Nathan Scandella (personal)

Scientific Uncertainty over Climate Change?

This interesting survey was published today on CNN.com:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/01/19/eco.globalwarmingsurvey/index.html

In a nutshell, it is a simple opinion poll regarding whether or not "global warming" is real, and whether humans are a major cause of the change. It is not a distillation of any scientific data. Only a reflection of the opinions of scientists.

Those on the right love to say how there is still uncertainty about the "theory" of climate change, and whether our gas guzzling, coal burning habits have anything to do with it. They say, there is considerable doubt, and even a lack of consensus within the scientific community.

This poll goes into that a bit. According to the poll, a majority (more than 50%) of petroleum geologists doubt that the phenomemon is real. Well, what a surprise. They fail to acknowledge that the product they've spent their careers developing is going to be responsible for mass drought, food shortage, human displacement, and economic damage? How surprising. Listen, people. Just because you're a "scientist" doesn't mean you know everything about every science. I happen to have one of the best, most broad-based science educations money can buy. I've also worked as an engineer in two separate fields (software and aeronautical engineering). And even I can't tell you how everything works. I can't design an integrated circuit. I don't know how antibiotics are synthesized. And I couldn't build you a laser. But, I do know what I don't know, and where to look for the answers.

I also do have confidence in the field of climatology. Note that climatology is not meteorology! If global warming was only the half-assed theory of the white-toothed bimbos on TV that try to give us the weekly weather report, I wouldn't be worried either. But 97% of climatologists, the actual scientists doing the kind of science that deals with this phenomenon, believe that the human race is contributing to climate change. That, to me, is worth far more than a Freeman Dyson and a few other cold-weather conservative naysayers who really don't know what they're talking about.

Consider the source. Learn to identify nonsense when you see it, and how to do your own fact-checking. And then, own up to the truth, even when it's not convenient.

Posted at 02:28AM Jan 20, 2009 by Nathan in Environment  |  Comments[0]