[Coral-List] IPCC and coral reefs
Steve Mussman
sealab at earthlink.net
Tue May 13 15:29:31 EDT 2014
Jean-Pierre,
No no, what I was trying to say was that the latest IPCC report will likely
have little impact on helping to solidify a general consensus on the impacts
of climate change on marine ecosystems because ideological predisposition
seems to be the main factor which determines whether one accepts or
rejects the conclusions found in the reports and summaries of the Working
Group. The denier machine has created a situation whereby scientific
integrity and credibility is all but impossible to establish (in their eyes)
unless the conclusions reached agree with (their) ideological pretexts. In
this context every call for action can be shot down on the basis of it's
origin alone. This is what I meant by politicization. I support the work you
have done, but I am constantly confronted by too many who reject the
science. It is as if they live in a different reality. They create their own
facts and are backed by their own sub-group of anointed scientific
authorities. It doesn't seem to matter that their experts are outliers. It
only matters that they offer conclusions that align with their avowed and
predetermined set of established doctrines and beliefs. In my opinion, this
dynamic will somehow have to be altered before any meaningful international
agreement on CO2 emissions can be reached by governmental negotiators.
Regards,
Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: Jean-Pierre Gattuso
Sent: May 13, 2014 3:35 AM
To: Steve Mussman
Cc: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] IPCC and coral reefs
Steve,
The IPCC is actually not politicised. The production of the report is led
and performed by scientists without any political interference. As
scientists, we sometimes complain about the review process of manuscripts
which we submit to journals. This process involves an average of 2-3
reviewers and a few comments. The report of Working Group of the IPCC went
through 3 drafts which were reviewed by 1729 experts from 84 countries and
49 governments. A total of 50,492 comments were made, and each of them was
addressed by the author team. The whole process is transparent and can be
consulted on the IPCC web site. I cannot think of a scientific document that
is more thorough, accurate and reliable than the IPCC report.
The only potential political interference is about the Summary for Policy
Makers which is written by scientists but needs approval by 195 countries.
My understanding is that material that is not present in the main report
cannot be added, but material can be removed (from the SPM) and the
formulation of sentences can be changed although in a way that does not
contradict the main report.
If the IPCC is not politicised, it is not the case of the negotiations that
take place during Conferences of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change. This is where an agreement on
reductions of CO2 emissions must be reached by governmental negotiators.
Jean-Pierre
_________________________________________________________________
Jean-Pierre Gattuso | [1]http://www.obs-vlfr.fr/~gattuso
On 9 May 2014, at 22:03, Steve Mussman wrote:
Thanks for providing the links to the latest IPCC report and summaries
regarding coral reefs and marine ecosystems. As to whether it helps or not
is another question. As you are well aware, the issue of climate change
and even the IPCC itself have become so politicized that one has to wonder
if the science even matters. It seems that the lines have been drawn and
it is now as much about ideological predisposition as it is about science.
Polarization occurs instantly at just the mention of the IPCC or the term
climate change. Coral listers haven't been polled or asked to take sides,
but we can all read between the lines. Reactions have become predictable
even before the next study, report or summary can be released. Scientific
integrity loses out in a world where facts can be manufactured to fit
individual beliefs. More and more we are becoming entrenched in
diametrical realities even while recognizing that our destinies are linked
on this one little planet. Steve
References
1. http://www.obs-vlfr.fr/%7Egattuso
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