Kickin' It Spanish Inquisition Style
how to form a consensus
...One scientist said that he felt under pressure to sign the circular or risk losing work. The Met Office admitted that many of the signatories did not work on climate change.
“The Met Office is a major employer of scientists and has long had a policy of only appointing and working with those who subscribe to their views on man-made global warming,” he said.
These are political tactics—not scientific ones.
Scientific tactics look like this: “Look, here at all these verifiable facts, our tested theories, our reproducible results [g’head - reproduce ‘em] and, over here, is a pile of facts and data that doesn’t fit. Any ideas?”
Political tactics look like this: “Look how many people agree with me! [nevermind that guy with a gun to their heads] You wouldn’t want to not be in the In Crowd, would you???”
Professor Slingo denied that the Met Office had put anyone under pressure. “The response has been absolutely spontaneous. As a scientist you sign things you agree with, not because you are worried about what the Met Office might think of you,” she said.
Sorry, Blokes. Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary proof.
Petition and signatories:
We, members of the UK science community, have the utmost confidence in the observational evidence for global warming and the scientific basis for concluding that it is due primarily to human activities. The evidence and the science are deep and extensive. They come from decades of painstaking and meticulous research, by many thousands of scientists across the world who adhere to the highest levels of professional integrity. That research has been subject to peer review and publication, providing traceability of the evidence and support for the scientific method. The science of climate change draws on fundamental research from an increasing number of disciplines, many of which are represented here. As professional scientists, from students to senior professors, we uphold the findings of the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, which concludes that “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal” and that “Most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations”.
“Petition and signatories:”
Some of us remember the McCarthy era, where people were coerced into signing “Loyalty Oaths”.
Posted by ZZMike on 12/10/09 at 03:00 PM
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