Tag Archives: denial

East Anglia Climate Science Exonerated

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[21 April: a version of this has been posted at On Line Opinion.]

The committee charged with examining the quality of the climate science conducted at the University of East Anglia has found “absolutely no evidence of any impropriety whatsoever”, according to its Chairperson, Lord Oxburgh.

Accusations of fraud or scientific misconduct have been widespread since emails were illegally hacked from the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit last year.  Oxburgh continued  “whatever was said in the emails, the basic science seems to have been done fairly and properly”.  The committee considered that if there had been misconducted they would very likely have found it.

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The Peaking of Climate Denialism and the Resurgence of the Sensible

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Despite the ascent of Tony Abbott to the Liberal Party leadership and some recent unhelpful comments by the Chair of the ABC, Maurice Newman, there are some glimmerings that the irrational backlash against global warming science may be peaking.

The backlash can be seen as part of a broader attack on evidence-based, sensible debate that has been systematically promoted in Australia over the past several decades.  The attack has ranged over many social and political topics, including asylum seekers and the “history wars”, which concern our forebears’ treatment of indigenous people.  It has also taken on an explicitly anti-science tone in recent years.

It is revealing to examine the nature of the climate controversy, and to spell out exactly what the approach of climate “sceptics” implies about how we should determine policy.  There are also lessons on how our political process can be distorted by disinformation and by superficial interpretations of “balance” in reporting.

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Tony Abbott and East Anglia have not cancelled Global Warming

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Published by On Line Opinion, 8 Dec.

The triumph of climate delialists in the Liberal Party and the recent unauthorised release of allegedly damaging emails from a British climate research group are being portrayed by some as the end of the global warming “conspiracy”.

However the so-called scandal of the emails is a manufactured storm in a teacup.  Anyway the evidence for human-caused global warming is far more diverse and robust than denialists make out.  In fact the latest evidence is even clearer, and more ominous.  Denialist politicians are on the wrong side of history.

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For Global Warming Sceptics

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Scepticism about global warming continues, along with outright denial that it is caused by humans, or even that it is happening at all.  Informed debate is healthy, but much of the discussion is ill-informed, much of it addresses the wrong questions, and much of it misconceives science as a source of “proof” or “truth”.

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Solutions Anyone?

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I just sent this to On Line Opinion.  It may take a week for it to be posted, if they like it.

Are On Line Opinion readers interested in innovative solutions to major problems?  Or do they (you) just want to defend old positions, or have an argument?  Or what?

I ask these questions because there have been several pieces recently that present quite innovative ideas or perspectives on solving the economic crisis and/or global warming.  Yet four such articles attracted a total of 15 comments.  (They are Remaking the economy, 4 comments; Energy Rewards to stimulate the economy, 2; The need for indirect action on climate change, 3; Sustainability will not be sidelined, 6)

 

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