Summary: We havea rare moment when even laypeople can understand a major issue in a cutting edge scientific debate. Not only does this give a hint (but no more) about the strength of the two “sides” (global warming proponents vs skeptics), but also illustrates one of the most important effects of the Internet: opening previously …
An opportunity to judge for yourself the adequacy of today’s climate science Read More »
Summary: The events following publication of a new paper about our climate illustrates how science works in our society. It shows the warts — and its self-correcting nature. The result should please everyone, both scientists and laypeople. Science is and has always been a social process, and hence usually confused and often nasty. Now its a mainstream …
Science in action, a confused and often nasty debate that produces real progress Read More »
On 21 January President Obama opened his Administration with a series of actions powerful both symbolically and substantively. These will have far-reaching effects on America, esp on the climate science debate. That’s good, because the stakes are high and time may be growing short. Memorandum about the Freedom of Information Act Memorandum about Transparency and Open Government Executive Order about Presidential Records …
Obama opens his Administration with a powerful act that will echo for many years Read More »
Summary: After a decade of stone-walling and evasion by major scientific journals about climate science articles, I find it astonishing that so many folks regard this as a sound basis on which to construct public policy. If the Food and Drug Administration approved drugs in this way, people would be dieing like flies from bad …
Peer review of scientific work – an inadequate basis for big public action Read More »
What would put the climate sciences on track to meet our public policy needs? Here’s my list of things that must be done, whatever the cost — although it would be trivial compared, for instance, to global military spending. Raise the standards when applying science research to public policy questions. Provide greater transparency of data …
