World most high profile climate change sceptic 'changes mind'?

Miyazaki

Science works by consensus, there will always be people who disagree with the mainstream, usually because they have their own agenda, or to gain attention. Very rarely do they have data that is highly reliable.

johntheexpat

Nobody will deny that we are only having a small effect at the moment, so your view is with the mainstream there.

The problem comes when we look at the future effects of continuing as we are.  And this depends on models and projections which are notoriously inaccurate.  But one thing that keeps cropping up from these models is that if we continue as we are, the rate of change will be faster than if Mother nature was left alone.  
Now some of these models show our effect will continue to be negligible.  Some show a dramatic effect, some are in between.

But they nearly all seem to show a positive effect from human activity.  So, its a fair bet that we are having an effect and that effect will become more pronounced.

So, do we gamble on 'No effect' or 'slight effect' and save money and do nothing?

Economically that is the easy way.  But if the bet is the wrong way?

If we do nothing and the effects are actually quite dramatic, humanity may well suffer disastrously. The bread baskets of the world become dust-bowls, movement of billions of people desperate to find food and security etc etc causing international 'security' issues.  Dream up your own scenario.

So, perhaps the best bet it to start to do something now.  Let's face it, we are going to have to address energy issues anyway.  Peak Oil, the rise of eastern economies taking a bigger share of diminishing resources etc.
Changing climate (but not knowing how rapid the change is) will also have to be addressed.  Prepare now, by developing higher yield food that use less water, and is more tolerant to a wide variety of climates etc etc.  These all take time and will have to be done, one way or another.

Its like saving for retirement.  Start early and you only have to put aside a relatively small amount each year.  Leave it late and you will have years of much higher contributions that hurt more.

So with Climate Change.  Start now and keep the costs negligible would appear to be the most sensible way.  Well, to me anyway.

Wild Weasel

The Royal Society has long been a cheerleader for the global warming scam.  It's about time they took a look at their motto again : 'Take nobody's word for it'.

Toko Black

Yes because although they are the best qualified scientists on the planet, they are still completely clueless unlike yourself that is far better informed.

It just does not make any rational sense.

Tin foil hat conspiracy theory propagated in the main by right wing conservatives in the US. Primarily due to a combination of financial interests in fossil fuels and the anti-science evangelical movements.

Man has an affect on the environement and we are constantly increasing that impact.
We know directly from experience that man has caused desertifcation in parts of the globe.
The absolute scale of impact is debatable, that there is some impact is not.

We catagorically know that we have damaged ecosystems which have resulted in the extinction of animals due to our actions.

With the growth in populations, damage to the environment and ecosystems are only going to get worse unless we start to take an strategic role in planning and managing our resources and developement accordingly.
For too long we have simply built, farmed, fished and plundered without any regard for sustainability or the environment.
This has led to not only animals and planets being destroyed, but health and welfare issues for human beings, like the great smogs of London.

Improving the quality of the environment we live is not a scam, it is a benifit to our health and welbeing as well as an investment in the future for our children.

Using less energy, creating less polutants and being more responsable about the products we create, use and dispose of is just common sense.

Do people think the massive floating plastic mess in the pacific ocean, covering an area the size of Texas is not impacting on the environment ?
Maybe we should stop being charged to dispose of hazardous waste, and just start dumping oil down the drains, plastics and bottles into the countryside.

Or is it only when we can see the mess and we can't escape it that we even bother to take notice ?

Wild Weasel

In the world of post-normal science, its not about the search for truth anymore; Its about supporting 'the message'.  E.g. The so-called scientists that have been editing thousands of global warming related topics on Wikipedia to suit the eco-lefty groupthink. What's more, they don't see anything wrong with it. Nor do those scientists who cherry pick a sample here or tweak an algorithm there to support their career. The end justifies the means in other words. Plus, as long as the research grants keep pouring it, they know their faculty will exonerate them in any whitewash inquiry.

This is such a myth. The money thrown at global warming cheerleaders utterly dwarfs that given to skeptics and has done since the very beginning.

'Big Oil' like Shell & BP have long supported the effort to 'prove' global warming. There's billions to be made from jacking up the oil price, huge state subsidies to be had for investing in useless 'alternative energy' and the ultimate cash cows: CO2 sequestration & carbon trading.

Then there's the hundreds of billions of taxpayer's money that gullible politicians have thrown at it over the years. You want to study the mating habits of penguins? Yawn! Ain't going to happen. You want to study the effects of global warming on the mating habits of penguins? Well hey, how big a research grant do you need? Its no wonder many scientists have felt the need to prostitute themselves to the prevailing fad. Some may actually buy into it, but others just want to pay the rent like everyone else.

Plus, if anyone's  being 'anti-science', its the activists who pervert it for their own political ends. That's why so many real scientists, including members of the Royal Society, aren't happy with the situation.

Well now, here we go. Shows why you're naturally inclined to drink the MMGW Koolaid.

Toko Black

It's amazing how so many are in on it, and how so many who aren't directly envolved in climate science are fooled by it, even the most brilliant minds.

What is more amazing is the fact that you take the position of some memebers of the Royal Societies upset at the particular way information is presented as being dissent against the actual information.

Toko Black

Why is it the likes of Sarah Palin, an anti science creationist are at the front of the global warming conspiracy campaign ?

She is clearly a complete mentalist.

DPinBucks

Rational; well-informed; scrupulously researched; incontrovertibly argued; by someone of obviously wide academic accomplishment.

These are five of the many terms I would not use to describe that vituperative rant.

It is so far beyond rationality that it comes out the other side; I cannot begin to argue it.


Except for one thing:
What the hell is 'post-normal science'?

Wild Weasel

Oh well, who cares any more. Global Warming is a busted flush after climategate. It's soooo last year darlink.

This low-trafficked 'Global Warming' forum is another indication of that.

The public have moved on and it's just left to the zealots of either side.

They next big scare will be about biodiversity.

sidicks

These models are designed to show exactly that, by assuming various positive feedback loops which do not tally with observed experience.

Garbage In = Garbage out....

You fail to recognise the more immediate consequences of what has actually happened - billions of pounds wasted on man-made up Global Warming nonsense, which could (for example) have provided clean water to save the lives of millions of people.

There is only so much money to go around, and spending it on 'what if' scenarios means it is not available for real life current issues.

Negligible??!!!

How many billions has already been spent on this nonsense?!!


Sidicks