.