Its all a matter of opinion - a bit like tonight's final of 'Britain's Got Talent'. I thought Signature was the best act by miles. And then there was the 'Audience with Neil Diamond'. I think he's the best after Springstein, while the rest of the family think he's just second rate botox. Even I felt a bit ill when someone in the audience asked him what it had been like to dance with Princess Diana - and the great man said "It was like dancing with a feather and moving to the music of the gods". Honestly, that's what he said. Rehearsed or what.
Anyway I'm talking the report in today's Telegraph that 31,000 scientists have signed up to a petition that humans are not the cause of global warming. Its often said that there is a consensus amongst the scientific community that the opposite is true. Doesn't sound much of a consensus to me. Lord Lawson will be pleased. He thought he was on his own, and now he finds he's got 31,000 scientists in his corner.
I never get very excited about this argument, and it crops up regularly. Mainly because it doesn't make much difference whether global warming is caused by humans or if its just a natural cycle - or a mixture of both. Whatever, the only sensible policy for the people and governments of the world is to both try and slow it down and adapt to it. The dislocation and destruction is the same whether its mad made or not. Personally, I would prefer to see all these scientists focusing their attention on developing policies and ways of slowing down global warming, rather than arguing about who or whats responsible.
4 comments:
Don't believe everything you read in the Telegraph! Google is your friend if you want to find out who some of those 31,000 "scientists" are!
The petition included the names of "Drs. 'Frank Burns' 'Honeycutt' and 'Pierce' from the hit-show M*A*S*H and Spice Girls, a.k.a. Geraldine Halliwell, who was on the petition as 'Dr. Geri Halliwel' and again as simply 'Dr. Halliwell.' " Of the fake names, Robinson is quoted as saying: "When we're getting thousands of signatures there's no way of filtering out a fake."
anon - I don't believe all I read. In fact, I fully expected some dodgy claims to be 'scientists' to be in there. At least there wasn't a Dr S Claus. But the point that I was making still stands. The appropriate response to global warming is roughly the same, whether its 'man made' or the consequence of a natural cycle.
If you wish to inform yourself about the science behind Climate Change, I recommend Real Climate [http://www.realclimate.org/]:
' . . a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists. We aim to provide a quick response to developing stories and provide the context sometimes missing in mainstream commentary. The discussion here is restricted to scientific topics and will not get involved in any political or economic implications of the science.'
Rob's uncle - could be one for my favorites
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