Science Never Settled

Many climate scientists claim that the science of greenhouse warming is settled and that it is time to get on with the solution, but

SCIENCE IS NEVER SETTLED THERE IS ALWAYS MORE TO LEARN AND SOMETIMES WE LEARN THAT WE DO NOT HAVE IT QUITE RIGHT HELP PUT THE DEBATE BACK IN SCIENCE

THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) Recognizing that climate change affects all countries and that international consensus on the science of climate change would be required before most countries would be willing to take action, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), endorsed by the UN General Assembly, established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988.

The purpose of the IPCC is to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of knowledge about climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic impacts.

Thousands of scientists from all over the world have contributed to the work of the IPCC on a voluntary basis, publishing detailed Assessment Reports in 1990, 1995, 2001, 2007, and 2014-15 (www.ipcc.ch).

The IPCC reviews and assesses the most recent scientific, technical, and socio-economic information produced worldwide that is relevant to the understanding of climate change. It does not conduct any research, nor does it monitor climate-related data or parameters.

This well-intentioned drive toward consensus has had the unintended and unfortunate consequence of stifling debate, the lifeblood of science. The IPCC was not chartered to look back and question how solidly the roots of greenhouse warming theory were established.

We know that greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation as internal energy within the bonds holding the molecules together. It has never been measured experimentally, however, how much this absorption actually affects air temperature.

CONSENSUS IS THE STUFF OF POLITICS DEBATE IS THE STUFF OF SCIENCE The late Michael Crichton, MD, author, film producer, put it this way:

“I want to pause here and talk about this notion of consensus, and the rise of what has been called consensus science. I regard consensus science as an extremely pernicious development that ought to be stopped cold in its tracks. Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled. Whenever you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something or other, reach for your wallet, because you're being had.

“Let's be clear: the work of science has nothing whatever to do with consensus. Consensus is the business of politics. Science, on the contrary, requires only one investigator who happens to be right, which means that he or she has results that are verifiable by reference to the real world. In science consensus is irrelevant. What is relevant is reproducible results. The greatest scientists in history are great precisely because they broke with the consensus.

“There is no such thing as consensus science. If it's consensus, it isn't science. If it's science, it isn't consensus.

Period.

“In addition, let me remind you that the track record of the consensus is nothing to be proud of.”

From a talk at the California Institute of Technology on January 17, 2003, printed in Three Speeches by Michael Crichton, SPPI Commentary & Essay Series, 2009.

The climate “wars” have been bitter. After 27 years of argument, well-meaning scientists and non-scientists have taken extreme positions and, in frustration, have resorted to ad-hominem attacks.

Wagons are circled. Everyone is too busy fending off attacks to debate the observations and conclusions. We have become polarized over climate and what to do about it. Many are confused, hearing “expert” opinions from so many different directions.

Most scientists are convinced that the science of greenhouse gases is so well understood that there is not the slightest chance that there could be anything wrong. Yet most scientists also know the importance of remaining open-minded and objective, carefully examining new data and new ideas.

Science is Never Settled is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to educate the public about how science is done, how science can improve public safety with respect to natural hazards, and how science is needed to illuminate public policy issues in an increasingly technological world. Our primary focus is on the causes and effects of climate change and other natural hazards. We seek to reach the public with the help of public relations organizations, via radio, television, print media, websites, social media, press releases, wire releases, and similar venues.

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