[Coral-List] Coral Reef Curmudgeons

David M. Lawrence dave at fuzzo.com
Thu Sep 23 00:40:23 EDT 2010


  Actually, Ulf, climate change has been studied for nearly 200 years 
now by climate scientists, physicists, and mathematicians.  The 
foundations for the theory behind what we call the greenhouse effect 
predate the foundation for what we refer to as glacial cycles.

Geologists have contributed a lot to the documentation and understanding 
of past climate changes, but they've contributed quite a bit less to the 
understanding of the physics of greenhouse-driven changes.  And 
twentieth-century climate scientists were studying climate change long 
before the 80s.

Dave

On 9/21/2010 10:01 AM, Ulf Erlingsson wrote:
> Good point, Steve. The same holds in my academic backbone. Since the
> idea was first advanced in the 80's the then professors considered it
> a devise by the meteorologists--who had no good research agenda on
> their own--to get more funding, by stepping into the realm of long-
> established scientific traditions that have studied climate change
> for a century at least. Namely the geologists. Who, in general, have
> never accepted anthropogenic climate change as a serious issue mostly
> because natural variability is much, much larger.
>
> The danger with this focus is that it detracts attention and funds
> from more important research. But that has largely been lost in the
> debate.
>
> It seems that the "gate-keepers of the truth" who prevent an open
> scientific debate on this issue sometimes are the self-appointed
> "skeptics", who--probably unintentionally--end up defending belief
> against science while trying to do the opposite.
>
> Something to think about: Would things be better if the highest
> ranking science publications were academic journals edited by fellow
> scientists, rather than Nature and Science, which are really
> journalistic publications?
>
> Ulf Erlingsson
> Lindorm, Inc.
> SediMeter.com
>
>
> On 2010-09-20, at 22:55, Steve Mussman wrote:
>
>>    PC is really a matter of relative perspective.
>> In my surroundings a believer in anthropogenic climate change
>> is held in contempt. No matter, what is lacking and much needed
>> is the clear articulation of a scientific opinion on the issue.
>> Scientists can either support their viewpoint under vigorous
>> peer review or not. Is everyone so sensitive that they tremble
>> at the thought of having to transparently defend their beliefs?
> _______________________________________________
> Coral-List mailing list
> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list

-- 
------------------------------------------------------
  David M. Lawrence        | Home:  (804) 559-9786
  7471 Brook Way Court     | Fax:   (804) 559-9787
  Mechanicsville, VA 23111 | Email: dave at fuzzo.com
  USA                      | http:  http://fuzzo.com
------------------------------------------------------

"All drains lead to the ocean."  -- Gill, Finding Nemo

"We have met the enemy and he is us."  -- Pogo

"No trespassing
  4/17 of a haiku"  --  Richard Brautigan




More information about the Coral-List mailing list