From The Sunday Times
February 11, 2007
When politicians and journalists declare that the science of global warming is settled, they show a regrettable ignorance about how science works. We were treated to another dose of it recently when the experts of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued the Summary for Policymakers that puts the political spin on an unfinished scientific dossier on climate change due for publication in a few months’ time. They declared that most of the rise in temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to man-made greenhouse gases.
The small print explains “very likely” as meaning that the experts who made the judgment felt 90% sure about it. Older readers may recall a press conference at Harwell in 1958 when Sir John Cockcroft, Britain’s top nuclear physicist, said he was 90% certain that his lads had achieved controlled nuclear fusion. It turned out that he was wrong. More positively, a 10% uncertainty in any theory is a wide open breach for any latterday Galileo or Einstein to storm through with a better idea. That is how science really works.
As a result, the rebellious spirits essential for innovative and trustworthy science are greeted with impediments to their research careers. And while the media usually find mavericks at least entertaining, in this case they often imagine that anyone who doubts the hypothesis of man-made global warming must be in the pay of the oil companies. As a result, some key discoveries in climate research go almost unreported. More....
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I don't know what the heck to believe anymore! I find the article did bring up some interesting questions and information like;
‘Blame cosmic rays for warming up the planet’ No excuse for soft climate change laws “Why is east Antarctica getting colder?” It makes no
sense at all if carbon dioxide is driving global warming.
While sea-ice has diminished in the Arctic since 1978, it has grown by 8% in the Southern Ocean?
Here are some other links from the original post.
Jeremy Clarkson: Cornered by the green lynch mob
New Scientist on Climate Change
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