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Scientists Step Down After CRU Hack Fallout

An anonymous reader writes "In the wake of the recent release of thousands of private files and emails after a server of the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia was hacked, Prof. Phil Jones is stepping down as head of the CRU. Prof. Michael Mann, another prominent climate scientist, is also under inquiry by Penn State University."

874 comments

  1. Politics by MozeeToby · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The fact that this story is posted under Politics says a lot about what's wrong with the global warming 'debate' IMO.

    1. Re:Politics by poetmatt · · Score: 2, Interesting

      to keep it simple for those who don't get global warming, most people don't understand that icecaps melting/receeding like they have been lately is not at all a normal part of our weather patterns.

      I agree though, this should be scientific discussion of how to tackle it not political "lets deal with it later"

    2. Re:Politics by b1t+r0t · · Score: 5, Funny

      That's why we need to act NOW to return the glaciers to the same state they were in 30,000 years ago.

      --

      --
      "Open source is good." - Steve Jobs
      "Open source is evil." - Microsoft
    3. Re:Politics by Computershack · · Score: 4, Interesting

      to keep it simple for those who don't get global warming, most people don't understand that icecaps melting/receeding like they have been lately is not at all a normal part of our weather patterns.

      Really? One of the biggest fudgings of the data was the removal of an inconvenient half millennium period that was up to 10 degrees warmer than the mean average. What do you think the glaciers did then?

      --
      I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't looking good either. - Scott Adams
    4. Re:Politics by MaggieL · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Yes, this has never happened before. Oh, wait... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt62tnjg5bs

      --
      -=Maggie Leber=-
    5. Re:Politics by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 1

      Things change, there are big sweeping cycles of ice advancement and withdrawal. Right now the ice is retreating, if man had gotten to this tech level 13,000 years ago we'd be debating the massive flooding that was going to happen when the glaciers leave the US.

      "OMG soon Lake Missoula won't exist! What will we do when the 300 foot waves don't come every 50 odd years!!!"

    6. Re:Politics by mveloso · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The above comment shows a complete lack of understanding of how "Science" fits into reality.

      Science: eating fatty food is bad for you
      Public: f*ck off

      Science: oh, some fatty foods are good
      Public: f*ck off

      Science: oh, some fatty foods are bad, some are good, depending on you
      Public: f*ck off

    7. Re:Politics by Jarjarthejedi · · Score: 5, Funny

      Beach Party?

      --
      There are two kinds of fool One says 'This is old therefore good' Another says 'This is new therefore better'- Dean Ing
    8. Re:Politics by CannonballHead · · Score: 1

      is not at all a normal part of our weather patterns.

      Few people argue that, IMO. The thing people tend to argue about is just how long "our weather patterns" have been taking place. It seems to me that the last 100 years, even if you believe in a rather young earth, is a pretty small, er, chip out of the iceberg of time.

      It seems that our weather is significantly different from weather history.

    9. Re:Politics by kclittle · · Score: 4, Informative

      They were all in Wisconsin, IIRC.
      -k

      --
      Generally, bash is superior to python in those environments where python is not installed.
    10. Re:Politics by CannonballHead · · Score: 4, Funny

      IIRC.

      You, sir, are old!

    11. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i cant go to work today, there is a 1000 foot high glacier blocking my front door, and i live in St Louis Mo., (thats what would happen)

    12. Re:Politics by Coriolis · · Score: 1

      Citation needed.

      --
      Rgasuya aata! : I have been coding Perl and cannot tell where my fingers are now!
    13. Re:Politics by kclittle · · Score: 1

      Sigh! Yes, I know, I know...

      --
      Generally, bash is superior to python in those environments where python is not installed.
    14. Re:Politics by CannonballHead · · Score: 1

      Actually, it was more of a joke about remembering something from 30k years ago than memory in general... but oh well. :)

    15. Re:Politics by mi · · Score: 4, Funny

      That's why we need to act NOW to return the glaciers to the same state they were in 30,000 years ago.

      The "NOW" has to be pictured with a multi-colored fist raised in anger against the oppressors.

      While at it, the humanity also ought to rise against the evil Big Business (as opposite to the beloved "Mom and Pop" shops suffering from Wal-Mart), who contribute to the Continental Drift. Because every time a plane takes off on one continent and lands on another, the continents are pulled farther and farther away from the positions they were in before humanity appeared.

      --
      In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    16. Re:Politics by OeLeWaPpErKe · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You forgot government intervention :

      Science: eating fatty food is bad for you
      Government: we outlaw them all

      Science: oh, some fatty foods are good
      Government: we outlaw all other food !

      Science: oh, some fatty foods are bad, some are good, depending on you
      Government: okay, seriously ... everybody alive is breaking the law. How could this possibly happen ? People simply have no respect for the laws anymore.

      Science: ...
      Government: obviously the solution is more laws !

    17. Re:Politics by brian0918 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      to keep it simple for those who don't get global warming, most people don't understand that icecaps melting/receeding like they have been lately is not at all a normal part of our weather patterns.

      On the contrary, this is quite normal. Ice caps expand and recede all the time and have been for centuries. As MIT climatologist Richard Lindzen pointed out in WSJ today, you're discarding a well-established understanding of the history of the planet by making that claim.

    18. Re:Politics by commodore64_love · · Score: 2, Insightful

      And there was a giant lake in Missoula Missouri, which periodically broke-through the glacier/ice dam and flooded Washington State (hence the weirdly-carved landscape).

      And before you mark me troll, remember scientists are fallible. They once thought space was filled with "ether" so lightwaves could travel from the sun to the earth. They believed that vehemently for ~100 years, until it was proved light could travel through a vacuum. If they were wrong then (and many many other times), they can certainly be wrong now.

      If global warming actually exists, why do the scientists feel it necessary to fudge their numbers? They ought to be able to use the clean data without need for obfuscation, as these climatologists were caught doing.

      --
      "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
    19. Re:Politics by mshmgi · · Score: 1, Troll

      I'll probably get called a nazi for saying this ... but it should really have been filed under "Religion", as well.

    20. Re:Politics by sorak · · Score: 1

      Probably. We would have avoided the areas that were unlivable, and built our infrastructure around the world as it was at the time. And it would be perfectly rational not to welcome the prospect of farms either being flooded or turning to desert, while sea ports are buried under water, and the gradual changes in variables that could make life more difficult for the plants and animals we depend upon.

      It's not that the world in its current state is perfect. It's just that it works for us, right now. So I would rather not risk everything, in return for cheap transportation.

    21. Re:Politics by gad_zuki! · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What suppression?

      Whatever the e-mail authors may have said to one another in (supposed) privacy, however, what matters is how they acted. And the fact is that, in the end, neither they nor the IPCC suppressed anything: when the assessment report was published in 2007 it referenced and discussed both papers.

      Keep it up deniers, Im sure your corporate masters are laughing all the way to the bank while you cry all the way to the grave.

    22. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      to keep it simple for those who don't get global warming, most people don't understand that icecaps melting/receeding like they have been lately is not at all a normal part of our weather patterns.

      I agree though, this should be scientific discussion of how to tackle it not political "lets deal with it later"

      It seems to me the "politics" of the debate was not "lets deal with it later", but "lets ridicule and censor anyone who disagrees", which is a pretty
      unscientific approach to a perceived crisis.

    23. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not normal? Why has it happened all throughout the holocene period then? You have warming cycles where glaciers receeds or cold cycles where they grow.
      Do you by the way know that the Antarctic ice cap has actually increased over the last few decades? You only hear about the small part of Antarctica that is warming/melting, while rest of the icecap is completely ignored. The current warming could also be explained by the unusual high sun activity that we have been having over the last decades which also happens to coincidence with the warming.
      The sun has been more active on average than it has been in thousands of years until the recent extended minimum that started a few years ago.

    24. Re:Politics by phantomfive · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's not about 'suppression' per se, it's about bait and switch.

      Look, what's the scientific consensus that we have? Is it about ocean levels rising to cover the earth? Is it about melting glaciers and polar ice caps? Is it about increases in hurricanes? Is it about a six degree increase in temperature?

      Not at all. The only consensus we have is that there has been a slight increase in temperature over the last century, and that human activity (specifically CO2) has contributed to that. That's it. There is no consensus on how much CO2 has contributed to it. There is no consensus on how much temperatures will rise in the next century. There is no consensus on what the effect of that rise would be, assuming it does rise. Basically what alarmists have been saying is "AGW is a fact" and everyone agrees. Then they go on and say, "therefore disaster is coming if we don't stop it now" but not everyone agrees with that.

      --
      Qxe4
    25. Re:Politics by oldspewey · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Corporate masters? That implies all these internet trolls are being paid.

      See this is the part I find most confusing about the amount of energy these denialists devote to the "cause" of keeping big oil fat and happy. Somehow, an army of deluded dupes has been created and they aren't being paid a nickel for their efforts. As we get closer and closer to the copenhagen conference, they get louder and louder and devote increasing amounts of unpaid time to internet boards, radio call in shows, letters columns, etc. It's mystifying.

      --
      If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
    26. Re:Politics by Robin47 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      You forgot government intervention :

      Science: eating fatty food is bad for you Government: we outlaw them all

      Science: oh, some fatty foods are good Government: we outlaw all other food !

      Science: oh, some fatty foods are bad, some are good, depending on you Government: okay, seriously ... everybody alive is breaking the law. How could this possibly happen ? People simply have no respect for the laws anymore.

      Science: ... Government: obviously the solution is more laws !

      Offtopic? And the previous post he was responding to was not?

    27. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Old? Bah! 30,000 years ago, I was telling glaciers to get off my lawn.

    28. Re:Politics by oldspewey · · Score: 1, Troll

      Which one? The free market religion or the church of global warming? Most of these debates seem to devolve into people from each camp hurling insults at each other.

      --
      If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
    29. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Offtopic?

      Presumably because there's no "-1 utterly feeble effort" and the mod is not a "-1, overrated" chickenshit?

    30. Re:Politics by oldspewey · · Score: 1, Funny

      Ahh yes, thanks, I missed one activity in my list: deniers who devote increasing amounts of unpaid time moderating internet posts as offtopic.

      --
      If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
    31. Re:Politics by gyrogeerloose · · Score: 3, Funny

      And there was a giant lake in Missoula Missouri, which periodically broke-through the glacier/ice dam and flooded Washington State (hence the weirdly-carved landscape).

      And you, my friend, need to look at a map. Under no circumstances could a lake in Missouri flood the state of Washington. The Rocky Mountains would preclude that.

      By the way, Missoula is in Montana.. Nice place, been there a number of times.

      --
      This ain't rocket surgery.
    32. Re:Politics by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Here is my problem with the AGW debate, and feel free to slap me around for it, not going to change my mind.

      The planet's climate is changing, yea, thats a given. The planet's climate has changed before, drastically and at very high rates of change, much much quicker and more dramatically than what is going to happen in the next 91 years (according to models).

      Those dramatic changes happened without man burning fossil fuels. Younger Dryas and the defrosting after happened without AGW. Ice ages came and went without it being man's fault. Are we going to have a glacial lake Missoula ravaging Oregon/Washington/Idaho every 50 years from AGW...no, in the grand scheme of climate change during the history of man, this is minor.

      The climate changes with or without us, if there were glaciers and it dropped the sea level, a country like the US would gain vast amounts of land, good farmland, so why do we want to terraform Earth to 1990 or 2000 standards and leave it there?

      Because thats what we are talking about with stopping climate change, terraforming the world to a "perfect" point in time.

    33. Re:Politics by obarthelemy · · Score: 1, Troll

      As opposed to climatologists, whose suddenly improved livelihood does depend on a big climate scare.

      --
      The Cloud - because you don't care if your apps and data are up in the air.
    34. Re:Politics by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It is politics, though. People are interpreting emails in their preferred context. The most publicized emails are devoid of scientific content. The actors in those emails aren't discussing the latest paper in Nature, or research methodology. They're discussing the rhetorical merits of a graph, or whether responding to a flawed study in some third rate journal gives credence to that study. The emails might be of interest to a historian of science, but it's not as if the archive is a graduate seminar in dendrochronology.

      Two caveats: I have not trawled the archive, and the leaked .zip is a bit small for ten years worth of stored email.

    35. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Besides. There was a time a few thousand years ago where the entire world was 100% flooded in a matter of days and stayed that way for 40 days and 40 nights. All life on this planet was rebuilt from a single ship. Let's face it, we are invincible. We can rebreed this entire planet if we have to, we did it before.

    36. Re:Politics by oldspewey · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yeah those climatologists are just rolling in cash, perks, stock options, and golden parachutes. You know, sometimes I feel downright sorry for Oil & Gas industry executives and the embarrassingly low pay they receive for all the dedicated, selfless work they do.

      Translation for the irony-impaired: you want to play the follow-the-money game? Guess where it leads? Maybe not to you because you've somehow been convinced to act as an unpaid shill for an industry you don't even understand, but it certainly doesn't lead to a bunch of climate scientists either.

      --
      If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
    37. Re:Politics by neuromountain · · Score: 1

      No, what you need to do now is control the rate of overall climate change to minimize the rate of ecosystems and thermohaline cycle collapse. If the latter goes, Europe will return to their glacial situation of 12,000 years ago.

    38. Re:Politics by vlm · · Score: 3, Insightful

      They were all in Wisconsin, IIRC.

      Wisconsin? Did someone mention my home state? WI geology is a good example of why "global warming" is a coastie religion and midwesterners are by and large, unconverted.

      See, where I grew up, they teach us geology by pointing out the glacial terrain features that a mile or two of ice carves out every 10-20K years or so... Then they move on to our local industry, such as limestone pits formed when WI, currently 600 feet ASL, was a warm -n- toasty (relatively) inland seabottom. Then there's the ancient volcanic granite outcroppings.

      On the coasts, I think they teach kids the temperature has never been a degree above or below where it is today, etc etc.

      So, after a good WI education, when the coasties hearts flutter about a degree here and a meter there, we're just not too impressed based on our states natural history.

      Even worse, lets say we go all "Pol Pot" on our civilization like the global warming religion desperately wants us to, and then wait a million years, in wild Wisconsin, the weather we had before is, the weather we'll have again, glaciers, floods, and all, as if a degree here and there or a meter here and there would even be noticeable to us...

      --
      "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
    39. Re:Politics by Shotgun · · Score: 2, Insightful

      That's because they are normal people that see Copenhagen as nothing more than a power grab by international bodies. If there is no AGW, there is no need for world homogenizing global treaties to come out of Copenhagen, is there?

      People are rising up and making noise, because they are tired of the smug blowhards looking down their noses when some "ignoramus" dares question the veracity of the aloof chosen ones and their "consensus".

      --
      Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
      Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
    40. Re:Politics by smidget2k4 · · Score: 5, Informative

      How exactly does this follow? Their careers and livelihoods are only improved if they are right (through recognition maybe getting them a better job at a better uni or something).

      Maybe they will get more funding to carry out more science, but you do know that they don't get to have any of that money, right? It is extremely tightly regulated and controlled by the grant providers.

      Disclaimer: I am a researcher in a university lab.

    41. Re:Politics by Ractive · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Well... melting? receeeding? even that is doubtful, remember there's ice caps in the artic but also in the antarctic, those have been pretty big this year.

      There's a lot of misinformation (most of it, probably caused by this CRU guys) on this subject , one of the problems that leads to confusion is that it's being treated as a single issue, first you have to separate the topics (or the queastions for that matter):

      • Is there a real global warming
      • Is it abnormal / unnatural
      • Is it caused by human activity
      • Is it caused by CO2?
      • Should this be a top environmental priority for humanity?

      The problem with all this misinformation is that the focus on the real environmental problems and it's causes is being shifted to things that can be economically exploited and really bad stuff that is real, confirmed, and its causes known to be of human origin, is being overlooked

    42. Re:Politics by kaiser423 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You mean the 800-1300 AD warming period seen in Europe due to changes in the gulf stream/jet stream, which was not warmer anywhere else on Earth?

      Yea, god forbid they take into account European data that was warmer for a certain period of time due to known weather phenomenon by adjusting it out since the rest of the world showed no such warming during that same period. Are you saying that you want climate prediction models solely centered around geographically European data? Seems like a bad idea to me.

    43. Re:Politics by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      Yes most are deluded amatures, I wonder where their delusions come from. Sourcewatch is your friend.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    44. Re:Politics by ScentCone · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Guess where it leads

      Let's see ... ah! It leads to Al Gore, and his fellow investors, who are positioned to make billions of dollars through the absurd selling and trafficking in carbon credits. Just like priests selling absolution in the dark ages. In fact, exactly like that.

      As for those climatologists, who were facing the traditional career full of angst over tenure or grants? For people like that, a steady job is rolling in cash. If you can also crank out an alarmist book or two, and score some face time on BBC so that you'll be invited to travel the world and get in some rubber chicken meals at conferences on someone else's account? Frosting on the cake.

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    45. Re:Politics by Korin43 · · Score: 1

      Not to mention that if everything they say does happen, while everyone else is being submerged under water, we get beach front property. Hmmmm.. GLOBAL WARMING ISN'T REAL!! PUMP AS MUCH CO2 AND METHANE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AS YOU CAN!!

    46. Re:Politics by wealthychef · · Score: 3, Informative

      They ought to be able to use the clean data without need for obfuscation, as these climatologists were caught doing.

      Um, do you have any evidence or even a link pointing to evidence for that claim? I submit this as a counter-claim:

      FTFL:

      "Since emails are normally intended to be private, people writing them are, shall we say, somewhat freer in expressing themselves than they would in a public statement. For instance, we are sure it comes as no shock to know that many scientists do not hold Steve McIntyre in high regard. Nor that a large group of them thought that the Soon and Baliunas (2003), Douglass et al (2008) or McClean et al (2009) papers were not very good (to say the least) and should not have been published. These sentiments have been made abundantly clear in the literature (though possibly less bluntly).

      More interesting is what is not contained in the emails. There is no evidence of any worldwide conspiracy, no mention of George Soros nefariously funding climate research, no grand plan to 'get rid of the MWP', no admission that global warming is a hoax, no evidence of the falsifying of data, and no 'marching orders' from our socialist/communist/vegetarian overlords. The truly paranoid will put this down to the hackers also being in on the plot though."

      --
      Currently hooked on AMP
    47. Re:Politics by maxume · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Actually, people in Wisconsin seemed pretty freaked out a year or two ago when the Wisconsin river flooded. Especially the ones that had houses washed away.

      --
      Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
    48. Re:Politics by afidel · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You're right, group think in the sciences is more about bragging rights and tenure then it is about money. Anyone who looks at the history of the physical sciences and DOESN'T see the pattern of group think is worse than the climate change deniers because at least there is some room for debate on the impact human activity is having.

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    49. Re:Politics by oldspewey · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Define "international bodies"

      I would suggest you might want to include multinational corporations (and trade associations) and the massive marketing and information-management efforts they mount as a species of "international body" that bears watching along with governments, treaty organizations, NGOs, lobbyists, and thinktanks.

      Wouldn't it be equally if not more foolish for me to believe the "consensus" being pushed by the fossil fuel lobby?

      --
      If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
    50. Re:Politics by tbannist · · Score: 1

      One of the biggest fudgings of the data was the removal of an inconvenient half millennium period that was up to 10 degrees warmer than the mean average.

      That's crazy talk. Could you at least pretend you're not insane?

      --
      Fanatically anti-fanatical
    51. Re:Politics by mcgrew · · Score: 3, Funny

      He was a beta tester for dirt.

      They never did get all the bugs out.

    52. Re:Politics by Smooth+and+Shiny · · Score: 2, Funny

      Sorry, but you are all wrong. The Earth is only 6,010 years old and the fact that dinosaurs lived with people is PROOF that there was simply no ice age or anything like it.

    53. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Two words for you: Al Gore. Moderately wealthy attention-seeking nobody to gazillionaire overnight, flying all over the world in his giant jet to warn everyone about the awful effects of their carbon footprints. As a government contractor, I can say with certainty that there is a huge market for "following the money" to the deepest pockets of all - governments. No climate scare == reduced funding for climate study. If you're a climatologist, there's an obvious benefit to fudging the numbers.

    54. Re:Politics by kwiqsilver · · Score: 2, Funny

      Bah. We can control that with central government planning. All we need to do is alternate the direction in which planes take off and land. Of course, since some planes push with more thrust than others, it will get slightly out of balance, so we'll have a leap plane every googol takeoffs or so to compensate.


      Note: I just noticed Firefox's built in spell checker considers googol a spelling error, but accepts Google (but only with the capital G). Coincidence? Or Evil World Domination Conspiracy (TM)?

    55. Re:Politics by TapeCutter · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Look, what's the scientific consensus that we have?

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    56. Re:Politics by vlm · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Actually, people in Wisconsin seemed pretty freaked out a year or two ago when the Wisconsin river flooded. Especially the ones that had houses washed away.

      God knows the Might Miss never changed her course before global warming, and certainly never will again, if and only if we go all "Pol Pot" on our civilization. And some scientist promised me if I move into a grass hut like he wants, the glaciers will never come again, either.

      You might be thinking of the famous "Lake Delton Disaster", where a manmade dam, which made a pretty nice lake for a couple decades, finally finished washing away, taking quite a few houses with it. Maintenance or lack-thereof is not really global warming related. Probably never should have built a dam there anyway, from what I read, but now we're stuck with one forever.

      --
      "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
    57. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This just in! Hackers have hacked in to the most prominent anti AGW site and put up damaging emails on a russian website.

      Reading the emails, it is clear that the Global Warming Deniers are in fact committing fraud and secretly just want to validate their creationists beliefs.

      Hmm....Do you think that will convince the Global Warming deniers? No you say? A hacked website and a tiny bit of emails from 'behind the scenes' on a Russian website wouldn't confinvce them that their leaders work for Oil and Gas companies?

      Then why should we believe the 'inviolate proof' they're trying to shove down our throats now?

    58. Re:Politics by obarthelemy · · Score: 1

      I find it does not really matter the amount of money at play, more the %age increase. And it's certainly harder to add another billion to a billion than $100k on top of a first 100k.

      --
      The Cloud - because you don't care if your apps and data are up in the air.
    59. Re:Politics by Daniel+Dvorkin · · Score: 1

      Did they bother to teach you about the timescale over which these geological changes occurred? Or are you simply incapable of grasping that tens of thousands of years is a long time, millions of years is a longer time, and tens or hundreds of millions of years is a very long time indeed?

      No, wait, don't tell me -- you stopped listening when they mentioned any date before 4004 BC.

      --
      The correlation between ignorance of statistics and using "correlation is not causation" as an argument is close to 1.
    60. Re:Politics by Straif · · Score: 4, Informative

      Over the last 10 years Exxon has given about 23 million in research grants for climate research projects (pro and con but you can assume mostly con if you want). In that same period the US government alone has given over 2 Billion in grants for just global warming research.

      In the last 20 years the US government has spent almost 70 billion on general climate research and anti-global warming technologies (about 50/50). And all this is just for the US government spending. Other governments spend hundreds of million to billions on global warming as well as the various 'green' companies.

      The director of the CRU, Phil Jones, alone has collected almost 27 million in grants since 1990. That's $27,000,000 (figured I'd write it out long hand since you don't seem to understand that that is a LOT of money).

      So if you follow the money you'll most likely find yourself starting in Washington or some other capital and then straight to a University Campus with no "Big Oil" boogie man anywhere in sight.

      --
      Of course that's just my opinion...... you could be wrong!
    61. Re:Politics by arminw · · Score: 1, Informative

      ....You mean the 800-1300 AD warming period seen in Europe...

      That was also the time when Greenland was a green land and the Vikings explored the ice free northwest passage. Where is all the evidence that all that molten ice raise sea level around the world?

      --
      All theory is gray
    62. Re:Politics by dwguenther · · Score: 1

      There's a major, man-made difference this time: atmospheric CO2 has increased 30% in the last century, to the highest level in a million years (according to ice cores). Are you willing to bet against that making a major, permanent change in our climate? A change that might, for instance, make vast amounts of US farmland unusable due to drought?

    63. Re:Politics by phantomfive · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That is not a report of consensus, it is a compilation created by a few scientists. Here is a survey that tries to establish a consensus. It is not the only one, there are others. All the surveys that show any type of consensus are very conservative in the questions they ask.

      --
      Qxe4
    64. Re:Politics by Straif · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Grants can be tightly controlled but are as often as not simply justified by publishing results. If you publish the right results then more grant money is likely to flow in.

      I've had professors in school that were effectively forced to buy new computers for their grant work because they were told that the money HAD to be spent. They didn't need the machines but couldn't find anything else to spend the cash on. Sending back unused grant money is sacrilege akin to not spending your departments projected budget. It doesn't necessarily make sense but it's the way the financial managers of the world like it.

      --
      Of course that's just my opinion...... you could be wrong!
    65. Re:Politics by obarthelemy · · Score: 1

      Nope, they are improved if enough people are interested/scared enough.

      Generations of snake oil peddlers, hysterical preachers... are proof that this works.

      --
      The Cloud - because you don't care if your apps and data are up in the air.
    66. Re:Politics by techno-vampire · · Score: 2, Insightful
      They ought to be able to use the clean data without need for obfuscation

      And, I might add, they ought to be able to hang onto that clean data so that other people can examine it and see if they can duplicate the results.

      --
      Good, inexpensive web hosting
    67. Re:Politics by Hal_Porter · · Score: 1

      Depends what you mean by normal. The world has warmed much faster than it is today (0.74 ± 0.18 degrees C over 100 years according to the IPCC (see http://ipcc-wg1.ucar.edu/wg1/Report/AR4WG1_Print_SPM.pdf page 5)

      E.g.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Younger_Dryas#The_end_of_the_Younger_Dryas

      Measurements of oxygen isotopes from the GISP2 ice core suggest the ending of the Younger Dryas took place over just 40 – 50 years in three discrete steps, each lasting five years. Other proxy data, such as dust concentration, and snow accumulation, suggest an even more rapid transition, requiring a ~7 degree C warming in just a few years;[5][6][14][15] the total warming was 10 degree ±4 degree

      This is 11000 years ago too, long before humans were emitting CO2. Warming didn't seem to hurt people back then - in fact the cool Younger Dryas seemed to be more stressful than the rapid warming that ended it.

      --
      echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
    68. Re:Politics by elrous0 · · Score: 1

      They were all in Wisconsin

      Exactly his point.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    69. Re:Politics by elrous0 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Did you know that Walmart pays most of its employees little more than minimum wage and doesn't provide them with healthcare? We must act now to restore all those mom-and-pop stores which paid their stock boys $60,000 a year and gave them princely health insurance policies!

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    70. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And of course the fact that the raw data used to arrive at these conclusions was erased has nothing to do with the lack of belief. Besides, who cares? The world will end in 2012 anyways so we'll be gone long before global warming...

    71. Re:Politics by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 1

      Exactly, CO2 is "to the highest level in a million years (according to ice cores)." We have evidence of dramatic climate shifts in the last million years, heck in the last 12,000 years, but the CO2 didn't cause those shifts.

      CO2 didn't cause the Last Glacial Maximum or Late Glacial Maximum, slow it or reverse it, so why the heck am I supposed to believe that magically CO2 is causing climate shifts now. It hasn't for the last 1 million years.

      From WP

      "Quaternary glaciation, also known as the Pleistocene glaciation, the current ice age or simply the ice age, refers to the period of the last few million years (2.58 Ma to present) in which permanent ice sheets were established in Antarctica and perhaps Greenland, and fluctuating ice sheets have occurred elsewhere (for example, the Laurentide ice sheet)."

      So for 2.85 MY we've been in an ice age, they've come and gone, without spikes in CO2. So now the glaciers are retreating and the climate is shifting, the past shows that it does so without CO2 spiking, so why all of a sudden is CO2 the driving force behind this glacial retreat?

    72. Re:Politics by vlm · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Did they bother to teach you about the timescale over which these geological changes occurred? Or are you simply incapable of grasping that tens of thousands of years is a long time, millions of years is a longer time, and tens or hundreds of millions of years is a very long time indeed?

      Yes, that is exactly the point I was trying to make. Thanks for agreeing with me. Over a long enough time period, human caused global warming is completely swamped into the noise by the extremes of natural change. For example, going all "Pol Pot" on western civilization might make the next ice age come a few years, decades, maybe centuries earlier, or maybe later, who knows, who cares. But, the next ice age is still coming, regardless if we select "Pol Pot" or "Party On". And we'll be buried under volcanic debris again. And we'll be the bottom of an inland sea again. A mere two or three ice age cycles from now, you'd never know the difference between "Pol Pot" and "Party On". Certainly in a couple million years or so, it would be nearly impossible to tell.

      No, wait, don't tell me -- you stopped listening when they mentioned any date before 4004 BC.

      No, those were the conservative kids that thought the earth never changed and never will change because its so young, and they bought into the whole "noble savage"/"garden of eden" rot, and they bought into the whole "original sin" rot that we are all guilty of ruining the world, and had the belief that belief in an authoritarian, fear-mongering religion would "save them", and I'm not talking about Christianity.

      --
      "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
    73. Re:Politics by Toonol · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You calling them "denialists" does as much to hurt reasonable debate as anything they do.

    74. Re:Politics by sycodon · · Score: 1

      Self-referential

      --
      When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    75. Re:Politics by smidget2k4 · · Score: 1

      But those people get rich off their schemes. I find it hard to believe a climate scientist (or pretty much any research scientist) is going to get rich by peddling bad science. Maybe they'll sell a book or something, but even then, you're not going to get the kind of money (by which I mean researchers really make shit money) you would if you told people "God said give me your money!".

      Plus the latter is a hell of a lot easier than getting a PhD.

      Unless you are suggesting that their lives are improved by making people believe stupid things. Seems like an awful waste of a lifetime's worth of work though.

    76. Re:Politics by CannonballHead · · Score: 3, Funny

      I've heard of dirt. Isn't that one of those grassroots projects?

      I also heard it wasn't very secure, had to be root to do anything...

      But I guess the effort paid off, since a lot of recent projects have grown out of it.

      :P

    77. Re:Politics by oldspewey · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Greenland was never named as such because it was "green." It was named in order to lure colonists who would hear the name and think "Sounds like a nice place. When's the next boat?"

      --
      If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
    78. Re:Politics by kwiqsilver · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Keep it up deniers, Im sure your corporate masters are laughing all the way to the bank while you cry all the way to the grave.
      Yeah...because the mega-corps and super-rich don't make a penny off of the current wave of Chicken Little alarmism. Al Gore isn't poised to become a multibillionaire if Cap-And-Trade becomes law. Western mega-corps won't have complete dominance in commerce if the developing world has to retool its entire production and delivery system to comply with international CO2 limits. Oh wait...that's exactly what will happen. You'll feel very stupid if you ever realize how much the anticorporate movement in the US and Europe plays right into the hands of the companies you're trying to take down.

      So while you "deniers" stick your fingers in your ears, screaming "lalalalala...", so you don't have to acknowledge the thousands of respected scientists who disagree with the Anthropomorphic Global Warming theory or the obvious evidence that all the models failed to predict the past decade of cooling, corrupt cronyists like Gore get richer, and attention is diverted from real environmental issues (farm runoff into rivers, high levels of mercury, lead, and other heavy metals in the food supply, etc) to stopping a gas that is no more dangerous to animals than nitrogen, and incredibly beneficial to plants.
      There have been a few instances in Earth's past where CO2 levels were dramatically higher than they are today, and they were all periods of incredible biodiversity. The world was lush and green, because plant food (i.e. CO2) was so plentiful. And since plants form the basis of the food chain (which is more of a pyramid, wider on the bottom than the top), there was more life at all levels.

      There have also been two periods in western history where global temperatures were significantly higher than today: the Roman Warming Period, and Medieval Warming Period. Rome and London didn't flood under the melted icecap water. Farmland didn't burst into flame destroying all crops. Disease didn't run rampant around the world. In fact quite the opposite happened. Humanity flourished, science advanced quicker, crops were plentiful, disease was lower, the weather was less extreme. Based on what we know of history, if the "science" of Anthropomorphic Global Warming wasn't complete crap, we should all buy Humvees and run them 24/7, to speed things up.

    79. Re:Politics by Toonol · · Score: 1

      How exactly does this follow? Their careers and livelihoods are only improved if they are right

      In the long term. In the short term, wrong but loud can get you a lot of rewards... not necessarily money, but something even more seductive: Ego gratification.

      Whether global climate change is happening or not, whether it's primarily man-cause or not, is irrelevant: There was a lot of non-science being done at a supposedly scientific institution. Not, I think, out of a desire to deceive... but out of punch-drunk eagerness and sudden, frenzied, self-importance. They may be RIGHT, but it doesn't mean that they don't deserve some severe reprimands.

      Most disturbing are the people who agree with the institute's findings, and so find excuses to justify their poor behavior. That's politics, not science.

    80. Re:Politics by Doctor+Morbius · · Score: 3, Informative

      All of Greenland did not melt. The southern coastal areas were relatively ice free during this time and those were the areas that were settled by the Vikings.

      --
      If I disagree with you it's because you are wrong.
    81. Re:Politics by Daniel+Dvorkin · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Oh, I got your point just fine, but it looks like you missed mine. I'll spell it out: humans don't live on geological timescales. The climate change debate is not about what the Earth's climate will be like millions, or tens of thousands, or even thousands of years from now. It's about what it will be like in our lifetimes and the lifetimes of our children. And on that human timescale, things are changing very fast indeed.

      Also ... dude, "Pol Pot?" Seriously? If you think any measure that will ever be taken, or even seriously proposed, to control CO2 emissions is in any way comparable to what the Khmer Rouge did, you are insane.

      --
      The correlation between ignorance of statistics and using "correlation is not causation" as an argument is close to 1.
    82. Re:Politics by smidget2k4 · · Score: 1

      Well yeah, that is how all budgets are. If you don't spend the money this time you obviously don't need it next time, right? Sigh...

      But yes, there is always "today's next hot thing" that will allow for easier grant money, but that doesn't mean the work can be shoddy, nor does that mean you personally will make more money. If the work from the grant isn't published in a good journal because it is a piece of shit, you'll have a hard time getting grants in the future too. So it comes down to "Can you do good work in Hot New Field that will stand up to peer review and stand the test of time (not tarnishing your reputation if the HNF house of cards falls)." If you can then do it. Let them buy you a fancy lab or more grad students because the topic is big right now, but that doesn't mean it will be bad science.

      Also, even if you can buy new equip you might not really need, or hire a grad student or two extra, you still can't take any of that money for yourself, to, say, buy a house or vacation. You might get a computer out of it, but most IT jobs will give you that too.

    83. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You link to realclimate as a counter-point?

      Have you even read these leaked (not hacked) emails? realclimate is the definition of the word biased here.

    84. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Two words for you: Al Gore. Moderately wealthy attention-seeking nobody to gazillionaire overnight, flying all over the world in his giant jet to warn everyone about the awful effects of their carbon footprints.

      If you think Al Gore was ever a "moderately wealthy attention-seeking nobody," you obviously have no clue about the man's history, and probably should keep your mouth shut lest you risk embarrassing yourself further.

    85. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are quoting an article were people that question man made global warming are called "deniers." Sorry, but that doesn't help your cause.

      Instead of focusing on the language used in the emails, some people have been running the data and the code. It is not pretty. ESR discovered hard coded "adjustment" numbers in the code that can plot a hockey stick.

    86. Re:Politics by maxume · · Score: 1

      You read an awful lot into a comment that was pretty much just mocking the tone of "as if a degree here and there or a meter here and there would even be noticeable to us...".

      Those people noticed the extra meter of water.

      --
      Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
    87. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Old. The MWP exists in more places throughout the record.

    88. Re:Politics by dwguenther · · Score: 1

      The theory is that unprecedented levels of CO2 are forcing unprecedented levels of global temperature increase (and glacial retreat) due to CO2's ability to capture and re-radiate infrared energy, which can be demonstrated in the lab. The question is whether you're willing to bet that there is some (currently unknown) natural process which can balance that unprecedented heating, or whether we're toast.

    89. Re:Politics by Hal_Porter · · Score: 1

      That's because they are normal people that see Copenhagen as nothing more than a power grab by international bodies. If there is no AGW, there is no need for world homogenizing global treaties to come out of Copenhagen, is there?

      People are rising up and making noise, because they are tired of the smug blowhards looking down their noses when some "ignoramus" dares question the veracity of the aloof chosen ones and their "consensus".

      I wouldn't worry too much about international bodies. Kyoto came and went and in the EU only the UK and Sweden cut their CO2. In the UK case at least the cut was not expensive - it was a move from coal to gas which made economic sense at that point anyway. China and India were exempt, the US declined to sign and everyone else signed it and then ignored it.

      And no national government would be dumb enough to cause its own voters economic pain cutting CO2 for its own sake, rather than as a side effect of doing something that is itself economically rational.

      Oh wait

      http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/09/15/taking_liberties/entry5314040.shtml

      --
      echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
    90. Re:Politics by oldspewey · · Score: 1

      There was a lot of non-science being done at a supposedly scientific institution

      ... and this is exactly the kind of generalist thinking that the people who leaked those emails were hoping for. Just by exposing a few unkind words exchanged via email (which as the GP mentioned had nothing to do with the soundness of the work actually published) people make the jump to "lots of non-science" being done.

      Propaganda at its finest.

      --
      If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
    91. Re:Politics by Obfuscant · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Maybe they will get more funding to carry out more science, but you do know that they don't get to have any of that money, right?

      Sir, you are a moron. Just where do you think the salaries of the professors and graduate students and research assistants doing research into global warming comes from? Grants.

      It is extremely tightly regulated and controlled by the grant providers.

      Unless a grant has money included to buy lots of equipment or rent ship time, the vast majority of the money in a grant is salary. This "tightly controlled" money destined for salary GOES to salary. A certain percentage of the grant goes to "overhead" -- money skimmed right off the top, taken by the University to fund management and physical plant, etc. And to fund professors in stuff like English and History.

      After you reach 100% grant funding for the principal investigator salary, new grants go to fund more students and more research assistants and post-docs. The more students and post-docs a PI has, the more prestige and the bigger his realm. The more overhead he provides to the Uni the more respect and more prestige he's given by the Uni. The more he can demand in offices and lab space.

      Disclaimer: I am a researcher in a university lab.

      So am I, in a college deeply invested in climate research, and 100% of my salary comes from grant money. If we don't get grants to pay me, I don't get paid. If my PI doesn't get grants to pay him, he doesn't get paid. If my PI told the funding agencies "We have solved the question we were looking at" he doesn't get any more grants to study that question. If we were doing AGW research and said "humans aren't the cause", we wouldn't get any of the grants going to find "the solution". We'd be cutting our own throats. We'd be sitting on the unemployment line reading about all the grants going to the researchers like CRU who fudge the numbers so they look like AGW is real.

      About fudging numbers. I've seen what today's grad students are being taught about data processing. If their dataset is supposed to look like a smooth line they will make it look linear, even if that means they throw 90% of it away as "outliers". There is no consideration given to why those points exist, if they don't fit the assumption about what valid data should look like, out they go. There are tools to take a plot that looks ugly and simply point at the data you want to go away, and it does. Magically, their dataset matches the prediction.

      I remember very well one of the emails coming from NCAR a few years ago, trumpeting the fact that they'd made a small change to the hockeystick model and the upswing in predicted temperatures got much larger. There was no physical reality to the parameter they changed. It didn't make the hindcast fit better. It just made the scare factor bigger, so the result was BETTER!

      Being right has nothing to do with success, being able to create a desire for your particular kind of research does. "We're all going to die unless..." works better at the latter than "we understand the issue and it isn't serious".

      Why are people so ready to claim "follow the money" when the money comes from oil companies, and then claim that money has nothing to do with it when it appears in the pockets of the people doing the research?

    92. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I only buy round-trip airplane tickets to help mitigate this effect. Think of the continents!

    93. Re:Politics by techwrench · · Score: 1

      I was there when the dirt was delivered.

      --
      It's You and I against the World... When do we attack?
    94. Re:Politics by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 1

      Yes, I know that the levels are "unprecedented", but the speed of the changes and amount of change are not unprecedented when we look at historical changes. When we look at changes since Man has been fully evolved, they still are not unprecedented changes.

      "Under the IPCC Special Report on Emission Scenario (SRES) A1B, by the mid-2090s global sea level will reach 0.22 to 0.44 m (8.7 to 17 in) above 1990 levels, and is currently rising at about 4 mm (0.16 in) per year."

      "The Younger Dryas saw a rapid return to glacial conditions in the higher latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere between 12,900–11,500 years before present (BP) in sharp contrast to the warming of the preceding interstadial deglaciation. The transitions each occurred over a period of a decade or so. Thermally fractionated nitrogen and argon isotope data from Greenland ice core GISP2 indicate that the summit of Greenland was ~15C colder during the Younger Dryas than today."

      During the Bølling oscillation the sea level rose more than 100 m due to glacial melt. And that all happens without spikes in CO2.

      I bet there is a natural process which for the last 2.85 MY has been driving these events.

    95. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      will you stop saying "pol pot" as if that's what people who believe in global warming are. are you even aware of who that is? its actually quite idiotic to even make that comparison. no one is trying to restart civilization here. asking you to change a friggin' lightbulb is *NOT* on par with forced slave labor and executions. i'm sure anybody who had to experience the man would be quite upset with you comparing such a human tragedy to something such as this. you, quite frankly, should be ashamed of yourself. also, why the hell do you have to use it in EVERY OTHER SENTENCE YOU MAKE. The fact that you used such a biased propagandist term just shows that you're probably not speaking much truth, but instead trying to use loaded and persuasive language and not quite caring about the truth.

    96. Re:Politics by jtdennis · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I was always taught that this was how science worked. If your "results" can't be duplicated, then it's not proving anything.
      By the same token, if you hide the data so it can't be duplicated, then the "results" should be thrown out and the work redone.

      --
      -- "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings" -Optimus Prime
    97. Re:Politics by dkleinsc · · Score: 1

      The leaked archive was a cherry-picked portion of the email. Which for me begged the question of where the person who leaked it possibly came up with the time and resources to go through the GBs of data and pick out all the bits that made the researchers look bad.

      --
      I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
    98. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The word you are looking for is "indulgences".

    99. Re:Politics by ralphbecket · · Score: 1

      Well, that's really less convincing when you have the lead authors promoting their own work - e.g., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_E._Mann

    100. Re:Politics by davidgay · · Score: 1
      I've had professors in school that were effectively forced to buy new computers for their grant work because they were told that the money HAD to be spent.

      If you haven't heard similar stories about industry, generally revolving either around the end of a quarter or the end of the year, I can only assume you've never had a job...

      David Gay

    101. Re:Politics by fyngyrz · · Score: 1, Informative

      And on that human timescale, things are changing very fast indeed.

      Yes. Yes they are. In fact, if the current trend continues, we'll be buried in ice in 50 years! OMG WTF BBQ!

      --
      I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
    102. Re:Politics by Chris+Burke · · Score: 2, Informative

      That was also the time when Greenland was a green land

      LOL. And another hapless fool falls victim to the greatest false advertising scam in history .

      Do you think that at the same period in history, Iceland was an ice land?

      LOL.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    103. Re:Politics by TapeCutter · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Meanwhile most people here in SE Australia (educated or otherwise) know all two well that a "slight change" in weather patterns can really screw up a civilization. Grain harvest have been cut in half for 8 out the last ten years, billions of dollars of hydro infrastucture built in Tasmaninia in the 90's sits idle for lack of water, the high tech bass-link cable that was to be used to export that power to the mainland is now used to import power. Firestorms convert forrest into grassland, and grassland into desert, the dust from which can be seen on most mornings simply by looking at your car. Lakes that have survived for tens of thousands of years become toxic and whole forrests of 600yo red gums wither and die. Every state capital in the country has been forced to ration water while thier governments spend billions building some of the world's largests desal plants. Had this happened over geological time scales nobody except geologists would have noticed.

      Now I have never been to WI but I hear from reliable sources it is also experiencing drought conditions. Tell me, do they teach history in WI?

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    104. Re:Politics by Mr.+Slippery · · Score: 1

      And, I might add, they ought to be able to hang onto that clean data so that other people can examine it and see if they can duplicate the results.

      Great. Let's eliminate the "intellectual property" laws that have closed off some of the data.

      Many nation's weather services -- the sources of the CRU's data -- claim copyright or place other restrictions on their data.

      Of course, I'm sure the conspiracy theorists will weave this into their fantasies as well, that those laws were passed specifically to enable the climatological cabal to steal away America's sovereignty, or whatever.

      --
      Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
      You cannot wash away blood with blood
    105. Re:Politics by Toonol · · Score: 1

      Propaganda at its finest.

      Propaganda... like highly selective quoting?

    106. Re:Politics by aisaac · · Score: 1

      On the contrary, this is quite normal. Ice caps expand and recede all the time and have been for centuries. As MIT climatologist Richard Lindzen pointed out in WSJ today, you're discarding a well-established understanding of the history of the planet by making that claim.

      Promoting Lindzen can be counterproductive for climate change deniers:
      "In November 2004, climate change skeptic Richard Lindzen was quoted saying he'd be willing to bet that the earth's climate will be cooler in 20 years than it is today. When British climate researcher James Annan contacted him, however, Lindzen would only agree to take the bet if Annan offered a 50-to-1 payout."

      I also wonder how many who quote Lindzen on climate change also quote Lindzen on smoking?

    107. Re:Politics by highvista63 · · Score: 1

      I believe the poster meant that the Missouri River, near Missoula, MT, contained a dam that broke and flooded Eastern Washington. I'm don't recall all the details from a PBS show I saw, but this is essentially correct.

    108. Re:Politics by PopeRatzo · · Score: 0, Troll

      For example, going all "Pol Pot" on western civilization

      You've used this fanciful expression twice now.

      So, you consider replacing fossil fuels with renewable and nuclear energy to be the moral equivalent of the Killing Fields?

      Can you show us any evidence that you are not a moron? And, if you can, please make sure to include a link to your data, because some of us are going to be a little hard to convince.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    109. Re:Politics by Xest · · Score: 1

      "For example, going all "Pol Pot" on western civilization might make the next ice age come a few years, decades, maybe centuries earlier, or maybe later, who knows, who cares."

      You're missing the point. If humans make the change occur faster, than you're not giving countless species or systems in the world chance to change with it because many systems that make the world work require time to change.

      Should it happen over the course of tens of thousands of years, species like polar bears may have time to adapt, the coral reefs may also be able to adapt. Hell, even us humans need time to do something about the areas that will be effected by it- low lying coastal areas for example. Should it happen over the course of hundreds of years, there will however be no such chance.

      I don't disagree with you that in the grand scheme of the earth's history and future what we do is small scale, I do however completely disagree that it's no big deal, partly because we depend on these ecosystems that may well be destroyed for food, medicines and other resources.

      You might similarly argue there's no point planning for a major meteor strike on earth because it's happened plenty of times before, but obviously that ignores the destruction it would cause to any people living on the planet at the time.

      Yes these things happen, but that doesn't mean we want them to happen or that the negligible effect on the planet in the long term is negligible for us as a species. Humanity has to decide if it wants a future, if it wants a future it needs to be responsible, if it doesn't want a future we may as well have a global thermonuclear war now just to see what it looks like because I bet it's damn impressive in the instant before you die, and, well, live for the moment, who cares what the earth is like in the future, right?

    110. Re:Politics by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2, Insightful

      For example, going all "Pol Pot" on western civilization

      You've used this fanciful expression several times now.

      So, you consider replacing fossil fuels with renewable and nuclear energy to be the moral equivalent of the Killing Fields?

      Can you show us any evidence that you are not a moron? And, if you can, please make sure to include a link to your data, because some of us are going to be a little hard to convince.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    111. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yep.

      From washed up politician to international superstar (and quite a bit richer to boot).

      What's with the belief in these threads that only oil company execs are motivated by greed? These people are scientist, they're human. But for some folks on these threads they're held up like high priests in some kind of religous cult, entirely above suspicion.

      BTW, glad that slashdot is finally covering this, I looked for it here for a couple of days after the news broke (I mean, it's about global warming and hacking, both of which are regular topics here), to no avail. And when it was mentioned it was poo-pooed as anti-AGW propaganda.

      It's fun to attack religion until it's your religion, isn't it guys?

    112. Re:Politics by DiamondGeezer · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I'd call that denialism and spin in its purest form. The plain fact is that the emails revealed the extent to which the "Hockey Team" were prepared to pervert data, methods, peer review and the scientific method in order to get the result they wanted.

      And Realclimate is the propaganda front for the justification of all of those offences, as their own emails reveal.

      --
      Tubby or not tubby. Fat is the question
    113. Re:Politics by DiamondGeezer · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Nobody has said that.

      What is clear is that the whole hypothesis of anthropogenic global warming through the addition of man-made greenhouse gases needs to be revisited from scratch, because we know less than we thought three weeks ago.

      Nobody knows whether man-made release of carbon dioxide is on balance, a good thing or not.

      --
      Tubby or not tubby. Fat is the question
    114. Re:Politics by Mr.+Slippery · · Score: 1

      On the coasts, I think they teach kids the temperature has never been a degree above or below where it is today, etc etc.

      No, I assure you they teach about the ice ages out here on the coasts too. Glacier melt erosion played a large role in shaping the region where I live.

      Even worse, lets say we go all "Pol Pot" on our civilization like the global warming religion desperately wants us to

      Pardon? I don't see any "global warming religion". I do however see some who take a religious approach to capitalism and believe that nothing that comes out the unregulated free market can be bad, and so ignore the science behind climate change just as the religious right ignores the science behind evolution.

      as if a degree here and there or a meter here and there would even be noticeable to us...

      Ask the folks in New Orleans if a meter here and there is noticeable.

      --
      Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
      You cannot wash away blood with blood
    115. Re:Politics by kinkozmasta · · Score: 2, Interesting
      It's hard to follow your rant and what I do follow is backed up by dubious evidence at best.

      Al Gore isn't poised to become a multibillionaire if Cap-And-Trade becomes law.

      First, it isn't clear how Al Gore would instantly become a billionaire if cap and trade becomes law. Second, you really think one man is more influential than several, already, multi-billion dollar industries?

      Western mega-corps won't have complete dominance in commerce if the developing world has to retool its entire production and delivery system to comply with international CO2 limits.

      While this may be true, they already are the completely dominant force in commerce and so they'll make even more money if they don't have to retool anything.

      So while you "deniers" stick your fingers in your ears, screaming "lalalalala...", so you don't have to acknowledge the thousands of respected scientists who disagree with the Anthropomorphic Global Warming theory

      What? Are you counting yourself and all the other posters on slashdot?

      the obvious evidence that all the models failed to predict the past decade of cooling

      What cooling? The temperatures may be slightly cooler than the absolute peak, but to say there is a cooling trend is simply not true. http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs/

      There have also been two periods in western history where global temperatures were significantly higher than today: the Roman Warming Period, and Medieval Warming Period. Rome and London didn't flood under the melted icecap water.

      Maybe because those periods weren't as warm globally as you think they were. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Warming

      The Medieval Warm Period was a time of warm weather between about AD 800-1300, during the European Medieval period. Initial research on the MWP and the following Little Ice Age (LIA) was largely done in Europe, where the phenomenon was most obvious and clearly documented. It was initially believed that the temperature changes were global.[2] However, this view has been questioned; the 2001 IPCC report summarises this research, saying "...current evidence does not support globally synchronous periods of anomalous cold or warmth over this time frame, and the conventional terms of 'Little Ice Age' and 'Medieval Warm Period' appear to have limited utility in describing trends in hemispheric or global mean temperature changes in past centuries".[3] Global temperature records taken from ice cores, tree rings, and lake deposits, have shown that, taken globally, the Earth may have been slightly cooler (by 0.03 degrees Celsius) during the 'Medieval Warm Period' than in the early- and mid-20th century.[4] Crowley and Lowery (2000) [5] note that "there is insufficient documentation as to its existence in the Southern hemisphere."

      I'm surprised a bunch of claims like yours can get modded up at all. Oh, wait... nevermind.

    116. Re:Politics by 2short · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "... Al Gore, and his fellow investors, who are positioned to make billions of dollars through the absurd selling and trafficking in carbon credits."

      How exactly are you imagining Al Gore stands to make billions on carbon credits? Does he have a secret stockpile he will be selling? That would certainly be absurd. "trafficking" certainly sounds nefarious, but I'm not sure I see how that's going to happen... pass a law creating carbon credits, stockpile them, then outlaw them so he can absurdly sell them on the black market?

      Seriously though, skipping past your loaded language, you appear to think Al Gore stands to make money when cap-and-trade goes into effect in some way not available to others. I don't see it.

    117. Re:Politics by commodore64_love · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Ironically many of the "may I see the data" and other FOIA requests were turned-down because the CRU claimed copyright over the data. How convenient. Of course now the data is leaked, and we can see why they refused to share it. It had nothing to do with copyright - the leaked data reveals the published papers were fudging the numbers.

      Oh and yes there are big dollars in favor of global warming

      - like GE (owner of NBC, USA, Syfy, NBC Europe, NBC Asia, and so on). They would lose billions of dollars they've invested in green technology.

      --
      "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
    118. Re:Politics by Obfuscant · · Score: 3, Informative
      Also, even if you can buy new equip you might not really need, or hire a grad student or two extra, you still can't take any of that money for yourself, to, say, buy a house or vacation.

      The grant source doesn't care what you do with your salary, so OF COURSE you can take some of the grant money -- which pays your SALARY -- and buy a house or take a vacation.

      GRANTS PAY SALARIES. No grants, no salary. I don't know why you keep denying this simple fact of research life.

      Even if your grant doesn't pay salaries (which would be unusual) it DOES pay for research, which can include a rented vacation home while conducting research at a remote site (three months, with catered dinners five nights of the week -- been there, done that, very nice), and it can pay for conference attendance, which is why many of the conferences take place in Hawaii and other vacation-like places. As a standard practice when I go anywhere unusual for research, I stay a few days extra. That means, in essence, a GRANT has paid for my transportation to and from a vacation. Quite legal. Quite common, too. If the best airfare requires staying the weekend, I've got a paid vacation.

    119. Re:Politics by commodore64_love · · Score: 1

      >>>And you, my friend, need to look at a map

      SLAP!

      Thanks for slapping me.

      It was just a typo. I was thinking Montana in my head (the big sky country), but for some reason my fingers typed something else. Like when Pac-Man mysteriously runs through a ghost without dying, even though the program code shouldn't allow that. It happens sometimes. (shrug)

      --
      "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
    120. Re:Politics by Qrlx · · Score: 1

      But, the next ice age is still coming, regardless if we select "Pol Pot" or "Party On". And we'll be buried under volcanic debris again. And we'll be the bottom of an inland sea again. A mere two or three ice age cycles from now, you'd never know the difference between "Pol Pot" and "Party On". Certainly in a couple million years or so, it would be nearly impossible to tell.

      Do you really have a basis for this statement? In a couple million years some radioactive waste will still be radioactive, and I have been led to believe large amounts of plastic will still be around for at least a few thousand years if not millions.

      Ice ages have happened in the past. But, "past performance is no guarantee of future results." And also realize we've changed the conditions. The climate of today has 2x the atmospheric CO2 concentration than the climate which has for the past few hundred thousand years regularly produced ice ages. On what authority can you state that we are still within the bounds of that cycle? Our fossil fuel use has driven the system well beyond normal operating parameters.

    121. Re:Politics by tnk1 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Their careers and livelihoods are only improved if they are right (through recognition maybe getting them a better job at a better uni or something).
       

      I'm surprised that you think that, being a researcher, because you should know that's not true at all. How do you get paid? Who pays the salaries of the scientists and for the lab equipment while you are proving that you are right?

      A scientist will certainly advance himself by being right, but how many scientists in the field of climate change have proven anything? They've stated some interesting facts which seem to point toward a conclusion. Ask yourself how much money there is out there for climate change research, and then ask yourself how many of the scientists in that field have proven their theories are right?

      I honestly do not know if climate change is happening due to human influences. Presumably at a certain level of human activity, we definitely would affect climate. The question is whether that is happening now, if so, what is causing it, and can we then combat it.

      I want the answers to those questions, if there is a threat. The problem is right now, I don't want to hear that someone is removing inconvenient data to cut corners and make it easier for themselves to get grant money. They are getting paid to explain those things they are removing, not to ignore them.

    122. Re:Politics by TapeCutter · · Score: 2

      For values of "few" that are around 2500. Your servey link agrees with my consensus link. My consensus is very conservative if you consider the fact they underestimated artic ice loss by 40%.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    123. Re:Politics by im_thatoneguy · · Score: 1

      The Himalays used to be under the ocean. Something tells me they might object to it happening in the course of a few decades.

      I don't think anyone is worried about the fact that the globe is warming so much as the fact that rate at which it's changing.

      Eventually my city will disappear below the ocean and into the earth's crust. If that were to happen in the next 100 years I would be concerned and see if anything could be done about it.

    124. Re:Politics by huckamania · · Score: 1

      You are assuming it was cherry picked, just as many are assuming that CRU was hacked from the outside.

      If the researchers in question have emails that make the leaked emails look better, there is nothing stopping them from releasing (or leaking) them.

    125. Re:Politics by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 1

      Well, this is a probe, being conducted by people with legal training, into the intricacies of a past scientific discussion. Any perceived irregularity in the history of remarks back and forth in that discussion is being viewed as destruction of evidence. They're going through these stupid emails with the gusto they would have raiding a lawyer's office seeking incriminating documents that have been withheld or suppressed.

      Lawyers seek truth, but of the legal sort in the eyes of the law. Scientists seek to refine theory and they view "truth" as something unattainable but that can be approximated by a theoretical framework to an arbitrary extent depending on its supporting evidence... to the point at which only a few crackpots ignorant of statistics might be waving a single data point around. Here, we are essentially seeing lawyers fancying themselves as seeking the answer to the same question that the scientists were supposedly discussing, on their way to their final goal- proving in court or in some official hearing that the entire climate climate change hypothesis has been nothing more than a big scam for money. This is a meme that's spreading fast and gaining credence.

      This sort of probe would be understandable in certain circumstances, e.g. if the scientists were discussing how they'll get away with cross-breeding humans and llamas, which is (now) illegal. But in this case, what they are after is evidence that this particular scientific hypothesis is a fraud being pushed by a wide conspiracy of thousands of scientists. For supporting evidence, they plan to submit as evidence their Exhibit A- climate change is not occurring. Which indicates that the hypothesis was merely conspiratorial. Maybe they can even get a judge to agree, who knows. They'll at least get their hands on a bit of goofy documentary evidence that looks fishy- good enough for their conspiracy theory fans who currently whine about birth certificates.

    126. Re:Politics by BobMcD · · Score: 1

      Unless you are a creationist or are expecting an impending apocalypse, then your assertion that humans do not live on geological timescales is completely unfounded.

      Furthermore, what information do we have that the changes witnessed would not have happened with or without human intervention? We are aware of global changes in climate that humanity did not cause, so why are we scientifically certain that we are the cause of this particular change? Likewise, how do we even know if it is possible for us to change the climate? Sounds like hubris to me considering the size and scope of the planet.

      At any rate, there is the distinct possibility that humanity could endure for the next several million years, and you do not have any experimental data to contradict that possibility.

    127. Re:Politics by oldspewey · · Score: 1

      Dude - your entire point is based around the idea that "a lot of non science" was being done. None of the other things you said even make sense if we remove your assumption that almost all of the science was bad.

      --
      If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
    128. Re:Politics by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      Just as there is nothing stopping you from presupposing any "rebuttal emails" to be fraudulent.

    129. Re:Politics by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 1

      Because thats what we are talking about with stopping climate change, terraforming the world to a "perfect" point in time.

      I don't know how you can miss your own point.... We haven't terraformed to a perfect point in time, we have adapted our societies, supply chains and living habits to a very specific and very narrow range of climatic conditions. If you doubt that, watch Californians drive when it so much as drizzles. If precipitation gets any more frequent than it is, the disaster that is the first rain of the season will become near permanent, until people know how to drive in rain. Which is going to take a while, and a lot of dead people and insurance money.

      That's the issue with GCC. I don't give a fart about how the weather will be in a million years, or even 10000. I worry that within my lifetime, the climate will change enough that trillions will have to be spent across the world to re-adapt societies, supply chains and living habits. I'd rather not have to spend that money - or even my share of it.

      --
      Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
    130. Re:Politics by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 1

      And for the umpteen millionth time, what is worrisome is not the fact that it is happening, but the speed at which it is happening.

      --
      Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
    131. Re:Politics by Moryath · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Well put.

      After you reach 100% grant funding for the principal investigator salary, new grants go to fund more students and more research assistants and post-docs. The more students and post-docs a PI has, the more prestige and the bigger his realm. The more overhead he provides to the Uni the more respect and more prestige he's given by the Uni. The more he can demand in offices and lab space.

      It's easier than that. Were I to reveal my position, I could also reveal to you a certain "researcher" I know of who has ONE actual research project but over a dozen "project names" (one for each multi-million dollar grant), skims off ~$50-100,000 per year from each associated grant (depending on the grant's PI funding limit), funnels the rest into paying a couple grad students to "oversee" day-to-day operations and a staff of ~10-20 (depending on season) undergrads working for minimum wage handing out surveys and typing in results, and publishes back a paper every so often using the same data, just massaging the conclusion towards what they think the particular grant committee wanted to hear.

      The "researcher" is rarely if ever around on campus, they rather spend a lot of time on lush vacations or in bars. With the advent of technology, half of their lectures are prerecorded and just played back on video, the other half are done via videoconference. It's really quite disturbing to hear about.

      About fudging numbers. I've seen what today's grad students are being taught about data processing. If their dataset is supposed to look like a smooth line they will make it look linear, even if that means they throw 90% of it away as "outliers". There is no consideration given to why those points exist, if they don't fit the assumption about what valid data should look like, out they go. There are tools to take a plot that looks ugly and simply point at the data you want to go away, and it does. Magically, their dataset matches the prediction.

      SPSS, SAS, and Excel are indeed the Devil's Work... heh.

    132. Re:Politics by phantomfive · · Score: 2, Informative

      I am not sure where you are getting the 2,500 number, but from what I can tell, it is referencing the work of around 2500, but it was only prepared by a handful of scientists.

      There is no scientific consensus at all as to what degree the CO2 levels are affecting the arctic ice coverage. Also, in 2009, it appears to have recovered back to 2005 levels. 2008 winter levels were some of the highest of the decade, although none of the changes are really significant when compared to the differences from summer to winter.

      --
      Qxe4
    133. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Disease didn't run rampant around the world.

      I don't know... the black plague wasn't very much fun.

    134. Re:Politics by BobMcD · · Score: 1

      You're repeating an anecdote that is prehistoric in nature. No one can possibly back that up. You also didn't address how Viking-era Europeans arrived in North America, for example.

    135. Re:Politics by Moryath · · Score: 0, Troll

      5-10 "research grants" at $50-100k/year for "Primary Investigator" salary is pretty comfy living... all you have to do is make your study eventually say what the granting organization (for "climate", mostly left wing kooks or people organized by Al Gore and standing to make bank by selling "carbon credits" or some other "green" product) wants your research to say, and they'll renew you when it comes time.

    136. Re:Politics by gyrogeerloose · · Score: 2, Informative

      He no doubt meant to type "Montana" and typed "Missouri" instead, just one of those dumb errors we all make from time to time. He did type "Missoula, Missouri," after all. I was just giving him some friendly guff for it.

      As far as the flood goes, there is indeed evidence of an ice dam bursting and releasing the water from a huge glacial lake* which scoured the badlands of eastern Washington state. However, that happened on the opposite side of the continental divide from where the Missouri River runs in eastern Montana.

      *And wouldn't you have liked to watch that from a safe vantage point?

      --
      This ain't rocket surgery.
    137. Re:Politics by Penguinisto · · Score: 3, Informative

      First, it isn't clear how Al Gore would instantly become a billionaire if cap and trade becomes law.

      Let me help clarify that for you a little...

      --
      Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
    138. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They were all in Wisconsin, IIRC.

      Wisconsin? Did someone mention my home state? WI geology is a good example of why "global warming" is a coastie religion and midwesterners are by and large, unconverted.

      See, where I grew up, they teach us geology by pointing out the glacial terrain features that a mile or two of ice carves out every 10-20K years or so... Then they move on to our local industry, such as limestone pits formed when WI, currently 600 feet ASL, was a warm -n- toasty (relatively) inland seabottom. Then there's the ancient volcanic granite outcroppings.

      On the coasts, I think they teach kids the temperature has never been a degree above or below where it is today, etc etc.

      So, after a good WI education, when the coasties hearts flutter about a degree here and a meter there, we're just not too impressed based on our states natural history.

      Even worse, lets say we go all "Pol Pot" on our civilization like the global warming religion desperately wants us to, and then wait a million years, in wild Wisconsin, the weather we had before is, the weather we'll have again, glaciers, floods, and all, as if a degree here and there or a meter here and there would even be noticeable to us...

      What the hell are you talking about you silly country bumpkin? For all of your vaunted WI education, you must have been asleep during your geology class. As a FYI, during the last ice age, the terminal moraine cut a broad swath, over what is now Manhattan and formed Long Island's northern shore. All of the land North was buried under ice.

    139. Re:Politics by jbeach · · Score: 1

      To really be fair in comparing corporate-funded climate science vs. US gov't-funded climate science, you should include all US oil companies and not just Exxon.

      --
      The Invisible Hand of the Free Market is what punches workers in the nuts.
    140. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Midwest doesn't get global warming because most of the residents are mouthbreathing inbred redneck fundies that watch Fox News and believe the Earth is 6000 years old. Unforunately, they'll be the LAST ones underwater due to global sea level changes. Now, if we told them that global warming will make NASCAR impossible or destroy all the shitty light beer (never mind how), they'd line up right away to stop it.

    141. Re:Politics by bonch · · Score: 1

      It's political because governments are involved and making policy decisions based on it like missions standards, taxes, and more.

      I support preventative measures to keep the environment clean because it's the right thing to be doing anyway, but when social programs and taxes get involved, I become concerned over growing government power over something as unpredictable as the weather. How many times did Al Gore say a hurricane season was due to global warming, only for it to come out at the end of the year that the season set a record for storm inactivity? No matter how times I'm told it's a consensus, my position is that we're still researching it. We just don't know yet and may not ever know for sure.

      I've never understood why Al Gore was so successful in convincing so many people that there's a definitive consensus or why so many governments were eager to blindly accept that it's all been 100% proven already. There was a very complicit media there, that's for sure, and it always makes people feel smart to bash big industrial nations like America. If you're environmentalist, it hurts your cause to have people saying there's a scientific consensus. Just be sensible and fight for sensible things like clean air and water. Don't turn it into an anti-capitalism thing, and don't claim you can predict one of the more unpredictable systems on the planet--the weather. That's wrong.

    142. Re:Politics by Jesus_666 · · Score: 1

      Pol Pot [...] Pol Pot [...] Pol Pot

      It's a holiday in Cambodia
      Where you'll do what you're told
      A holiday in Cambodia
      Where the slums got so much soul~


      SCNR

      --
      USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
    143. Re:Politics by techno-vampire · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Exactly. If the AGW fanatics were as sure of their position as they claim to be, they'd publish their raw data and the source code to their programs so that everything can be reviewed, recompiled and verified. The fact that they've done everything they can including, apparently, deleting the raw data speaks volumes about their lack of confidence.

      --
      Good, inexpensive web hosting
    144. Re:Politics by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 1

      But that is what we are talking about. The entire point of the climate change treaties are to "roll back" CO2 output and/or to lower temperatures to that of various years.

      If the climate change isn't AGW (and I don't think it is), then we are talking about terraforming Earth by fighting with the climate change that is going on to make everything the way it was, or the way we want it to be.

      With that mindset, what the hell would we be talking about doing if things were as a chaotic and rapidly changing as during the Dryas periods? Would there be a Rio conference on nuking the glaciers?

      For your driving analogy, please. I just moved up to Alaska from Portland Oregon, it didn't take more than a couple drives to work to know how to drive in snow and ice.

      If we are going to stop GCC by limiting fossil fuels and limiting CO2, its going to cost by reducing economic growth.

    145. Re:Politics by coastwalker · · Score: 1

      If you would care to be informed about climate change science try typing this search in youtube - go for the >20 minute option if you can handle more than soundbites - climate change berkeley - or any of the great universities in the US. Then watch a dozen or so different lectures and tell me if the precautionary principle doesnt say to you that its a fair bet that if we do nothing at all then there is a non zero chance that we are headed the same way Venus went. Its your choice and as I have no children and think the universe is sufficiently magnificant to exist without human life in it and still be just fabulous (but I feel a little sad that intelligent life appears to be heading towards the status of being an oxymoron) that just maybe we ought to use our fabulous science and technology to stop dumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Heck with the economy in the dodgy state its in the spend on all that low carbon stuff should kick off a revival in advanced economies anyway.

      Hey dude its your choice.

      --
      Facts are history now plebs have politics for religion on social media.
    146. Re:Politics by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 0, Troll

      I don't know. Looking at American politics, talk shows and forums, it is the people who support AGCC that are under attack. Meanwhile, any crank with any axe to grind gets plenty of media attention - doesn't matter whether it's about fake birth certificates, healthcare as a harbinger of Gulags or global warming being a hoax.

      --
      Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
    147. Re:Politics by kinkozmasta · · Score: 2, Insightful

      not going to change my mind.

      And here in lies my major problem with you. Your hole post is a bunch of hand-waving and innuendo, but you don't actually back up anything you say.

      The planet's climate has changed before, drastically and at very high rates of change, much much quicker and more dramatically than what is going to happen in the next 91 years (according to models).

      Here are some questions you need to consider (and answer) if you want to have a convincing post:

      • And what were the consequences of those changes and were there people around when those changes occurred?
      • Care to give a citation for those models? You act as if all the models concur with your beliefs, but you don't even cite one that does.
      • What is so magical about 91 years. What about 100, 200, 300 years.

      Those dramatic changes happened without man burning fossil fuels. Younger Dryas and the defrosting after happened without AGW. Ice ages came and went without it being man's fault. Are we going to have a glacial lake Missoula ravaging Oregon/Washington/Idaho every 50 years from AGW.

      It's hard to figure out exactly what your point is, but the best I can tell it's, "climate has changed dramatically without people, why bother caring about it". I strongly suspect most people who believe in AGW understand full well that climate changes with or without humans. The difference is we care if the next major shift in climate happens on the order of hundreds of years versus thousands of years. The longer we have I can only hope the more technology we will have to adapt to the situation no matter what causes the outcome. Not even considering that humans ALSO contribute to an instability and increase in global warming is irresponsible and simply sticking your head in the sand as your first sentence illustrates perfectly.

      no, in the grand scheme of climate change during the history of man, this is minor.

      Wow, I'm glad we have you here to tell us what is and what isn't minor. The point you seem to be missing in your statements is that modern civilization was not around during the last major climate changes. We currently don't know how to cope with any major changes in weather patterns, sea level and other effects that could severely alter the shape and availability of resources around the world. We don't know when or how dramatic these changes will be, but the best your attitude can accomplish is "we'll deal with it when it comes". For many of us this attitude just doesn't cut it. The lives of millions or even billions of people are at stake. Simply saying

      the US would gain vast amounts of land, good farmland

      is totally meaningless. Sure that's one possibility, although I have a hard time actually believing it is the most likely. Even so you totally ignore the vast amount of time it takes for a culture to adapt to new resources and economic systems. For example, the US has been trying to transition to a services based economy (away from agriculture and manufacturing) for decades now and it has left a large percent of the population totally behind. It is at least in part one of the reasons for the recession since a virtually unprecedented amount of our economy and wealth is wrapped up in the financial sector. So, yeah I fail to see how your argument that the US might get more farmland would be a good thing.

      Because thats what we are talking about with stopping climate change, terraforming the world to a "perfect" point in time.

      You may be talking about that but that's not what I hope most of us are talking about. What we are talking about is being responsible and understanding that what we do has consequences. Sometimes those actions are necessary and we have to live by those consequences, but at the very least we want to know before hand what those consequences are. Because we don't know for certain what those consequences are, and there is at least some evidence of negative consequences, some people are basically saying, "maybe we should scale back our actions until we know more".

    148. Re:Politics by kwiqsilver · · Score: 1, Informative

      First, it isn't clear how Al Gore would instantly become a billionaire if cap and trade becomes law. Second, you really think one man is more influential than several, already, multi-billion dollar industries?

      It's quite clear how he would become a multibillionaire. He started a company that does nothing but buy and sell carbon credits. He'd be the founder and owner of the biggest company on the carbon credit version of Wall Street. I also never said he was more influential than multi-billion dollar industries. However he is one of the most influential people in the world in terms of environmental policy.

      While this may be true, they already are the completely dominant force in commerce and so they'll make even more money if they don't have to retool anything.

      Incorrect. The cost of doing business in the developed world is more expensive than in the undeveloped world. The western factories are steadily losing ground to the Daewoos and Tatas of the world. Their profits (adjusted for inflation) are shrinking. They have a few choices: compete from a position that is inferior in the long term, level the playing field by getting rid of wealth destroying laws like western income taxes and minimum wages (which the economically ignorant would never let happen), or use the fear of the scientifically ignorant to pressure the developing nations to level the playing field the other way. These are the same mega-corps that promote ideas like mandatory worker health benefits, minimum wage, and complicated tax accounting rules. Sure it costs them money, but it costs their small scale competitors a greater amount (in relative terms), so they win. If the American corporations didn't want greater regulation and global environmental treaties, why did they give record amounts of money to the Obama campaign? It certainly wasn't because he wanted to make the US a capitalist country again.

      What? Are you counting yourself and all the other posters on slashdot?

      No I'm counting world renowned scientists:
      Astrophysicist Dr. Sallie Baliunas
      Statistician Stephen McIntyre
      Professor Habibullo Abdussamatov
      Geologist Astrid Lyså
      Prof. Roy Spencer, NASA scientist
      Professor Richard Lindzen of MIT
      a few dozen here...including an IPCC member.
      and these 32 000 guys.
      That should be enough people to show there is no "consensus" on global warming.

      What cooling? The temperatures may be slightly cooler than the absolute peak, but to say there is a cooling trend is simply not true.

      The "trend", as you call it, is a decade long...so far, and it's projected to last another few decades. How long was the warming that proceeded it? Twenty five years? I find it interesting that you quote a man (James Hansen of GISS) who was forced to retract falsified evidence that had claimed that the 2000s were the hottest decade in recorded history. And whose revised (i.e. more truthful) report showed that the world has cooled since the 1940s, while at the same time CO2 production skyrocketed. Additionally, wasn't he implicated in the CRU data manipulation? Yeah, he was. He's a trustwo

    149. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    150. Re:Politics by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 1

      grep "fudge|remove|cheat|trick" /download/*

      Dunno, seems pretty straight forward.

      --
      Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
    151. Re:Politics by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      Well, this is a probe, being conducted by people with legal training, into the intricacies of a past scientific discussion

      Sounds a bit like Johnson's Darwin's Black Box-- a lawyer challenging biology on his own ground.

    152. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Really? One of the biggest fudgings of the data was the removal of an inconvenient half millennium period that was up to 10 degrees warmer than the mean average. What do you think the glaciers did then?

      Certainly not melt enough to release Oetzi.

    153. Re:Politics by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 1

      "And here in lies my major problem with you. Your hole post is a bunch of hand-waving and innuendo, but you don't actually back up anything you say."

      Thats the whole problem right now. CRU and who knows how many others have been lying, cheating and making the models fit what they want them to show.

      No one knows how climate change on a global scale works. No one. Right now a bunch of people are saying that because the climate is changing right now and there is more CO2 in the air, then that is what is changing it. I'm sorry I didn't cite it, but the fact is, the planet warmed up and got cold faster and more dramatically before man burned fossil fuels. If you've seen a glacial valley in Western Europe or North America you've seen the evidence of this.

      "If you see ten troubles coming down the road, you can be sure that nine will run into the ditch before they reach you." I don't see that blaming man for global climate change is going to fix it.

      Geological history of the planet shows that the climate changes without man. We'd be better off coming up with technology to lessen the impact of climate change than to fight something we don't know the mechanism of.

    154. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      [citation needed]

    155. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Given that they are making predictions about conditions decades in the future, I don't see how their next research grant can depend on the accuracy of their last paper.

    156. Re:Politics by DrFalkyn · · Score: 1

      The director of the CRU, Phil Jones, alone has collected almost 27 million in grants since 1990. That's $27,000,000 (figured I'd write it out long hand since you don't seem to understand that that is a LOT of money).

      Grant != salary. A grant is a budget - it pays for equipment, the salary of grad students, post docs and technicians, and maybe some study-related travel (have to go to the Artic and Antartic to get those ice cores)

      And most institutions will take about half the grant money right off the top, to justify the use their facilities (buildings, etc.) Some university professors will tie their salary to the grant, in which case they have to give less money to the university. the drawback is if their grant gets cut then so does their salary.

      $27 million since 1990 is not that much in the larger scheme of things. Thats about $1.25 million per year = maybe $600k per year. Maybe that pays for about ten or so grad students, post-docs and technicians. Thats a fairly big lab, but there are much bigger ones.

    157. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Humans don't live on geological timescales, but if humanity can last that long remains to be seen. I have a different questions though; if humanity is going to end why does it matter when it ends? If there is no other life in the universe what is lost by our passing? What is gained by our continued existence?

    158. Re:Politics by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 1

      Absolutely would there be a Rio conference on nuking the glaciers. Why? Because everything we do is a cost/benefit analysis. Sometimes not a rational one, but it still is one.

      The question is simple: does it cost more to reduce our CO2 emissions, or does it cost more to just deal with the increase in temperature that is guaranteed to come from an increase in CO2?

      --
      Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
    159. Re:Politics by rawler · · Score: 1

      A 23 millon grant from Exxon you say? You mean, like ~0.05% of their profit? Yeah, sound like they're sending the big money to the climate researchers.

      http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22949325/

    160. Re:Politics by newhoggy · · Score: 1

      There is no denying there is a lot of money involved. Problems of this size, affect this many people inevitably will involve this much money, HOWEVER,

      1. Why ignore all the money Exxon and others in the fossil fuel industry use to fund astro-turfing and lobby groups organisations? Exxon can influence government allocation of public funds with well funded lobby groups, but climate scientists have no such influence.

      2. What evidence do you have to suggest climate scientists are beneficiaries of engineering projects to mitigate climate change? Are you suggesting climate scientists receive donations from green companies? Where is the evidence? What reason would a climate scientist have to offer advice to increase the funding of these green companies?

    161. Re:Politics by ScentCone · · Score: 3, Interesting

      How exactly are you imagining Al Gore stands to make billions on carbon credits?

      Spend a little time reading up on the company he and partners founded for exactly this purpose. GIM ("Generation Investment Management") sells carbon offset credits. So, when people complain that Al's burning up a whole lot of carbon when he flies to global warming religious events, he says it's OK, because he purchases carbon offset credits that make his carbon footprint completely neutral. What a relief! It's also extra convenient that he buys those credit from his own company, and that he gets millions in grants to carry on this way. His firm also invests in companies that are lined up to get enormous new grants as our supposed run-away man-made global warming is combatted through the spending of colossal amounts of federal borrowed-from-China dollars on anything labeled "green" or "alernative."

      It helps that some of the people who have helped him set up arrangements in this area had investigations of their dealings called off by Janet Reno at the time. Yes, we wouldn't want a lot of extra scrutiny while setting up investment vehicles and finaancial instruments so that you can be the first mover to offer services in a market that you then publicly create by whipping up fear over bad PR and cropped photographs of polar bears.

      His company handles over a billion in investment cash that chases any green-smelling contract or startup. It's no surprise that his associations with the very people who generate the hype, and his connections with the party in power that is now screaming about the need to spend trillions in new taxes on the use of carbon, happen to result in firms that use his capital being ready to get incredibly rich. And of course he's busy establishing carbon exchanges that will allow guilty carbon users to swap cash for guilt, and he, of course, will reap huge commissions in facilitating those trades. Hey, somebody has to do it, right? Why not the guy who had movie posters with hurricanes coming out of factory cooling towers? He must know a lot about that market right? Of course, because he's created it.

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    162. Re:Politics by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 1

      Some say it'll cost more from slowing economies to reduce CO2.

      The Germans said recently that an agreement is needed because Germany has environmental constraints that other industrialized nations don't have and so they need an agreement so everyone is shackled.

      Skeptical Environmentalist talks about it, I don't have a copy with me up here in Alaska, so I can't cite it.

      Same with the bit about Germany, I read it last month.

    163. Re:Politics by czmax · · Score: 1

      Oddly, I've recently moved to Wisconsin and many conversations about the weather turn to global warming. Apparently plenty of WI folks feel that recent winters are proof of "Global Warming". Anecdotal discussions aside, people around here seem to be very aware that the world is changing around them and, if anything, seem to be more willing to take these changes as signs of climate change.

      Heck, I'd have argued that these strong seasons with a long history of "how cold does it get" and "when do the lakes freeze" and "when do the lakes thaw" and "when do the birds come back" make these midwesterner folks more interested in, and realizing of, the potential/risk of climate change. As opposed to the folks on the coast where small changes in weather/temperature hardly make a difference.

    164. Re:Politics by oldspewey · · Score: 1

      I also didn't address the taxonomy of linguistic subgroups found on the Indonesian islands of Alor and Wetar.

      What does that have to do with the price of potatoes in Warsaw?

      --
      If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
    165. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There have been a few instances in Earth's past where CO2 levels were dramatically higher than they are today, and they were all periods of incredible biodiversity. The world was lush and green, because plant food (i.e. CO2) was so plentiful. And since plants form the basis of the food chain (which is more of a pyramid, wider on the bottom than the top), there was more life at all levels.

      Only this time we humans are in the way of this explosion of biodiversity. One reasonable way to enable the natural balancing of the system would be stopping the desertification and increasing the efficiency of land use for living and food production so that the ecosystems could recover. Probably water issues wouldn't be so dire then, either. They are going to talk about upper limits of carbon in the coming conference of Copenhagen. I wish they would talk about lower limits of efficiency of human processes and activities instead.

    166. Re:Politics by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 1

      And that's a legitimate assertion to make: mainly because the only thing that could potentially be more complex and less predictable than the weather is human behavior. I'd love to see more data on how much inaction would cost - as of right now, the only thing I know is that it'll cost something.

      --
      Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
    167. Re:Politics by newhoggy · · Score: 1

      Might I add that in many parts of the world the fossil industry receives way more government money than the alternative industry.

      http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/02/2759398.htm

      The first step in climate tackling change is to simply end those subsidies. Why shouldn't we at least ask for that?

    168. Re:Politics by Obfuscant · · Score: 1
      A scientist will certainly advance himself by being right, but how many scientists in the field of climate change have proven anything? They've stated some interesting facts which seem to point toward a conclusion.

      One of the things a true scientist knows is that correlation is not causation. I.e., "humans started the industrial revolution in year X" and "the average temperature of some places started to rise in year X" is correlation, not causation. (An interesting bit of poorly-reported info: the temps changed when NOAA changed the paint on the boxes housing the thermometers.)

      The real test comes when you create an experiment to prove the connection. Unfortunately, there are NO experiments that can make this connection, because we do not have a lab big enough to hold a duplicate planet or the ability to create one with the necessary differences. "If CO2 causes global warming, I predict that a lack of change in CO2 will result in a lack of change in temperature ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL." We can neither create the lack of change in CO2 or the "all else being equal" part.

      The biggest issue with AGW is when we ignore the other times that the climate has changed and man has either not been there to be the guilty party or has not been producing the greenhouse gas culprit de'jour. A correlation that says "when we see A we see B" proves nothing about A if we can say "we've seen B without seeing A".

      And don't get me started on the problem with modeling, where you can get any level of B you want by changing any of a half dozen empirical parameters. Modeling is science only when you can do the ground truth experiments to back it up.

      Presumably at a certain level of human activity, we definitely would affect climate.

      I don't recall the cite, but the numbers I've seen for the percentage of CO2 we create compared to the total amount would say that we are far far from being the cause. When you note the negative correlation ("more CO2 yet temps are dropping"), you have a real problem proving AGW.

    169. Re:Politics by Cassius+Corodes · · Score: 1

      I've read some of the emails and found nothing of interest - can you link to a particular damning email? So far they are all fairly vague that could be interpreted in any number of ways.

      --
      Control is an illusion, order our comforting lie. From chaos, through chaos, into chaos we fly
    170. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The director of the CRU, Phil Jones, alone has collected almost 27 million in grants since 1990. That's $27,000,000 (figured I'd write it out long hand since you don't seem to understand that that is a LOT of money).

      You say that as though you think his personal income from this research was $1.4M/year (as opposed to, say, the CEO of Exxon at $5.9M). $1.4M/year pays for his entire research program: his and his collaborators' salaries, his students' tuition and stipends, satellite time, computer time, sensor networks... It makes his a successful scientist, but it's hardly "fuck you money."

    171. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dust bowls and lush oasis turning to deserts are a new thing apparently.

    172. Re:Politics by kinkozmasta · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It's quite clear how he would become a multibillionaire. He started a company that does nothing but buy and sell carbon credits.

      No it is not. Here is an article from someone who shares your own view also responding to my post. http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssEnergyNews/idUSL0490971420080604 He has a 9.6% stake (~$12M) in a company whose total worth is estimated at ~$120M. The value of the company would have to increase its value by more than 100 for him to reach billionaire status. Not impossible, but hardly a slam dunk.

      I also never said he was more influential than multi-billion dollar industries.

      No you just implied it.

      However he is one of the most influential people in the world in terms of environmental policy.

      So what?

      Incorrect. The cost of doing business in the developed world is more expensive than in the undeveloped world. The western factories are steadily losing ground to the Daewoos and Tatas of the world. Their profits (adjusted for inflation) are shrinking. They have a few choices: compete from a position that is inferior in the long term, level the playing field by getting rid of wealth destroying laws like western income taxes and minimum wages (which the economically ignorant would never let happen), or use the fear of the scientifically ignorant to pressure the developing nations to level the playing field the other way. These are the same mega-corps that promote ideas like mandatory worker health benefits, minimum wage, and complicated tax accounting rules. Sure it costs them money, but it costs their small scale competitors a greater amount (in relative terms), so they win. If the American corporations didn't want greater regulation and global environmental treaties, why did they give record amounts of money to the Obama campaign? It certainly wasn't because he wanted to make the US a capitalist country again.

      What??? I can barely even parse what you are saying, but what ever it is it doesn't make any sense.

      make the US a capitalist country again.

      . Huh? What do you mean again? Are those your true colors shining through?

      Astrophysicist Dr. Sallie Baliunas Statistician Stephen McIntyre Professor Habibullo Abdussamatov Geologist Astrid Lyså Prof. Roy Spencer, NASA scientist Professor Richard Lindzen of MIT a few dozen here...including an IPCC member. these 32 000 guys.

      So I'm basically right. A few dozen respected scientists and a several thousand pulled off the internet.

      and these 32 000 guys. That should be enough people to show there is no "consensus" on global warming.

      Lol "31,486 American scientists have signed this petition, including 9,029 with PhDs " Wow a ringing endorsement there. I'm glad that's all it takes to convince you.

      The "trend", as you call it, is a decade long...so far,

      No it's not. Look at the graph.

      and it's projected to last another few decades

      By who?

      Wow, so the IPCC, known for ignoring science and falsifying data says it was only warm in Europe. Shocking!

      And what evidence do you have that proves their claims are false. A couple of news articles, which are of course well know for their ability to accurately report on science. So you/they claim GISS falsified data once so that invalidates all data ever produced by the institution? Do you have better data that shows what you claim, if so why haven't you posted it.

      The problem most of us "deniers" (i.e. adherents to the scientific method)

      Right, so convincing a statement right after this one:

      If AGW can be considered a scientific theory, and Al Gore can get a Nobel Prize f

    173. Re:Politics by Cassius+Corodes · · Score: 1

      Most of these funded "anti-global warming technologies" are really the same old shit in disguise - in Australia the great majority of funding has gone to carbon sequestration and "clean" coal instead of actual green technologies. But governments still advertise that they spent x million dollars on "green" technology. Its a bit of a joke. (http://www.ret.gov.au/Department/Documents/CEI%20Fact%20Sheet%20%2813%20May%2009%29.pdf)

      --
      Control is an illusion, order our comforting lie. From chaos, through chaos, into chaos we fly
    174. Re:Politics by GaryPatterson · · Score: 1

      Green technology stands on its own as either worthwhile or not. It doesn't require data on greenhouse gases to be manipulated.

      A few examples - those 'green' light bulbs and wind power. The light bulbs should last longer and use less power, making them a good idea before anything else. Wind power is not so efficient, but it makes a lot of sense in many places in the world, and wind is free while coal costs a little, and pollutes a lot. For specific locations, wind power is a great idea.

      If the whole man-made climate change thing falls apart tomorrow, dollars invested in good green technology won't be lost at all. They'll be just as profitable because the tech makes sense regardless.

      You don't need to construct a shadowy conspiracy of climate change proponents when you're talking about the money in green technology. It fails Occam's Razor.

    175. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "And you wonder why we Chicagoans see Wisconsin primarily as the Alabama of the Midwest."

      That is fine. Nobody really cares what people from Chicago think.

    176. Re:Politics by 10101001+10101001 · · Score: 1

      "Exxon also set an annual profit record by earning $40.61 billion last year - or nearly $1,300 per second in 2007." -- Exxon shatters profit records

      "Exxon earned $45.2 billion in 2008, beating the record it set in 2007 for most profitable corporation, at $40.6 billion." -- Exxon Posts Record 2008 Profit Despite Slip in 4th Quarter

      In short, in two years (admittedly record years), Exxon has made more in after taxes profit than what basically all world governments and private companies have ever spent on global warming research, pro or con, and anti-global warming technology in 20 years. Further:

      "I'm pretty sure that Exxon's tax payment in 2007 of $30 billion (that's $30,000,000,000) is a record, exceeding the $28 billion it paid last year. ... By the way, Exxon pays taxes at a rate of 41% on its taxable income!" -- Exxon's 2007 Tax Bill: $30 Billion

      Ie, the government gets tons of money from Exxon through taxes. What exactly is their incentive to cut Exxon off again? Personal enrichment? It'd seem Exxon could trivially bribe politicians if that was what it was about. For politicians and private citizens to create a huge global warming conspiracy sounds more like a religion than one based upon money. Of course, that's a harder point to prove, especially with all the evidence by multiple, independent scientists.

      PS - Just to be clear, again, Exxon made ~$40 Billion in 2007 after taxes. Their before taxes income in 2007 was ~$70 Billion. If the US wasn't spending money like a drunken sailor, there'd be plenty of money from the taxes on Exxon alone to do substantial technological and research development to combat global warming. The idea that in 20 years we've spent a meager $70 Billion is depressing.

      --
      Eurohacker European paranoia, gun rights, and h
    177. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure, just not at the rate that we're seeing. Typically these cycles occur over several hundred to several thousand (or more) years. We're seeing it happen in decades. It's funny how once you add 'time' in to the equation things actually make sense.

    178. Re:Politics by kinkozmasta · · Score: 1

      CRU and who knows how many others have been lying, cheating and making the models fit what they want them to show.

      Says who? I have yet to see wide spread lying, cheating, and fudging models from what's been released. Considering what's been release was illegally stolen and then selectively released to insinuate many things that are shown to be false in their original context, which is conveniently left out, it is pretty unbelievable that you would take that to be more credible than thousands of peer reviewed journal and conference articles. No doubt some of the papers are bad and have fudged numbers or data. This will be true in any field you examine in a microscope. In fact I seem to remember a study that came out showing that some large percentage of all scientific papers had some kind of mistake. This does not lead to the conclusion that all scientific papers are untrustworthy.

      No one knows how climate change on a global scale works. No one.

      Just because you say "No one" twice does not make it true. You do not know how global climate change works, that does not mean other people don't have a clue. Do they have it 100% figure out? Of course not. Maybe they don't even have it 50% figured out, but that doesn't mean they don't have a pretty good idea of many of the principles at work.

      Right now a bunch of people are saying that because the climate is changing right now and there is more CO2 in the air, then that is what is changing it

      No that's what you think they are saying and maybe that's what they are saying on slashdot, but that is not the only thing the scientific community in this area of research is saying.

      I'm sorry I didn't cite it, but the fact is, the planet warmed up and got cold faster and more dramatically before man burned fossil fuels

      If that's true then cite it. I'm not going to take your word for it. I've looked for myself and didn't find any evidence that supports your claim. And even if it is true what's your point?

      We'd be better off coming up with technology to lessen the impact of climate change than to fight something we don't know the mechanism of.

      But if one of the things we are doing now is increasing the rate at which this happens (i.e. emissions of green house gasses and other environmental factors) we might not have the time to develop those technologies. What we can do now is lessen our impact on the world. We know that before us the climate change and we know the magnitude of the time scale that those things happened. So to preserve the status quo the only thing we can do with current technology is minimize the effect we have compared to what it was before us.

    179. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      You really should read more about the Khmer Rouge. It started out as a movement to return the people to its "roots". i.e. agriculture. They moved teachers, factory workers, and other city people to the country side to work the fields. Some people predictably were not too happy about it, or too good at doing it. Cue the mass starvation, reeducation camps to "convince" skeptics the Khmer Rouge way was the right way, and so on.

    180. Re:Politics by SkunkPussy · · Score: 1

      Or that Eng Land was full of engineers?

      --
      SURELY NOT!!!!!
    181. Re:Politics by GaryPatterson · · Score: 1

      Why should any tax money ever go to a business, unless you're in a socialist country with nationalised businesses?

      I resent that my taxes go to 'private' schools that I will never send my child to, go to propping up healthcare insurers (healthcare rebate back at tax time) that I don't use and are being considered for supporting the companies that caused the pollution behind the whole climate change issue in the first place.

      The role of government is to govern. It's not to support a crappy business model by splashing around tax money. I would far rather see businesses fail and be replaced by leaner, smarter businesses or hell, just nationalised (why not go the rest of the way) than to see shareholders and executives growing fat on tax dollars. That's a redistribution of wealth that has nothing to do with capaitalism, good economics or prudent business practices.

      End all government subsidies to all businesses. Let them wither and die if their profitability depended on tax money.

    182. Re:Politics by freshfromthevat · · Score: 1

      I ordered the dirt.

      --
      .. Blub falls right in the middle of the abstractness continuum. -- Paul Graham
    183. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Obama is the shepherd I did not want.
      He leadeth me beside the still factories.
      He restoreth my faith in the Republican party.
      He guideth me in the path of unemployment for his party's sake.
      Yea, though I walk through the valley of the bread line,
      I shall fear no hunger for his bailouts are with me.
      He has anointed my income with taxes,
      My expenses runneth over.
      Surely, poverty and hard living will follow me all the days of my life,
      And I will live in a mortgaged home forever.
      I am glad I am American,
      I am glad that I am free.
      But I wish I was a dog
      And Obama was a tree.

    184. Re:Politics by bartwol · · Score: 1

      So whattaya think...are you guys over there going to be able to cope with changes in your environment, or are you going to fold? (I'll bet on adaptation.)

    185. Re:Politics by freshfromthevat · · Score: 2, Informative

      The problem I have with Green technology is not the Green technology. It is the threat of losing access to the not-so-green technology. The access would not go away because the not-so-green technology isn't popular, but rather because the liberty to use the not-so-green technology is unimportant to many people.

      The unsupported theory that the Earth is heating up because of the use of the not-so-green technology is being used as a political tool to limit liberty.

      So... we look for the supporting data. A theory with incomplete supporting data should not be used as a justification for limiting liberty!

      --
      .. Blub falls right in the middle of the abstractness continuum. -- Paul Graham
    186. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      Grain harvest have been cut in half for 8 out the last ten years, billions of dollars of hydro infrastucture built in Tasmaninia in the 90's sits idle for lack of water, the high tech bass-link cable that was to be used to export that power to the mainland is now used to import power. Firestorms convert forrest into grassland, and grassland into desert, the dust from which can be seen on most mornings simply by looking at your car. Lakes that have survived for tens of thousands of years become toxic and whole forrests of 600yo red gums wither and die. Every state capital in the country has been forced to ration water while thier governments spend billions building some of the world's largests desal plants. Had this happened over geological time scales nobody except geologists would have noticed.

      Perhaps a little context and some actual data might be useful here.

      Tasmania does not lack water. Indeed, it doesn't have water restrictions. Wikipedia

      Firestorms, which are usually deliberately lit (most are) or caused by things like power lines are representative of land management practices, particularly green policies that have reduced hazard reduction, and planning failures such as the growth in populations in bush fire risk areas.

      None of the "firestorms" (are you even Australian, because if you were, you'd call it a bushfire) turn land into grassland of desert. Indeed, I can drive out to the worst affected areas from February and see the regrowth now.

      Issues with occasional dust storms date back to the first European arrivals; dust storms are everything to do with weather patterns (and occasionally poor land management) and nothing to do with global warming

      Toxic lakes and dead red gums are a reflection of water management policies, of which Australia is a disgrace on. Global warming isn't stopping natural flows down the Murray or Darling Rivers, farmers raping the rivers in conjunction with state governments are.

      Desal has everything to do with environmentalism and nothing to do with global warming: places like Melbourne haven't built a new dam in over 20 years while the population has grown by over a million. Governments won't build new dams because of the perceptions of voter backlash based on green policies.

    187. Re:Politics by fast+turtle · · Score: 1

      yet the current satelite images of the Polar caps show them growing, not shrinking. So who's Right? That is the damn question and in regards to the entire Global Warming Issue, I have questions about both the methodology, calculations and assumptions as they've not been properly debated with the flaws as pointed out being corrected to be more then mere hypothesis instead of the theory that each and everyone of the proponents claim to support. This is in direct contradiction of the Scientific Method and needs to be shot down right now. If needed, criminal charges need to be filed as Ethic Violations have appearently occurred. Just my 0.0000001% worth.

      --
      Mod me up/Mod me down: I wont frown as I've no crown
    188. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do you have a clue what you are talking about, or are you merely repeating what Exxon/Mobil's ads told you. There is a consensus on the cause of the 0.5 degree warming (It's an increase in CO2), we know how much of the increase in CO2 is anthropogenic in origin (look up C12/C13/C14 ratios for fossil fuels versus plant/animal respiration) from predictions made 20 years ago that have been extremely accurate we can make another 20 year forecast and the results don't look good. Will the planet survive? Of Course it will. Will civilization survive the wars over food and water that result from climate changes I doubt it. Think of this way. You are a in a life boat in the middle of the Pacific, should you rip out part of the hull supporting structure so you can light a cigar or should you do everything possible to shore up the hulls integrity. Your voting to use the hull to light you cigars.

    189. Re:Politics by jcnnghm · · Score: 1

      denialism and spin

      Hypocritical much?

      --
      You don't make the poor richer by making the rich poorer. - Winston Churchill
    190. Re:Politics by Obfuscant · · Score: 1
      The theory is that unprecedented levels of CO2 are forcing unprecedented levels of global temperature increase (and glacial retreat) due to CO2's ability to capture and re-radiate infrared energy, which can be demonstrated in the lab.

      Scientists are incapable of recreating the global thermosphere in the lab, so whatever you think has been "proven" is limited in value.

      The question is whether you're willing to bet that there is some (currently unknown) natural process which can balance that unprecedented heating, or whether we're toast.

      No, the question is why YOU are so ready to believe that there aren't ten thousand competing and correcting systems in place in such a huge system as planet Earth and that a simple lab experiment contains all possible truth about a system vastly more complex than most people imagine, and why you are willing to turn the economy of the world on its ear to protect a system which has made similar changes multiple times in the past without help from or even existance of the one culprit you are pointing fingers at today?

      Most rational people understand that "when we see X we see Y" isn't proof, and that "when we don't see X we still see Y" destroys what little proof the positive correlation gives.

    191. Re:Politics by ShakaUVM · · Score: 1

      It is politics, though. Even RealClimate.org, which is supposed to be the climate scientists talking about the science behind global warming mercilessly filter responses that disagree with them or make them look bad. Some sample comments they filtered:
      1) You criticized State of Fear making it look like there was a conspiracy to keep dissenting viewpoints out of climate journals. But Phil Jones' emails show that Crichton got it right. Likewise, Phil Jones refused to give his data to people that might disagree with him. Do you think this is healthy for the science?

      2) Gavin, one of Jones' emails about hiding from FOIA requests was directed to you (http://www.eastangliaemails.com/emails.php?eid=914&filename=1219239172.txt), but I didn't see a response in the hacked emails archive. How did you respond to this email? Did you push for transparency, or did you go along with Jones' desire for secrecy?

      Moderated away, twice now on two different threads.

      When you're so afraid of criticism it means you have something to hide. (In this case, it would be Gavin going along with the FOIA shenanigans, is my guess.)

    192. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are dumb. What evidence is there that there will be shortages of food and water because of global warming? There is no consensus on that point whatsoever.

      If you put as much effort into finding good information as you put into coming up with metaphors, you would be a lot smarter. So try it.

    193. Re:Politics by Shatrat · · Score: 1

      Their careers and livelihoods are only improved if they are right

      Or if nobody can prove that they are wrong because they cherry pick their data and hide as much as possible.

      --
      09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
    194. Re:Politics by ravenshrike · · Score: 1

      CFLs do not stand on their own by any means. If there weren't such a push and incentive to get rich quick over the 'green' phenomenon the proper progression would have ignored CFLs and just waited for the LED tech to mature.

    195. Re:Politics by jcnnghm · · Score: 1

      If cooling or changing weather patterns in certain areas doesn't disprove global warming, the opposite doesn't prove it either.

      --
      You don't make the poor richer by making the rich poorer. - Winston Churchill
    196. Re:Politics by TapeCutter · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "I am not sure where you are getting the 2,500 number"

      Here is the first reputable reference I found with a simple google search. Skip down to the section on peer-review (para 3). Note that not one of these scientists (including the handfull of lead aurthors) are paid to do this tedious and thankless job. The ippc has a budget of $5-6M /yr which is sourced from ~300 politically diverse nations (all hypnotised by Al Gore apparently). They have 2 or 3 permenant staff and the rest is spent on airfares and confrence facilities, etc, their budget is available on their website for the genuinely curious.

      The ippc reports of which I only posted the latest summary, is widely regarded by scientists as one of the most robust reviews of any scientific question in the history of mankind. Virtually every national scientific body on the planet is represented.

      And please stop cherry-picking data to suit your predetermined conclusions, it insults both of our intelligences.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    197. Re:Politics by tsm_sf · · Score: 1

      The plain fact is that the emails revealed the extent to which the "Hockey Team" were prepared to pervert data, methods, peer review and the scientific method in order to get the result they wanted.

      I'm really hoping that slashdot gets rid of the politics section. I hate having the scientific illiteracy of my country rubbed in my face every other day.

      --
      Literalism isn't a form of humor, it's you being irritating.
    198. Re:Politics by ShakaUVM · · Score: 3, Insightful

      >>Then watch a dozen or so different lectures and tell me if the precautionary principle doesnt say to you that its a fair bet

      If you look at the Medieval Warming Period vs the Little Ice Age, the precautionary principle would instead argue for a slight (0.5C to 1C) positive anomaly. A little bit of extra cold is much worse for humanity than a little bit of extra hot.

      Then again, any arguments made using the precautionary principle are stupid.

    199. Re:Politics by ShakaUVM · · Score: 1, Troll

      >>>>The plain fact is that the emails revealed the extent to which the "Hockey Team" were prepared to pervert data, methods, peer review and the scientific method in order to get the result they wanted.

      >>I'm really hoping that slashdot gets rid of the politics section. I hate having the scientific illiteracy of my country rubbed in my face every other day.

      What on earth does the GP post have to do with scientific illiteracy? There's no unscientific statements in that post... instead the GP was making a criticism of the CRU emails based on an understanding of how the scientific process works, which they did their best to pervert, by refusing to expose their data for review.

    200. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thank you. You totally nailed it. I'm from WI too and you are exactly right.

    201. Re:Politics by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      I never said it does but we are talking about half a continent here and we are seeing exactly what was been predicted by the much maligned climate models. Similar models at NASA predict a total loss of summer Artic sea ice in the next decade accompanied by dust bowl conditions in the midwest.

      BTW: Climate != weather, climate is the long term statistics of weather and is fundementally different since it is not sensitive to initial conditions (ie: not chaotic).

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    202. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "If you think any measure that will ever be taken, or even seriously proposed, to control CO2 emissions is in any way comparable to what the Khmer Rouge did, you are insane."

      You're right, it would be worse. The Khmer Rouge only killed a couple of million. A carbon tax credit on a worldwide scale of 6 billion people would be well above that in crime, war between technology haves and have nots, civil unrest (no jobs), poverty, etc.

      To be fair, however, it would also save millions of lives, such as those who still continue to burn wood for cooking and heating from lung cancer, but you did say "any measure" as it applies to "control CO2", not the net effect.

      And to counter your 'insane things would never be seriously proposed', the loss of high numbers of human lives hase been mentioned in highly moderated up posts as wholly acceptable and even necessary. One I recall is about the 6 billion monkeys that aren't special and worthless to save an endangered species (I believe tigers). Another was that carbon taxation credits tanking the world's economies and killing poor was entirely acceptable. A third was about how corn was mostly oil, and the entire population dying off would simply restore order back to farming communities of a few centuries ago.

      Should I be taking them seriously? I wouldn't on face value alone, except anyone with mod points mod'd these posts up that they were a +4 or +5 at the time of my reading.

    203. Re:Politics by kinkozmasta · · Score: 1

      So this company is going to go from a net worth of 130 million dollars to 13 billion dollars if cap and trade becomes law? That's quite a few dots you are connecting isn't it?

    204. Re:Politics by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      The desal plants (powered by coal) are an adaptation. The buying back of irrigation allocations ia also an Adaptation. A more important question is can the rest of the biosphere adapt to (geologically) very rapid changes such these and ocean acidification from CO2. If our agriculture folds altogether then food imports would be an adaptation. Would we be able to import food while the rest of the world is also "adapting"? - I don't know.

      IMHO a more sensible and in the long run much cheaper adaptation would be to phase out coal fired generators but I don't see that happening any time soon.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    205. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You forgot a couple

      Science: The earth revolves around the sun
      Galileo: f*ck off

      Science: The earth is flat
      Columbus: f*ck off

    206. Re:Politics by kwiqsilver · · Score: 1

      No it is not. Here is an article from someone who shares your own view also responding to my post. http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssEnergyNews/idUSL0490971420080604 He has a 9.6% stake (~$12M) in a company whose total worth is estimated at ~$120M. The value of the company would have to increase its value by more than 100 for him to reach billionaire status. Not impossible, but hardly a slam dunk.

      But quite likely if cap and trade becomes law. He also has stakes in several "green" energy companies.

      No you just implied it.

      I implied no such thing. If you actually read my first post you'll see that I said both he and the mega-corps love the idea of all of this global warming alarmism because it benefits both groups. I stated they both had influence without any indication of whose was greater.

      What??? I can barely even parse what you are saying, but what ever it is it doesn't make any sense.

      So you're saying you don't have an understanding of basic economics? Or that you refuse to understand it because it violates your simplistic world view? Both are sad.

      Huh? What do you mean again? Are those your true colors shining through?

      You caught me. I'm actually an American who believes in outdated concepts like freedom, and not the empty phrase George W. Bush would spout every minute or so in a speech. I'm one of those whack-job extremists like George Washington or Thomas Jefferson. I dislike fascism, or corporatism, or crony-capitalism, or whatever you choose to call our current system where the right campaign contribution can be more important than a good business plan.

      So I'm basically right. A few dozen respected scientists and a several thousand pulled off the internet.

      If you said that a significant portion of the scientific community does not support the alarmist theory, then yes you are right. But I don't think you said that. That's just what I found in a few minutes of searching. There are thousands more out there. Here's another one: A majority of American meteorologists disagree with the "consensus". Do you not find it odd that a significant number of experts in the field completely disagree? And that many have claimed that they had pressure put on them (like that alluded to in the CRU emails) to toe the party line? THAT IS NOT HOW SCIENCE WORKS! That is religion, plain and simple.
      To draw a parallel, look at evolution. The only scientists in a related field who disagree with the theory of evolution (in general, not the guys who disagree on smaller details) do so because of religious beliefs. That's not science either. And yes, I just compared you with the evolution deniers, and it fits.

      So you/they claim GISS falsified data once so that invalidates all data ever produced by the institution?

      Yes. That's how science works. It's all about reputation. In any other field, those people would have been ostracized by now, and rightly so. If the data is falsified by one person, who is fired for it, then the institution can begin to repair its reputation. When the person falsifying data is in charge of the institution, everything they produce must be suspect.

      Right, so convincing a statement right after this one:

      My apologies for assuming you could discern obvious sarcasm.

      So you do believe in the scientific method, but you've already made up your mind? And who is they. You are making some pretty serious quantification errors. It is not true because one or more people do not accept dissenting opinions that they, in your words, do not accept dissenting opinions. Th

    207. Re:Politics by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      "The fact that this story is posted under Politics says a lot about what's wrong with the global warming 'debate' IMO"

      The is no serious scientific debate about the primary cause of the warming, what should be done about that (if anything) is political. This deplorable and obvious beat-up is nothing more than dirty politics from those who desperately want to do keep building Easter Island statues in the form of a coal fired smokestacks.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    208. Re:Politics by brian0918 · · Score: 1

      Was there an argument in there somewhere?

    209. Re:Politics by Grog6 · · Score: 1

      I made the Dirt. Think Goatse... :)

      --
      Truth isn't Truth - Guliani
    210. Re:Politics by DeVilla · · Score: 1

      Now I have never been to WI but I hear from reliable sources it is also experiencing drought conditions [unl.edu]. Tell me, do they teach history [about.com] in WI?

      Wow. I live in MN right next door to WI. I was talking to some of the local farmers recently. They are complaining about the fields being too wet. They are losing money running heaters to dry crops (beans, corn etc). It wasn't nearby, but I've even heard of a farmer who lost his barn to a fire caused while drying crops.

      This actually surprised me. We had a very cool summer this year. I was expecting that to have caused trouble. None of them said that was really an issue this year. I never realized moist crops were a problem or that farmers had equipment for drying crops.

    211. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      lol pwned.

    212. Re:Politics by Grog6 · · Score: 1

      Exactly; gas tubes don't work without mercury. And they leak UV.

      LEDs are already there performance wise; cost is now the major obstacle to more widespread adoption.

      $70 for a ~60-75W incandescent equivalent is not a good deal. :)

      Yeah, it will last 10 years or better, but one good storm and they're all gone.

      Both LED and CFL lamps are much more vulnerable to power spikes; overall reliability is proportional to the quality of the power you feed them, which increases cost... Tungsten filaments are pretty robust in comparison.

      --
      Truth isn't Truth - Guliani
    213. Re:Politics by si618 · · Score: 1

      The desal plants (powered by coal) are an adaptation.

      That's (at least partially) incorrect.

      AGL has been chosen to provide energy from GreenPower accredited sources in SA to meet 100% of electricity
      consumed by the ADP operatons for a 20-year contract period.

      FWIW, South Australia is also getting 2 new gas-fired generators on Torrens Island for electricity needs.

      Nice tag line though.

      --
      Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion
    214. Re:Politics by Runaway1956 · · Score: 1

      Your post gives no indication that you understand the difference between "weather", "climate", and "climate change".

      Climate has changed drastically, many times in earth's history. (actually, man's pre-history) The same land in America's north central regions has had a mile of ice sitting atop it, and it has had tropical forest growing on it.

      Everyone is aware that we are between ice ages. Everyone is aware that the earth warms and cools between ice ages. But, almost no one actually thinks about what that MEANS! The climate that we have grown accustomed to over the last ~1000 years is changeable and malleable entirely without man's presence.

      The question is, whether man influences climate change, and if so, how much. There is NO QUESTION that we are between glacial ages, and that the earth would warm with or without man. The only question is, does man make that climate change happen more quickly?

      Gullible people simply accept the worst case scenarios put out by the doomsayers, and work it into some kind of religion. Phhht.

      How 'bout that dude in Europe who died on the ice ~5000 years ago, became encased in the glacier, and was only recently exposed to the world again? Obviously, the glacier GREW for some part of the last 5000 years, then started RECEDING. All part of the world's natural order.

      --
      "Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
    215. Re:Politics by siddesu · · Score: 1

      Mod the parent up.

      I've seen the GP's story copypasta-ed word for word several times in the last 4-5 threads on global warming. It'd be interesting to see other people from Australia chiming in whether it is as bad there as the copypasta claims.

    216. Re:Politics by Mspangler · · Score: 1

      The drought isn't much of a drought, even by that graph. My parents live there, they haven't noticed. It normally rains about 40" a year up there, so they probably only got 30. What they have complained about is the bad last winter, the late spring, the cold summer, and the early fall. Those I've gotten an earful about.

      I live in Eastern Washington (state, that is), where it is more Australia-like. Normal is 8" of rain for a year, and we have less than 6 so far. And we had the same general weather as back East. Record snow and cold last winter, late spring, late last frost, cool summer (which was rather nice, since it likes to go over 105 F in the daytime) and an early frost.

      I'm glad that the person in charge stepped down. But now the hard part starts. Every bit of data has to be re-validated. Every model has to be rerun with the revalidated data. Every dataset that was calibrated to the now suspect data is suspect, and has the be recalibrated. Apparently the satellite data was calibrated to this now suspect land data, and so now that is suspect.

      Even if it was all innocent back and forth, their cavalier attitude is precisely the wrong message to send. They claim that the entire planet has to be rebuilt in a new image and in two decades tops, and they are carrying on like frat boys. My jaw has hit the ground multiple times ever since this came out.

      I have a Ph.D. for non-linear modeling in an industrial process. But if I had been that casual with my data, I'd have been bounced right of the program. And I'm not expecting several billion people to turn their lives upside down based on the conclusions of my dissertation. They are expecting, nay, demanding exactly that, so they have a responsibility to be somber, formal, and utterly proper at all times.

      They blew it. This is a lot more serious than the cold fusion debacle a couple decades ago.

    217. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Nature"? Don't get me $#@%^&* started on "Nature".

      For the biologists' general interests, read "Cell".

      For others, read the journal that is related to your field (Physical Review, Physics Letters etc).

      This crazy obsession with sensationalistic "Nature" has to stop.

    218. Re:Politics by SolusSD · · Score: 1

      There is monetary incentive to invest in CFLs today- Companies have been doing it for a long time.

    219. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, we don't have to have a Pol Pot. We could always have something like this.

    220. Re:Politics by kinkozmasta · · Score: 1

      But quite likely if cap and trade becomes law. He also has stakes in several "green" energy companies.

      Depends on your definition of quite likely. Not a single stock in the decade has posted that kind of return. http://www.investorplace.com/experts/louis_navellier/articles/top-stocks-of-decade-clh-swn-gmcr-byi-hans.html

      So you're saying you don't have an understanding of basic economics? Or that you refuse to understand it because it violates your simplistic world view? Both are sad.

      No because what you said makes no sense.

      Incorrect. The cost of doing business in the developed world is more expensive than in the undeveloped world.

      Not in any meaningful way. The labor may be more expensive, but if people don't have money to buy the products or services the companies are offering then it doesn't matter how cheap they can make the stuff.

      The western factories are steadily losing ground to the Daewoos and Tatas of the world. Their profits (adjusted for inflation) are shrinking.

      Yes, manufacturing in the states has been on the decline for a long time.

      They have a few choices: compete from a position that is inferior in the long term

      What exactly does this mean?

      level the playing field by getting rid of wealth destroying laws like western income taxes

      Again what are you trying to say. That's such a loaded statement it's going to explode in my face if I even try to decipher it. You do realize that income taxes are nearly the lowest they've been since the introduction of income taxes nearly 100 years ago. Manufacturing in the US boomed in a period when income taxes for the wealthy were above 60% and even near 90%. You also realize that before there was an income tax we received virtually all of our national income through tariffs.

      and minimum wages (which the economically ignorant would never let happen)

      Enlighten us about what's so bad about minimum wages since Nobel laureates Paul Krugman and Joseph Stieglitz are too ignorant for you.

      or use the fear of the scientifically ignorant to pressure the developing nations to level the playing field the other way.

      Exactly, like telling you that going green will wreck the global economy and we'll all be out of jobs. With all this talk of ignorance you sound very insecure in your positions.

      These are the same mega-corps that promote ideas like mandatory worker health benefits, minimum wage, and complicated tax accounting rules. Sure it costs them money, but it costs their small scale competitors a greater amount (in relative terms), so they win.

      40 years ago there were far fewer mega corporations than there are today. The amount of wealth and control these companies have on our economy is practically unprecedented in a generation. Yet 40 years ago wages were higher, families could live on a single income (many provided by a small business) and these pesky things like minimum wages did not cause all the problems you espouse. I agree large companies love the idea about mandatory health coverage, but it's because it enslaves the workers. Once you have health care you can basically never leave your job without fear you won't be able to enroll again, or that it will be so expensive it will bankrupt you.

      If the American corporations didn't want greater regulation and global environmental treaties, why did they give record amounts of money to the Obama campaign? It certainly wasn't because he wanted to make the US a capitalist country again.

      We live in one of the most laisse-faire capitalist periods in nearly 80 years. There is virtually unfettered free trade. Taxes are practicall

    221. Re:Politics by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

      Portraying "WalMart vs Mom-and-Pop" issues as being only about financial considerations is hardly insightful.

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
    222. Re:Politics by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      Thanks for the link. Please forgive my generalization, I'm a Victorain troglodite.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    223. Re:Politics by arminw · · Score: 1

      ...Greenland was never named as such because it was "green." It was named in order to lure colonists .....

      How do you then explain the ice cores from the bottom of up to 8000 feet of ice, which clearly show pollen and other plant matter just like we find on the East Coast of North America? You can look at this if you have not already:

      http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/317/5834/111?hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&FIRSTINDEX=0&maxtoshow=&HITS=10&fulltext=(Willerslev+AND+greenland)&searchid=1&resourcetype=HWCIT

      In World War II with some airplanes were lost in Greenland. They were found some 40 years later under 250 feet of ice. That 250 feet of ice was in hundreds of layers giving the lie to the assumptions that ice layers are annual. Those layers are nothing more than the result of successive storms with perhaps a warm period in between. If you approximately extrapolate 250 feet of ice in about 40 years to the say the year 800, it comes out to a very deep ice pack.

      --
      All theory is gray
    224. Re:Politics by Smallpond · · Score: 1

      Plus neither LED nor CFL work in Easy-Bake ovens. Won't someone think of the children?

    225. Re:Politics by mlyle · · Score: 1

      In a couple million years, radioactive waste will be much less 'hot' than the (naturally occurring) fuel that went in. Actually, even in a couple thousand years that will be true. Things that are very radioactive, like spent fuel, have short half lives and are used up relatively quickly.

      Please see: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spent_nuclear_fuel_decay.png

      This is unlike waste from chemical reactions which in many cases will last practically forever. Please don't FUD nuclear, as it's one of our best options.

    226. Re:Politics by ewertz · · Score: 0

      But you can make a pretty damn good Easy Bake Skillet with an HB LED. Kids nowadays would much rather be deep frying than baking anyways.

    227. Re:Politics by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      "Every bit of data has to be re-validated."

      Why?

      "...they have a responsibility to be somber, formal, and utterly proper at all times."

      Even when privacy is assumed?

      "I have a Ph.D. for non-linear modeling in an industrial process."

      Do you know of any credible FEA models from the "skeptics"? I've been waiting for well over a decade to see one.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    228. Re:Politics by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

      Two words for you: Al Gore. Moderately wealthy attention-seeking nobody...

      Allow me to refresh your memory:

      *US Representative, 1977-1985

      *US Senator, 1985-1993

      *Vice President of the US, 1993-2001

      *Copped (half of) a Nobel Peace Prize a couple years ago.

      Now tell us again who's the real seven billion ton robot nobody here, Mr AC?

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
    229. Re:Politics by dila813 · · Score: 1

      We need to take action to knock out this global warming thing, It is just so wacky, I mean.... I am going to die 100 different ways....lets see 1. I am going to die of thirst (Drought) 2. I am going to drown (Sea Level Rise, Floods) 3 .... ........ 100. I am going to be killed by people freaked out about global warming This global warming thing, Al Gore, SAVE ME! I DON'T WANT TO DIE YET!

    230. Re:Politics by dila813 · · Score: 1

      I was looking at the email where they were shaking down the oil companies. I was laughing, Al Sharpton of Climate Change. Was wondering if he took a class, its awesome. Talk about social engineering

    231. Re:Politics by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      Wet and dry: More heat = more turbulance = 'crazy' weather.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    232. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He's been spewing crap out of his rear here for years, now. Pick a topic where science meets politics, and he's on it. Any issue popular from the left-wing perspective and he will be there to defend their doom and gloom scenarios. I will say that in this particular thread he seems at least to be more polite. Of course, we have had dust bowl conditions in the midwest before, so it's not a dangerous bet to say that it will happen nearly 100 years after the first recorded instance in the U.S.. Note I say "recorded", because one of the tools at these hoaxers disposal is the lack of accurate temperature records in the past. They'll retort with Ice cores and tree rings, which is hilarious because they actually try to equate them with modern measurement devices.

    233. Re:Politics by turkeyfish · · Score: 1

      What half-millennium period would that be?

    234. Re:Politics by ultranova · · Score: 1

      Oh and yes there are big dollars in favor of global warming

      And there are big dollars against it too. That's why this belongs in the politics section; it's impossible to have a discussion without astroturfers interfering, which feeds everyone else's paranoia, which removes any chances of debating about science rather than politics. After all, you can always find justification for suspecting the other side of conspiracy.

      - like GE (owner of NBC, USA, Syfy, NBC Europe, NBC Asia, and so on). They would lose billions of dollars they've invested in green technology.

      Even if it turned out that carbon dioxide magically loses its ability to confine heat once released to atmosphere, and all the measurements of rising temperatures were just a giant cospiracy all along, green technology still has a prosperous future ahead of it as China's standard of living increases. Those cities need green cars.

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    235. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      so, what does it mean that of the government money, the funds for research have decreased nearly 20% over the past decade?

    236. Re:Politics by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      "are you even Australian, because if you were, you'd call it a bushfire"

      Deliberate, point to one other "bushfire" that has melted windsreens and engine blocks or one where the radiant heat could kill people taking refuge in the middle of a footy field with blankets? I drove through Kilmore on the evening on the Feb fires, I also witnessed ash wednesday and the '68 fires up close. The 15km high smoke plume from the Feb firestorm was more like Mt Pinatobo than a bushfire.

      "see the regrowth now"

      Because it all has to happen insantaneously or it's not happening at all, right?

      "Toxic lakes and dead red gums are a reflection of water management policies"

      Agreed, AGW is simply the proverbial straw.

      "Melbourne haven't built a new dam in over 20 years"

      We haven't been able to get close to filling the ones we have for the last 20yrs. Or are you suggesting we continue mismanaging water by damming the Mitchell and depriving the most fertile valley in the state of water while simultanously turning lakes entrance toxic?

      "Tasmania does not lack water"

      You have a valid point in that domestic water restrictions were lifted in Feb 2007 for Hobart, however basslink are claiming this is due to their ability to IMPORT power and thus avoid running the hydro turbines.

      "Issues with occasional dust storms date back to the first European arrivals"

      I wasn't talking about the occasional dust storm. I was talking about the fact that there is a light sprinkling of dust virtualy every morning on my car for the last 10-15yrs. I've lived in Melbourne for nigh on 50yrs, that is neither "normal" or "occasional".

      You may also want to check some of your other assumptions with the CSIRO

      Green policies are to blame? - under a decade long Howard government? - hehe hoho 'tis to laugh.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    237. Re:Politics by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      Coward is the correct tag in this instance.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    238. Re:Politics by SomeKDEUser · · Score: 1, Insightful

      You, sir (or madam), are not a scientist. All the time is data not released, due to constraints by whoever is funding the research.

      This is not a "perversion", simply a sad fact. The important thing is that methods are published so others can reproduce (or not) the results.

      And seeing the kind of stupidity flying around climate change, I fully understand guys for not desiring to have unprocessed data around which _will_ get quoted out of context but nutcases.

      I will add that when raw data is anomalous, does not match with the expected result, etc. it is normal to try and correct it based on your understanding of what might have gone wrong. And you call that a "trick".

    239. Re:Politics by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      Apparently the English Channel was formed in the same manner.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    240. Re:Politics by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      "What on earth does the GP post have to do with scientific illiteracy?....[snip]...refusing to expose their data for review

      Absence of critical thinking == scientific illiteracy.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    241. Re:Politics by Dr_Terminus · · Score: 1

      Extremely non-comprehensive list based on sources I've used:

      Raw Data:
      All of NOAA's satellite data http://www.class.noaa.gov/
      NCAR's Data http://cdp.ucar.edu/home/home.htm
      ARM data http://www.archive.arm.gov/armlogin/login.jsp
      NASA data http://data.giss.nasa.gov/

      Models:
      NASA GISS GCMs http://www.giss.nasa.gov/tools/
      NCAR models http://www.ncar.ucar.edu/tools/models/

    242. Re:Politics by secondhand_Buddah · · Score: 1

      No - the French dug it to keep the Poms out.

      --
      Participatory Governance : The only feasible option for a real democracy, where everyone really does have a say.
    243. Re:Politics by secondhand_Buddah · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yes but will it? Or will it simply get glossed over? It will be interesting to observe how this finally pans out. If this is actually a scientific precedent and not a political one, I expect to see new findings based on the research, else it will surely indicate that political manipulation was actually the objective all along.

      --
      Participatory Governance : The only feasible option for a real democracy, where everyone really does have a say.
    244. Re:Politics by Jedi+Alec · · Score: 1

      So what you're saying is that not only is he shouting about it, he's actually putting his, and people who feel the same way, money where his mouth is.

      Yet this is somehow a grand conspiracy.

      And unless Mr. Gore singlehandedly worked out the Kyoto treaty for all parties involved I don't quite see where your claim that he created the market comes from.

      Speaking of which, I'm working on a new product. Sand you can stick your head in but which doesn't hurt your eyes. Should make a killing on the american market.

      --

      People replying to my sig annoy me. That's why I change it all the time.
    245. Re:Politics by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      "but I feel a little sad that intelligent life appears to be heading towards the status of being an oxymoron"

      Drake had a good question if a somewhat glib equation. Where is ET?

      Perhaps there is some law of biology that says; when a criiter gains the technology to wipe out their own species they waste little time in doing so.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    246. Re:Politics by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      I hear they have tunneled their way back in after studying reruns of the graet escape.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    247. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > The director of the CRU, Phil Jones, alone has collected almost 27 million in > grants since 1990.

      You do realise that none of this will have gone to Phil Jones? In the UK academic salaries are on a payscale which has almost nothing to do with how much funding you bring in (only connection is promotion becomes more likely). 27 million may look a large amount, but most of it will go on university overheads, equipment, and employing postdocs, and over 19 years this is actually not very much. Salaries in UK academia are nothing to get excited about (yes i am an academic).

    248. Re:Politics by Dr_Terminus · · Score: 1

      The data is all there (especially from US sources). Here's a very non-comprehensive list:

      Data:
      NOAA NCDC: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html
      NOAA sattelite data: http://www.class.noaa.gov/
      ARM data: http://www.archive.arm.gov/armlogin/login.jsp
      NASA GISS data: http://data.giss.nasa.gov/
      NCAR data: http://www.ncar.ucar.edu/tools/datasets/

      Models:
      NASA GISS GCMs: http://www.giss.nasa.gov/tools/
      NCAR models: http://www.ncar.ucar.edu/tools/models/ ...

    249. Re:Politics by stephenpeters · · Score: 1

      Should we recreate the award given to Slartibartfast for Norway too?

    250. Re:Politics by Wildclaw · · Score: 1

      You mean the 800-1300 AD warming period seen in Europe due to changes in the gulf stream/jet stream, which was not warmer anywhere else on Earth?

      Ok, I guess China, Japan, New Zealand and Alaska are in Europe. Or did you actually thing that European data was the only ones we had on the medieval warm period. And at least the Japanese records are further substantiated by actual written observations.

      Are you saying that you want climate prediction models solely centered around geographically European data? Seems like a bad idea to me.

      Agreed. But fortunately we do have non European data also.

    251. Re:Politics by ShakaUVM · · Score: 1

      >>Absence of critical thinking == scientific illiteracy.

      Riiiiight.

    252. Re:Politics by ShakaUVM · · Score: 2, Informative

      >>You, sir (or madam), are not a scientist

      It's amazing you can tell that from my post on here. I suppose being a computer scientist in and of itself doesn't make me a scientist, even though I've written a thesis, published peer-reviewed articles, etc.

      >>All the time is data not released, due to constraints by whoever is funding the research.

      They released the data, just not to people who would use it to argue against them. In the CRU emails, you see them intentionally finding ways of avoiding responding to an FOIA request, as well as instructing people to delete emails.

      When I was working at the San Diego Supercomputer Center doing modeling work, we certainly never did anything nefarious like Phil Jones and his crew.

      >>I fully understand guys for not desiring to have unprocessed data around which _will_ get quoted out of context but nutcases.

      Or have errors found in their processing, like McIntyre has found before.

      >>I will add that when raw data is anomalous, does not match with the expected result, etc. it is normal to try and correct it based on your understanding of what might have gone wrong. And you call that a "trick".

      I didn't use the word trick, so I don't know what you're talking about. Phil Jones called it a trick, I guess.

      And yeah, I would actually say its very important to see how they correct the data. That's the entire value-added step they perform there.

    253. Re:Politics by TheTurtlesMoves · · Score: 1

      Science:....
      Government:obviously the solution is more Taxes !

      --
      The Grey Goo disaster happened 3 billion years ago. This rock is covered in self replicating machines!
    254. Re:Politics by MoeDrippins · · Score: 1

      You could move to the states; then you can enjoy it EVERY day.

      --
      Before you design for reuse, make sure to design it for use.
    255. Re:Politics by nahdude812 · · Score: 1

      FWIW, I agree with you. However a lot of the data that is unreleased is historical climatological data. There is no opportunity to duplicate the results without the data since we can't make another go at the 1980's.

    256. Re:Politics by SomeKDEUser · · Score: 1

      I realise that, but the data was acquired by other people, other organisations, and you could obtain it through them.

      Which, I suppose, would be long, tedious and annoying.

      But that is probably why the will to save deniers from all this work is pretty low. Scientists are humans, after all, and competition/rivalries a real fact of science. And contempt for media treatment of science (deservedly) high.

      In the long term, truth wins, though. The problem being here that we can't really afford being wrong, 'cause truth only means something as long as humans are around :)

    257. Re:Politics by ScentCone · · Score: 1

      he's actually putting his, and people who feel the same way, money where his mouth is

      No, he's using the shrewed marketing of magical thinking, slickly packaged fear mongering and bad/half-baked information to create a market from which he and his partners can wildly profit while other people's tax money his pumped through their networks and contracts whether they want it to be or not. I can understand how you'd rather not make that distinction, since it's an unpleasant realization. People who've detected his smarmy hypocrisy, hot air and hucksterism since he was using the same skills to gain plain ol' political power aren't surprised. I have to give him credit, though, for new heights of incestuous "movement marketing," in talking the Nobel committee into squandering the last drop of their credibility to give him more cash market share.

      As for Kyoto... nothing like it has to come to pass for him to still make billions in this new scam. The liberals and going to pass a cap-and-tax bill regardless, and the "cap" part of that will rely on trading carbon credits. Gore's operation will end up handling most of that, and skim transaction fees. That's what it's all about.

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    258. Re:Politics by nahdude812 · · Score: 1

      I'll admit that I'm not an expert in the details of these events, but it's my understanding that these scientists were the primary source for some or much of data in question. Third parties do not have access to acquire the same data any way but through these scientists, who refused to disclose it, and in some cases actually destroyed the original data while maintaining the conclusions based on it.

    259. Re:Politics by UZIMANIAK · · Score: 1

      What we are really seeing in Climategate is the inner workings of one part of a huge cartel. Let’s call it the AGW Cartel. Members: 1) United Nations sub group IPCC, 2) EU, 3) United States, 4) Australia, 5) Japan and 6) Russia. The scientific reports are generated by small sub groups of climatologists and Universities by in large but not entirely to get funding and increase their prestige. The various media publish information with only a bare minimum of fact checking. Usually a Jones or Mann type will step up and lend support if questions arise. After all this is lofty science, it shouldn't be questioned. Cartels manipulate, restrict, control, collude, are anti-competitive and are capable of using judicial, legislative, administrative, financial and bureaucratic entities to achieve their goals. Like any scheme, many well meaning persons are taken in by lofty goals like "Save the Earth" "Stopping pollution", etc. Everyone on this board can easily see how the AGW Cartel has operated. The interesting fact is cartels are illegal in the countries participating in this one.............

    260. Re:Politics by arethuza · · Score: 1

      Having worked on a number of EU and government funded research projects here in the UK I can say pretty clearly that unless things have changed a lot since the '90s (which I doubt) - research grants were used to pay for equipment, dedicated research staff, travel etc. but they weren't used to pay the salaries of the full time academic staff (lectures through to profs). Pretty easy to tell the difference: if you had a short term contract for the length of the project then your salary was being paid for by the project.

    261. Re:Politics by b1t+r0t · · Score: 1

      Weather is not climate. Many weather patterns are driven by oceanic oscillations. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation causes Alaska to be warm and cool on a sixty-year cycle, with the current warm phase placed just right for the AGW types to show polar bears stuck on ice floes.

      I live in Texas, where El Nino/La Nina can flip the weather suddenly from drought to flood. In fact, that happened just this year, where about two months ago, central Texas went from a drought and heat wave to sufficient rain that I've barely had a good chance to mow the back lawn since it started. There is a prediction of snow tomorrow, so I plan to mow the lawn this afternoon in 40F temperatures, below normal here in December. At least the drought killed off a patch of some nasty clump grass that I had been trying to get rid of for years.

      I heard years ago about the weather in the Australian outback. A given area could be all nice for farming for years, then once farmers had time to settle in, bam, there's a ten year drought. It doesn't take much imagination to see how this could happen to other parts of Australia every now and then. This sounds very much like there are some ocean current oscillations that affect precipitation there. Once they flip back, the rain will return. I haven't heard any of these named, so maybe you folks need to learn more about what's going on in the southern hemisphere oceans.

      --

      --
      "Open source is good." - Steve Jobs
      "Open source is evil." - Microsoft
    262. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You forgot the tag at the end of your post.

    263. Re:Politics by tsm_sf · · Score: 1

      I suppose being a computer scientist in and of itself doesn't make me a scientist

      Correct. It makes you (hopefully) some kind of engineer. "Computer Science" is a horrible, horrible term. There are plenty of scientists who work with computers, and there are plenty who work on computers, but none of them would call themselves computer scientists any more than a biologist would call himself a Microscope Scientist.

      --
      Literalism isn't a form of humor, it's you being irritating.
    264. Re:Politics by BobMcD · · Score: 1

      Straw men are made of straw. Big bad wolves love them.

    265. Re:Politics by festers · · Score: 1

      This comment reveals a very popular ignorance. You can't publish "raw data" that you don't own. Many times the climate data comes from National Meteorological Services that require an NDA to be signed. Organizations like CRU cannot give away that data, but of course, you're if you want to pay/sign an NDA you're welcome to do that.

      But there is data that is freely available, like here:

      http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/data-sources/

      So really, your comment, and the 1000s of others like it all over the web, are without merit.

         

      --


      -------
      "Every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief."
    266. Re:Politics by Straif · · Score: 1

      This 'decline' (or a very similar argument) is linked to somewhere down in a later post but in the case of Global warming research it's simply a play on numbers.

      In the link below the you see that while the percentage spent on research over implementation dropped significantly, because the actual dollars spent went up it still meant a 140 million increase in actual research spending (all numbers were for US spending only).

      --
      Of course that's just my opinion...... you could be wrong!
    267. Re:Politics by berbo · · Score: 1
      Yes, Wisconsin was indeed a lovely tropical paradise - back when this particular land mass was in the fucking tropics. Its moved a bit since then.

      On the coasts, I think they teach kids the temperature has never been a degree above or below where it is today, etc etc.

      Um, I grew up on the East coast. This is just plain bullshit. Like everything else in your post.

      Obviously you didn't get such a 'good WI education'.

    268. Re:Politics by mathi · · Score: 1

      Greenland was never named as such because it was "green." It was named in order to lure colonists who would hear the name and think "Sounds like a nice place. When's the next boat?"

      Yes and those colonists came there and stayed for 500 years. Longer than the European colonists in America or Australia so far. They died because the climate got colder. We don't know why it was called Greenland but they were able to herd cows and sheep.

    269. Re:Politics by blitziod · · Score: 1

      yes but dollars spent on climate credits will be wasted..Tis is a shadow tax system designed to rape the western democracies It is a bad idea. Even if man made global warming is real, and I am not sure that it is, climate credits are bad and frankly a warmer globe sounds good right about now..it was nut swriveling cold this morning.

      --
      The only way to bust a doper--is when you yourself become a smoker!
    270. Re:Politics by ShakaUVM · · Score: 1

      Or a climate science person calling their group scientists?

      Oh, er, I guess they do try to claim that title.

    271. Re:Politics by Dragoness+Eclectic · · Score: 1

      The climate of today has 2x the atmospheric CO2 concentration than the climate which has for the past few hundred thousand years regularly produced ice ages

      Er... no.

      It's still hovering at "0.038% of the atmosphere". That is a 35% increase over ice cores from 1833 (which are around the levels for a 'normal' interglacial), not a 200% increase!

      --
      ---dragoness
    272. Re:Politics by 2short · · Score: 1

      "His company handles over a billion in investment cash that chases any green-smelling contract or startup."

      Which ought to make them slightly less efficient than every other fund manager or VC firm, that just chase investments based on payoff, green or otherwise, and who can just as easily profit off a boom in "green" technology as Mr. Gore.

      Your complaint seems to be that Gore invests in companies that show promise in terms of dealing with global warming, and that he also pushes a political agenda of trying to make it more profitable to deal with with global warming.

      That could certainly be a nefarious plot, but it seems awfully convoluted. And it seems the same things would make sense if Gore actually believed GW was a problem. I mean, why make stuff up? Why not pick an actual problem to make money solving?

      Anyway, I might take your ravings more seriously if you knew the difference between the carbon offsets Gores company sells and the emissions permits envisioned by cap & trade.

    273. Re:Politics by commodore64_love · · Score: 1

      >>>A few examples - those 'green' light bulbs and wind power.

      The green lightbulbs are filled with dangerous mercury, take a long time to reach full brightness (2-3 minutes), and are unsuitable for many applications like an ovens or enclosed fixtures (heat kills the electronics). And wind power is often considered ugly by the neighbors who have to look at the windmills.
      .

      >>>If the whole man-made climate change thing falls apart tomorrow, dollars invested in good green technology won't be lost at all. They'll be just as profitable

      No they won't. The green technologies might survive but they won't be "as" profitable in a non-warming world as they would be in a world where governments *grant a monopoly* to CFLs and windmills. It is to GE's advantage to keep pushing for global change and cash-in on the resulting monopoly they'll give themselves as incandescents/oil technologies are banned by law

      --
      "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
    274. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not to mention that his father was a senator as well.

    275. Re:Politics by crmarvin42 · · Score: 1

      And you call that a "trick".

      I am a scientist and I can assure you that I have never hear of a correction or attempt to exlude statistical outliers as a "Trick". Not in my Stats classes, not by my advisor, not by our stats consultant, not my fellow graduate students, NO ONE! It may be because my advisor made a research ethics class mandatory for all 1st year students, in which the line between cleaning data and fraudulently manipulating it was discussed.

      I'm not arrogant enough to believe I know absolute certainty that they crossed that line, but use of the word "Trick" to describe what they did is highly suggestive.

      --
      Bureaucracy expands to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy.-Oscar Wilde
    276. Re:Politics by CharlieKotan · · Score: 1

      Yours is the first intelligent comment in this thread.

      For all the alphabet soup behind their names, these "scientists" are in need of wall-to-wall counseling and probably a little time in "general population". The Americans should go in a federal lockup, and the Brit wherever they put the nasty buggers.

    277. Re:Politics by kwiqsilver · · Score: 1

      No because what you said makes no sense.

      Study Economics. I recommend Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt as a good starting point.

      Again what are you trying to say. That's such a loaded statement it's going to explode in my face if I even try to decipher it. You do realize that income taxes are nearly the lowest they've been since the introduction of income taxes nearly 100 years ago. Manufacturing in the US boomed in a period when income taxes for the wealthy were above 60% and even near 90%. You also realize that before there was an income tax we received virtually all of our national income through tariffs.

      You're ignoring the fact that during that time the US and Canada were the only two first world nations that hadn't been almost completely destroyed in a six year long war. They needed to rebuild their manufacturing base, and we were the source of all the machinery. The economies of North America prospered despite the taxes, because they were the only functional ones left in the world.

      Enlighten us about what's so bad about minimum wages since Nobel laureates Paul Krugman and Joseph Stieglitz are too ignorant for you.

      What about Nobel laureate Friedrich Hayek? But to summarize: minimum wage laws are price controls on labor. Price controls artificially affect supply and demand. In this case, they artificially reduce demand. If McDonalds can afford to pay $20 per hour to staff the place during the evening, then they'll hire four people if the minimum wage is $5/hour (ignoring the hidden costs of employment for simplicity). If the minimum wage jumps to $6.50/hour, they'll cut back on staff, rather than lose money. Minimum wage laws are also contributing to the destruction of the Main Street mom-n-pop businesses in America. They can't afford to pay for minimum wage, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, employer tax contributions, etc. But Wal-Mart can.

      40 years ago there were far fewer mega corporations than there are today. The amount of wealth and control these companies have on our economy is practically unprecedented in a generation. Yet 40 years ago wages were higher, families could live on a single income (many provided by a small business) and these pesky things like minimum wages did not cause all the problems you espouse. I agree large companies love the idea about mandatory health coverage, but it's because it enslaves the workers. Once you have health care you can basically never leave your job without fear you won't be able to enroll again, or that it will be so expensive it will bankrupt you.

      40 years ago, total taxes were much lower. 40 years ago, government regulation of the economy was much lower. And as I've said before, the mega corporations love all of this regulation, because it weeds out the competition, and leaves only them behind. What we live in today is fascism. Now fascism does not mean rounding up Jews & gypsies and putting them in camps or the Gestapo arresting and executing anyone who passes out leaflets. Fascism, as described by Mussolini, is a system where there is a strong partnership between government and corporations to enrich themselves (presumably at the expense of the only group left, us). The USA has moved steadily toward that since 1913.

      We live in one of the most laisse-faire capitalist periods in nearly 80 years. There is virtually unfettered free trade. Taxes are practically the lowest they've ever been. The largest sector of our economy Finance and Real Estate http://www.bea.gov/scb/pdf/2008/05%20May/0508_indy_acct.pdf is totally unregulated. What part of this needs to "return" to capitalism? These corporations already own the government, electing Obama does nothing for them that they haven't already gotten over the last 20 years. In fact they hated all this der

    278. Re:Politics by riverat1 · · Score: 1

      The latest information shows that the Antarctic ice sheet is losing mass. This from the GRACE satellite that measures gravity.

    279. Re:Politics by riverat1 · · Score: 1

      There were a number of Missoula flood events, maybe as many as 10 or 15 of them. Where I'm sitting at this moment (Salem, OR) would have been under more than 100 feet of water during some of them.

    280. Re:Politics by riverat1 · · Score: 1

      What you call fudging the scientists call normalization. The long term data is from a variety of sources that have to be tweaked before a useful comparison or combination can be made of them. If you want to criticize the specific tweaks that were made for specific reasons then do that but a general disdain for fudging is not useful.

    281. Re:Politics by techno-vampire · · Score: 1

      Well, in that case the CRU could have responded to the FOIA requests by explaining that they don't own the data and aren't entitled to give it away, along with a pointer to National Meteorological Services and a polite suggestion that they get their own copy from the people who do own it. Instead, AFAICT, they simply stonewalled.

      --
      Good, inexpensive web hosting
    282. Re:Politics by Mspangler · · Score: 1

      Why do you have to revalidate? Because you can no longer say what data is good and what is not. Analogy, the infamous glove in the OJ murder trial. If one bit of evidence is planted, then what else has been tainted? So you have to rebuild the entire trust tree.

      Not all the data is corrupted, (I hope) but the burden of proof is is now on CRU, not the skeptics.

      As for the assumption of privacy, I'll spare you from hearing about all the discussions about email security from legal counsel at work, and what my own lawyer has said in a private context. I will only point out that the "private" emails are not private anymore. As someone else said, "There is no more privacy, deal with it."

      As for FEA models, I don't follow that entire line of reasearch. For what it's worth, my dissertation can be summed up in two sentences. "A non-linear model can be devised to fit any historical data to any desired degree of accuracy. However, this does not necessarily mean it can accurately predict the future behavior of the system." Being disgusted with the whole subject by then, I found honest work. By pure coincidence, I ended up in the solar energy industry.

      By the way, did you notice the quote that even CRU admitted (in the "private" emails) that there has been NO warming for the last 10 years? Apparently they were about to go out and invent some.

      This whole thing turns my stomach. What inspired them to go and fudge the data? Where they so sure they were right that they felt the ends justified the means? (Shades of the cop in the OJ case who planted the glove.) Or were they addicted to the grant money? "Keep the proles scared and we can stay on easy street?" Or did they have dreams of being part of the ruling class, overseeing their own manors of eco-serfs? Or did they simply get caught up in their own propaganda, and were afraid to admit the new data did not support their original claims?

      Sigh.
           

    283. Re:Politics by SomeKDEUser · · Score: 1

      See, I've been known to call the fundamental physical principle underlying some experiment "the trick".

      Or say things like "Your values are strictly positive, so the trick to get less stupid error bars is to use a log-normal error" -- and please don't start on the validation of error models and such: I know.

      My point is that if "trick" as a word shocks you, you need to mellow a bit.

    284. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Grain harvest has been down because of drought. Believe it or not droughts can last a decade, just like the last one of this length did in the 1890's. This year South Australia has the largest harvest on record. Incidentally many other grain growing regions of the world are having bumper harvests too, hence why prices are down. November was also the hottest on record in SA, yet it was also exceptionally wet.

      Of course Tasmania's hydro plants can't run when there's a drought, but now thanks to the interconnector to the mainland they don't have to suffer through electricity rationing.

      Bushfires burn every summer like they always have, burning more fiercely where undergrowth has built up where there hasn't been a fire for years either because of natural circumstances or because we humans keep putting them out and don't do controlled burns in cooler months to compensate.

      Massive dust storms are nothing new - there are documented stories of sections of the old railway from Adelaide to Marree being buried more than 2m deep after dust storms.

      Lakes and rivers that have never dried up before in a drought do so because ignorance and corruption has allowed for water catchments to have extractions over allocated. Water restrictions are around because no governments have invested in growing water supplies via new dams, recycling, etc. despite huge and ongoing population growth.

      You have to remember that Australia has been settled for a bit over 200 years and we don't have accurate weather records going back that far. A mere blink in time in the history of the continent. There could be all sorts of weather cycles that we don't know about because we don't have reliable records going back far enough.

      Stop being a drama queen.

    285. Re:Politics by crmarvin42 · · Score: 1, Troll

      By itself the use of "Trick" wouldn't be too alarming, just suggestive of a laps in their ethical education. Mildly inappropriate at worst. However, in the context of other poor word and phrase choices such as using the trick to "Hide" something instead of correct, the expressed willingness to destroy data to avoid sharing it, and to redefine the concept of peer review in order to silence those with opposing view points collectively cross the line between mildly inappropriate into the range of ethical misconduct.

      --
      Bureaucracy expands to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy.-Oscar Wilde
    286. Re:Politics by Troed · · Score: 2, Informative

      it is normal to try and correct it based on your understanding of what might have gone wrong. And you call that a "trick".

      Well, since the code is out - what's your opinion of using an array of made-up numbers with which to interpolate the real readings - causing that which you want to claim?

      http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/12/04/climategate-the-smoking-code/


      1 ;
      2 ; Apply a VERY ARTIFICAL correction for decline!!
      3 ;
      4 yrloc=[1400,findgen(19)*5.+1904]
      5 valadj=[0.,0.,0.,0.,0.,-0.1,-0.25,-0.3,0.,-0.1,0.3,0.8,1.2,1.7,2.5,2.6,2.6,2.6,2.6,2.6]*0.75 ; fudge factor
      6 if n_elements(yrloc) ne n_elements(valadj) then message,'Oooops!'
      7
      8 yearlyadj=interpol(valadj,yrloc,timey)

      NOTE: This is an actual snippet of code from the CRU contained in the source file: briffa_Sep98_d.pro

    287. Re:Politics by Troed · · Score: 1

      Sure - I'd say most of these are pretty damning, esp. if you subscribe to this thing called "the scientific process":

      http://bishophill.squarespace.com/blog/2009/11/20/climate-cuttings-33.html

    288. Re:Politics by Troed · · Score: 1

      Maybe because those periods weren't as warm globally as you think they were. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Warming

      Wikipedia has lots of problems where edits get reverted even when they're factual because it doesn't fit with someone's opinions. Better info on the (global) MWP here:

      It’s clear that the world was warmer during medieval times. Marked on the map are study after study (all peer-reviewed) from all around the world with results of temperatures from the medieval time compared to today. These use ice cores, stalagmites, sediments, and isotopes. They agree with 6,144 boreholes around the world which found that temperatures were about 0.5C warmer world wide.

      http://joannenova.com.au/2009/12/fraudulent-hockey-sticks-and-hidden-data/

    289. Re:Politics by Troed · · Score: 1

      You mean the 800-1300 AD warming period seen in Europe due to changes in the gulf stream/jet stream, which was not warmer anywhere else on Earth?

      vs

      Marked on the map are study after study (all peer-reviewed) from all around the world with results of temperatures from the medieval time compared to today. These use ice cores, stalagmites, sediments, and isotopes. They agree with 6,144 boreholes around the world which found that temperatures were about 0.5C warmer world wide.

      http://joannenova.com.au/2009/12/fraudulent-hockey-sticks-and-hidden-data/

    290. Re:Politics by Troed · · Score: 1

      unprecedented levels of CO2

      CO2 levels have been more than an order of magnitude higher without runaway greenhouse effects before.

      http://www.junkscience.com/MSU_Temps/historical_CO2.htm

    291. Re:Politics by Troed · · Score: 1

      The leaked archive was a cherry-picked portion of the email. Which for me begged the question of where the person who leaked it possibly came up with the time and resources to go through the GBs of data and pick out all the bits that made the researchers look bad.

      There had been previous cases where CRU employees put data in unprotected FTP directories (open FTP server) while either working on it or intending to send it to colleagues at other institutions.

      Many have begun to think that the zip archive FOI2009.zip was prepared internally by CRU in response to Steve McIntyre’s FOI requests ... and then downloaded by someone. After all, people had already found interesting stuff on their public server ...

      http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/11/23/the-crutape-letters%C2%AE-an-alternate-explanation/

    292. Re:Politics by ralphbecket · · Score: 1

      Here's an analysis of the number and response to reviewers' comments.

      You ought to read a book on the philosophy of science: concensus plays no part in the process. Real scientists talk of experimental evidence when presenting a case.

      Speaking of concensus, you realise that the existence of the MWP was almost universally held to be true until MBH produced their hockey stick graph. And even though the hockey stick work has been shown to be wrong by McIntyre & McKitrick and Wegman and the NAS, Mann et al are still trotting out variations on the theme. Now some persist in the belief that the NAS panel supported the hockey stick; I refer them to the following exchange with Dr North, the chair of the NAS panel:

      CHAIRMAN BARTON. Dr. North, do you dispute the conclusions or the methodology of Dr. Wegman's report?

      DR. NORTH. No, we don't. We don't disagree with their criticism. In fact, pretty much the same thing is said in our report.

    293. Re:Politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's the Mike trick, no?

    294. Re:Politics by riverat1 · · Score: 1

      Here are some questions that the CRUs and GISSes of the world are unwilling or unable to answer:

            1. If this is due to human CO2 production, why were there so many severe temperature fluctuations before the industrial age?
            2. Termites produce far more CO2 per year than all human activity combined (including cow farts & burps). Why did we not see Mann-graph style increases before now?
            3. Why during the fastest increase in human CO2 production (1945-1970) did global temperatures drop so rapidly that Al Gore's mentor was claiming that the CO2 was about to cause another ice age?
            4. The earth gets over 95% of its energy from the sun. Variations in solar output and in global temperatures seem to correlate. Why is this not being investigated seriously?
            5. There seems to be a similar solar output to temperature relationship on the moon and other planets. How is this possible if humans aren't there to release CO2?
            6. There appears to be a correlation between cyclic ocean currents and global temperatures. Why is this not investigated seriously?

      Kind of inane questions but here are some answers:

      1. What severe temperature fluctuations are you talking about? If you're talking about during human history natural variability probably has a lot to do with it. Currently it's due mostly to increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Those increases can be traced to human use of fossil fuels and industrialization.

      2. Do you have a cite for termites producing more CO2 than humans? Or maybe you mean methane (CH4). They produce both and methane is the concern with cows. Methane is a much more powerful GHG than CO2, but there's a lot less of it in the atmosphere and it doesn't last as long. But the real answer here is that nearly all of the CO2 and methane produced by anything living is from carbon that is already in the carbon cycle so it's not adding to it. Fossil fuels on the other hand are adding carbon that's been sequestered from the carbon cycle for (in most cases) 100's of millions of years.

      3. It's pretty well understood that temperatures dropped after WWII because of unrestricted industrial pollution, primarily SO2 and other aerosols. When we started cleaning that up temperatures started going up again. I don't know who your referring to as a mentor but there were a couple of papers in the 1970s about the possibility of an ice age, there were more than twice as many about global warming around the same time.

      4. It's probably over 99%. Variations in solar output do affect the climate and it is a subject of study but there is no evidence that current solar variation is large enough to account for the increase in temperature. Additionally, if the warming was coming from the sun there would be atmospheric effects, more warming in the upper atmosphere IIRC. They has not been observed.

      5. Warming on the Moon is a new one on me. Do you have a reference? Planets warm or cool for a variety of reasons including GHG's. I haven't seen any evidence that links changes on other planets to Earth.

      6. Are you talking about cyclic events like El Nino or the PDO or are you talking about currents like the Gulf Stream? In either case I'm sure they are being investigated. Are you proposing that we increase the research budget so the can be investigated more intensely?

      Climate researchers are mostly happy to answer questions but when they have to answer the same silly questions over and over it gets a bit tiresome.

    295. Re:Politics by Donkey_Hotey · · Score: 1

      Their careers and livelihoods are only improved if the public can be convinced they are right. The government and big media are doing their best to make that happen.

      --
      (There is supposed to be a Sarcmark® here, but my $1.99 check hasn't cleared, yet...)
    296. Re:Politics by smidget2k4 · · Score: 1

      Their peers have to be convinced first. They are a much harder filter to get through than Joe Average.

    297. Re:Politics by nathanh · · Score: 1

      I was always taught that this was how science worked. If your "results" can't be duplicated, then it's not proving anything.

      Correct.

      By the same token, if you hide the data so it can't be duplicated, then the "results" should be thrown out and the work redone

      Incorrect. The methods are published. The data frequently is not. This is true in all of the sciences. I've seen the withholding of data in biology, engineering and physics papers, just to name a few.

      Proper validation of an experiment involves reproducing the data. Not simply verifying that following the same method with the same data produces the same results.

      With climatology the proxy data (the bulk of data) was collected using published methods. They even published the methods of "manipulation" to align the data from various sources. But what if the raw data contains errors? How would you know? It's just numbers; it's not like there are red flags saying "this number is in error". That's why it's up to the naysayers to go collect additional data. You cannot rely on the original data if you are a skeptic.

      And you can't "verify" the original data because it's raw. The only reason to want the raw data is if you think the raw data wasn't used with the published methods, but rather some other data was substituted. Now that's a serious allegation, but given the number of scientists who would have to be in on the conspiracy, it's utterly unlikely.

      So in fact you don't want the original data. You want to collect your own data as verification.

    298. Re:Politics by Qrlx · · Score: 1

      Look at this graph from your link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Carbon_Dioxide_400kyr.png

      During the time in which we have ice ages, CO2 fluctuates between about 180 and 280 PPM. Now we are well past the upper bound, at 380 ppm and climbing.

      What causes you to believe we will continue to have ice ages now? The atmospheric CO2 concentration is not within the realm of previous ice-age cyclical behavior.

    299. Re:Politics by Donkey_Hotey · · Score: 1

      Their peers have to be convinced first. They are a much harder filter to get through than Joe Average.

      Not if you can control the peer review process.

      2 examples:

      Michael Mann, one of the major players in the scandal, decided to narrow the definition of “peer-reviewed journals” to include only those journals that refused to publish any papers or studies questioning their consensus. “We have to stop considering Climate Research as a legitimate peer-reviewed journal.”

      When the Geophysical Research Letters published a critical paper, Tom Wigley, another principal figure (I almost said co-conspirator...), wrote "If you think that Saiers is in the greenhouse skeptics camp, then, if we can find documentary evidence of this, we could go through official AGU channels to get him ousted." James Saiers, a GRL editor, was, in fact, ousted.

      Granted, I have not been able to explore all the evidence from all different angles, primarily because of lack of time, but mainly because if I were to attempt such a thing my head would likely explode. I have been, however, trying to follow it to the best my feeble little brain's ability, from as many different sources as I am able, and can come to only one conclusion.

      There is something rotten in Denmark.

      --
      (There is supposed to be a Sarcmark® here, but my $1.99 check hasn't cleared, yet...)
    300. Re:Politics by smidget2k4 · · Score: 1

      There was more to the Climate Research publication than that. The paper was submitted to an editor that was more sympathetic to anti-AGW papers, which is fine. That is normal par-for-the-course stuff when submitting a paper, if you're allowed to select an editor to submit it to for that journal you will of course submit it to the one who tends to agree with your viewpoint the most. And normally this is fine; scientists will have different viewpoints. However one thing should come above all viewpoints: whether the science is sound.

      Apparently, the paper in question at Climate Research was approved by the single editor (as per the rules of that journal) and allowed in, despite heavy criticism from the other editors who viewed it as that particular editor ignoring what was wrong with the science of the paper to voice a viewpoint. This caused a majority of the editors to resign their posts at Climate Research, including the guy who was going to become lead editor the very next week. This is what Michael Mann was referring to. The journal had indeed became illegitimate because of the majority of editors leaving the journal in protest.

      Here is a description of the events, the paper in question, and the critiques of the paper that were ignored by the editor. Which, obviously, goes kind of against the whole concept of "peer review" if your peers' opinions are ignored and a unilateral decision is made. This seems like a perfectly legitimate comment by Mann to me, as the journal had lost credibility for failing for adhere to the peer review process and publishing faulty research.

      I'm admittedly unfamiliar with the events at GRL though.

    301. Re:Politics by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      And please stop cherry-picking data to suit your predetermined conclusions, it insults both of our intelligences.

      Fair enough. But let's also be clear that this: "is widely regarded by scientists as one of the most robust reviews of any scientific question in the history of mankind" means nothing. All the matters is the data.

      Anyway I've been reading through the IPCC report. It is dense, but enlightening. So a few things:

      It is true that over 2,500 people helped with the report, but that doesn't mean they all agreed with the conclusion. All it means is that they wrote a paragraph in there somewhere. The number who worked on deriving conclusions from that report are much smaller.

      The major points everyone seems to agree on is that the world has gotten warmer recently (ie, that the measured temperature is accurate) and that adding CO2 to the atmosphere will have a net warming effect. It is not 100% certain that human pollution is warming the earth. It could be cooling it (figure 2.20 from WG1). The major difference from the last report is that we are more certain than ever that human pollution will have a net warming effect.

      It is not clear how much effect CO2 is affecting the global temperature. Is most of the recent warming because of natural variation, or is it because of anthropogenic greenhouse gasses? Page 39 of the link you provided says it is very likely that most of it is due to greenhouse gasses (but they have a qualifying footnote, what the hell is that?). What is this very likely conclusion based on? If you look at WGI 9.4[warning: big PDF], they base it mainly on computer simulations. They basically say they can think of no other way to account for the warming other than anthropogenic greenhouse gasses. How much do you trust these climate modeling computers? Apparently the writers of the IPCC summary don't trust it, since they added a footnote. One thing you will never see is a graph that confidently shows how much of the earth's warming is caused by anthropogenic gasses, and how much is from other causes, because this information is not known with any degree of accuracy.

      Let's move on to the next point, global disasters. At times you hear that global warming will destroy the earth. Once again, there is no scientific consensus about that. Where I live, the temperature changes as much as 20 degrees in a single day. What difference will a single degree make?

      Or let's take a look at another point, rising sea levels. According to WGI chapter 5[warning: another big PDF], we are looking at an ocean rise of 3.1 millimeters or so. Is that really so bad? Even if we ignore the fact that tides vary hundreds of times that much within a single day, and waves often vary 300 times that much in a single second, it's worth remembering that the ocean level on any given coast already varies more than that based on geological processes, like plate tectonics. We have been able to handle plate tectonics so far, we should be able to handle the little added variability that may come with global warming.

      Finally, I maintain that almost no one thinks the cap and trade bill in the US congress right now is a good idea. Except New York bankers (read this article, I don't know whether it should make me laugh or cry).

      --
      Qxe4
  2. Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Your cause may be correct, but your methods damage all of science as well as your cause.

    True science should not hide data or pick data to support predefined conclusions. And dissenting papers with proper methodologies should never be suppressed. This is the only way to do science right.

    1. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by pitchpipe · · Score: 0, Funny

      Funny how the ones who bemoan the science behind global warming are most likely the ones who believe in creation "science". Does God not believe that the earth is warming up?

      --
      Look where all this talking got us, baby.
    2. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by ArsonSmith · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Funny how people doing "Global Warming" research keep getting bigger and bigger grants with the more hysteria they pump into their findings.

      --
      Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
    3. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    4. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do you? I guess you haven't been following this story too closely.

    5. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 5, Insightful

      With apologies to myself.

      GOOFUS has a PhD.
      GALLANT has a PhD in a field unrelated to his research.

      GOOFUS gets little respect as a scientist outside the scientific community.
      GALLANT gets little respect as a scientist inside the scientific community.

      GOOFUS drives a beat-up old car.
      GALLANT drives a BMW unless his chauffeur is driving.

      GOOFUS wears street clothes to work, maybe a lab suit on occasion.
      GALLANT wears three piece suits at all times.

      GOOFUS is employed by a "university", a "hospital", or a "laboratory".
      GALLANT is employed by a "Coalition", an "Institute", an "Association", a "Foundation", a "Council", or a "White House".

      GOOFUS earns $30000 per year unless they cut his funding.
      GALLANT earns $200000 per year but makes his real money from speaking fees.

      GOOFUS lives anywhere in the country.
      GALLANT lives in a wealthy area near Washington DC, but may have additional homes elsewhere.

      GOOFUS may sometimes be filmed standing in front of big melting icebergs.
      GALLANT may be filmed sitting in front of a bookcase or standing behind a podium at a $2000 per plate fundraiser, although there may be ice melting in his drink.

      GOOFUS is a dues-paying member of several scientific grassroots organizations.
      GALLANT is on the payroll of several scientific astroturf organizations.

      GOOFUS gets summoned for jury duty but is never picked as a juror.
      GALLANT claims "the jury is still out" on evolution or global warming, since he considers himself to be on the jury.

      GOOFUS maintains the world is five billion years old.
      GALLANT isn't really saying, but creationists distribute his pamphlets all the time.

      GOOFUS claims the world is warming as a direct result of human activity.
      GALLANT either claims that climate change doesn't exist, or if it does, that humans have nothing to do with it.

      GOOFUS and his graduate students do the dirty work of collecting raw data and looking for conclusions to be drawn from it.
      GALLANT does the dirty work of discrediting GOOFUS by manipulating his data in Excel with statistically invalid techniques.

      GOOFUS writes scientific papers and grant proposals.
      GALLANT writes the nation's environmental legislation and a column for the Wall Street Journal's editorial page.

      GOOFUS draws scientific conclusions from the data he collects that usually come out in agreement with the scientific consensus.
      GALLANT paints the scientific consensus as being entirely political in nature and enjoys comparing himself to Galileo.

      GOOFUS is heavily trained to be a skeptic and to treat information from all sources with a skeptical mind.
      GALLANT is heavily marketed as a skeptic but reserves his skepticism for GOOFUS.

      GOOFUS isn't paid much attention by the press since his opinions are commonplace among scientists.
      GALLANT holds maverick opinions for a scientist which keeps him busy running from one balanced talk show to the next.

      GOOFUS has no PR skills.
      GALLANT leverages his PR experience all the time, although he has access to paid PR staff.

      GOOFUS claims the sky is falling and we have to take painful steps to reduce CO2 emissions now.
      GALLANT claims the free market will take care of it and recommends solving the problem by conning Zimbabwe out of their pollution credits.

      GOOFUS advises his kids not to go into science.
      GALLANT advises the president.

    6. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Wildclaw · · Score: 4, Insightful

      A big problem is that most people have grave misconceptions about what science is. Even those who think they understand it, often fail to remember the truth behind the scientific method. Science is not the search for truth. In fact, it is pretty much the opposite. Science is the search for what isn't true.

      The truth is invisible, so we do the next best thing. We look at everything else, and notice what isn't there as possibly being the truth. Einstein's real feat of progress wasn't that he came up with the theory of relativity. What really advanced science was that he pinpointed a weakness in the previously accepted theory of gravity.

      The problem is that most people don't like to find out that what they know is wrong. And that is a prerequisite to conducting science. Which is why it is so difficult to conduct. You have to suppress your natural instincts of control and try to let your instincts of curiosity guide you instead.

    7. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Funny how the ones who bemoan the science behind global warming are most likely the ones who believe in creation "science". Does God not believe that the earth is warming up?

      Wow, you make a statement of fact, with no actual facts involved whatsoever, and then insult the conclusion you made. I do believe that's what's called a 'straw man'. Can I try? "You are, from your tone, most likely a child molester and coke fiend. What, you don't have enough energy to molest all the children you want to molest without the coke?"

      The science behind global warming, at least certain parts of it, is complete bullshit. There's a reason people call the pushing of AGW a religion.

      The science behind creationism, at least certain parts of it, is complete bullshit. There's a reason people call the pushing of creationism a religion.

      Calling people who are skeptical of a rather large claim 'deniers' and claiming they are just in the pockets of big oil, and now saying that they must be creationist wack jobs... none of those endear me to your point of view.

    8. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Marcika · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Unfounded denier claim #6 of 7. The coal/oil/transport industry probably spend more money in PR than all scientists taken together.

    9. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by OeLeWaPpErKe · · Score: 0

      Funny how those who act like that always keep saying how you shouldn't lump everyone together.

      Saying as opposed to that other thing ... a rational human would observe that discrimination, painting with a broad brush, stigmatizing communities, ... is only considered a problem when political opponents can be blamed for it

    10. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Nutria · · Score: 1

      GALLANT advises the president.

      Jesus F'ing Christ!!!!

      Don't you remember who won the election last year, and who now advises the current President???

      Hint: he's a firm believer in AGW.

      --
      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    11. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by sexconker · · Score: 0, Troll

      Bullshit zealot canned response number 326 of 27124.

      Scientists, researchers, and all of academia do not get paid for their research/work only in cash money - they also get compensated by:

      Getting published
      Getting tenure
      Getting recognition and accolades
      Getting access to equipment, time (No need to teach! You're a Professor!) and lab space to further their research

      All of the above directly influence their ability to:

      Attending conferences for $
      Give speeches for $$
      Write books for $$$
      Become a political party's puppet adviser for $$$$
      Become a corporation's scientist at large for $$$$$

      Most scientists stick to the $ and $$ categories.
      Some get into the $$$ and $$$$ categories.
      A handful get the $$$$$.

    12. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 1

      It's a repost from four years ago. I didn't bother editing.

    13. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Shotgun · · Score: 1

      And now, it appears that GOOFUS gets caught cherry picking data to support the conclusion that he has already come to. But, I guess that falls under not having PR skills.

      --
      Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
      Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
    14. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by phantomfive · · Score: 2, Insightful

      What are you talking about? Your link doesn't even mention PR spent by the coal/oil/transport industry. And if you do want to talk about PR about climate change, I'd say Al Gore wins the day on that one. When was there ever a movie made that said we should take a measured, reasonable attempt to find out what's really happening? And it is well known that if anyone is positioned to make money from climate change spending, it's Al Gore.

      --
      Qxe4
    15. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Nutria · · Score: 1

      It's a repost from four years ago. I didn't bother editing.

      That's akin to saying, "But hide the decline was 10 years ago, and doesn't really matter now!"

      --
      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    16. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Nutria · · Score: 1

      Unfounded denier claim #6 of 7.

      That SciAm link itself links to a RC page titled The CRU hack: Context.

      One of the points it makes is:

      HARRY_read_me.txt. This is a 4 year-long work log of Ian (Harry) Harris who was working to upgrade the ... legacy CRU TS 2.1 product ... The CSU TS 3.0 is available now ... and so presumably the database problems got fixed

      Two responses:

      • Who says the TS 3.0 data isn't as fudged up as the 2.1 data was?
      • By what basis should we assume that the database problems got fixed? Faith in the people who hid the decline?
      --
      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    17. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Marcika · · Score: 1
      No, the link addressed your factually incorrect claim. The PR spend by the pollution industry is an educated guess (this is what the word "perhaps" indicates).

      Also, your claim that Al Gore has significant prospects for untold riches from climate change propaganda is risible -- if he were to renounce his claims and go on the industry after-dinner speech circuit, he would rake in megabucks every year. It is to his credit that he doesn't.

    18. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by wdhowellsr · · Score: 0, Troll

      Despite being an Anonymous Coward you are perfectly correct. Almost every paradigm shifting Scientific event in the modern era has been subjected to scrutiny almost as bad as the Inquisitions. Once again there is no question that the post industrial revolution age has and will continue to destroy this Earth on almost every single level. To deny the extinction of animals, plants and natural resources is naive at best and evil at worst

      However, CO2 is a trace gas being only 0.038% of the atmosphere and is a requirement in almost every biological habitat. That alone should cause any scientist, even paleoclimatologist, to think twice before accepting C02 as the primary source of any change in the Earths atmosphere.

      My biggest fear is that billions of dollars will be spent and made trading completely worthless carbon credits. What incentive is their for Progress Energy to build Solar, Wind or any other green generation facilities if they know that they can buy credits and pass the cost onto the customer. Remember, Obama himself said that his goal was to raise US consumer energy rates so high that people would be forced to cut back on energy consumption.

      Just in the US alone, there are millions of acres of critical habitat available for purchase and protection. On top of that states like Florida, where I happen to live, are criminally pathetic at using close to 95% sunny days for energy generation. Maine has a better solar policy than Florida.

      I'm getting off of my soapbox because, unless your head is in the sand, this world was, is, and will continue to be run by three groups, Politicians, Business, and the 1% of the world's population that owns well over 80% of the total physical assets. If I happened to descend from the male line of William Howell of Buckinghampshire, England in 1488, I wouldn't even be talking to you. There are less than five families in the US and Europe that hold almost all personal stores of gold, silver, platinum and paladium.

    19. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Ractive · · Score: 2, Insightful

      GOOFUS objectively observes that there's not enough data to support that climate change actually exists that i'ts unnatural or that humans have something to do with it.
      GALLANT claims the world is warming as a direct result of human activity, because his associates can profit from paranoia and could use some "dog wagging" from the environmental crimes their companies commit.


      There. Fixed that for you.

    20. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Marcika · · Score: 1

      Unfounded denier claim #6 of 7.

      That SciAm link itself links to a RC page titled The CRU hack: Context.

      One of the points it makes is:

      HARRY_read_me.txt. This is a 4 year-long work log of Ian (Harry) Harris who was working to upgrade the ... legacy CRU TS 2.1 product ... The CSU TS 3.0 is available now ... and so presumably the database problems got fixed

      Two responses:

      • Who says the TS 3.0 data isn't as fudged up as the 2.1 data was?
      • By what basis should we assume that the database problems got fixed? Faith in the people who hid the decline?

      Claim #6 has nothing to do with climate time series, but I'll bite: The "database problems" and their fixes in CRU2.1 are discussed and explained in detail in a peer reviewed article: Mitchell and Jones, 2005:An improved method of constructing a database of monthly climate observations and associated high-resolution grids.Int. J. Climatology, 25, 693-712, Doi: 10.1002/joc.1181.

      I have more faith in reviewed articles written, discussed and refined by people who have worked in the field for decades, rather than people who believe what suits their pocketbook best without any knowledge of the subject matter. How about you?

    21. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by ukyoCE · · Score: 1

      Who is it that you think is dishonestly funding Global Warming research? What is their motivation in doing so?

      We already know who is funding all the anti-Global Warming commentary. Much like Health Care, there are deep deep pockets with a specific agenda.

      I'd really like to know whose deep pockets you think are trying to "invent" global warming.

    22. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      My claim is that Al Gore is a much more powerful PR force than the money spent on PR by the energy industry.

      Also, I don't see anywhere in the link you presented that talks about the money spent by the pollution industry, as you call it. Are you sure you have the right link? If so, maybe you could quote it so it is more easy to find.

      --
      Qxe4
    23. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Nutria · · Score: 1

      I have more faith in reviewed articles

      Faith in people who hide the decline and wish they could subvert the peer-review process?

      (No, I don't know of anything better than peer review...)

      "Public" Science has been so politicized and over-hyped that if a PhD went on TV and said, "the sky is blue", I wouldn't believe him. Proclamations of impending disaster, accompanied by jet-setting movie-making politicians makes AGW stink even more.

      How about you?

      The only faith I have is in my wife and children. Otherwise, the evidence has led me to knowing that Science is the best way for mankind to advance knowledge. This link says it all.

      --
      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    24. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Straif · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      All your link does it point out that Federal research funding increased from 1.85 billion to 1.99 billion ANNUALLY, (and tries to make it sound like the poor little researchers are struggling to get by). Do you even have the slightest hint how much 1.99 billion dollars is? I also have to question how an increase of almost 140 million in funding is considered "almost flat" by the writer. I especially love the way he uses a change in the percentage of funding in his statement to give the appearance of a decrease when in actuality all values went up. He doesn't happen to work at the CRU does he?

      Compare that to the 23 million Exxon spent over the last decade on funding climate research projects and just guess when the money is.

      I really don't think some people understand what the 'B' in billion represents.

      --
      Of course that's just my opinion...... you could be wrong!
    25. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Marcika · · Score: 3, Insightful

      All your link does it point out that Federal research funding increased from 1.85 billion to 1.99 billion ANNUALLY, (and tries to make it sound like the poor little researchers are struggling to get by).

      Okay, now include inflation into your calculation. In the period from 1993 to 2004, US price inflation was 29.8%. So if you adjust the 1993 number for inflation, you will see that in real terms, the funding for climate research actually decreased by more than $400mn (OMG BIG NUMBER)!

      Do you even have the slightest hint how much 1.99 billion dollars is?

      I do indeed know. It is about one-twentieth of the annual net income of ExxonMobil, which in turn represents a tiny fraction of total profits of oil/coal vested interests. (Less polemically: the salary of about 20,000 people, not even including the equipment they need.)

      I really don't think some people understand what the 'B' in billion represents.

      Flamebait.

    26. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 1

      Generally, the way you find old bugs in a new program is by running a regression test. I don't like the "presumably" in their assertion, but at the same time, if you accuse somebody of something, you should back it up with some evidence. Otherwise, you're not credible.

      --
      Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
    27. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Remind our evil corporate masters next time you read another fantastic book by Paul Ehrlich, or next time you watch Soylent Green. Oh, let us not forget that wonderful movie called The China Syndrome. Or The Day After Tomorrow.

    28. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by TheTurtlesMoves · · Score: 1

      The scientific method is not what a lot of people (clearly not doing science) think it is. Well we can't use it in a lot of cases, not in anyway that matters.

      I want to test my model vers another model on its ability to predict the mean temperature of the planet in 100 years time. I run both models and wait 100 years....No we don't do that.

      Or I want to test the CO2 forcing parameters. I need another planet to perform a repeatable experiment on!

      Bottom line is that a model is not a substitute for a experiment, but in this case its all we got. But still the confidence despite no track record of climate forecasting is way oversold.

      --
      The Grey Goo disaster happened 3 billion years ago. This rock is covered in self replicating machines!
    29. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Straif · · Score: 1

      If you read the actual report your article links to you'd have seen that the numbers mentioned were already adjusted for inflation.

      The actual dollars spent were 2.1B (1993) to 5.1B (2004). The 3.3B mentioned in the article was the adjusted 2.1 value.

      And what exactly does the net income of a private company have to do with government spending on research? Does it matter that that huge profit only represents about a 7.6% margin, which actually under performs against the majority of the US manufacturing market by nearly 2%.

      Yes, profits are huge in the oil industry but so are expenditures and risks. Either way, that doesn't change the dollar amounts being spent on research.

      --
      Of course that's just my opinion...... you could be wrong!
    30. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Straif · · Score: 1

      I replied to this earlier but it appears it didn't post so here is the short version:

      Point 1) The article you link to is already adjusted for inflation so you might want to look at your own source. The actual dollar figure was 2.1 (in 1993) which for the article was adjusted to 3.3. No way to hide the decline in that one, research funding was increased.

      Point 2) The profits of a private company do not figure into the debate about pro and con global warming funding as their own research expenditures in this field are already pretty clear (approximately 7 million last year) but even if they did Exxon's profits only represent a 7.6% return. That's nearly 2% lower than almost every manufacturing business in the US (except the Auto industry which is a mess all it's own). The numbers look big, and they are, but that's simply because the amount of money oil industries deal with in sales and costs are insane. Large expenditures, large risks and relatively small profit margins.

      --
      Of course that's just my opinion...... you could be wrong!
    31. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by wdhowellsr · · Score: 1

      Wow! I've never been tagged a Troll. Duly noted.

    32. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by riverat1 · · Score: 1

      True science should not hide data or pick data to support predefined conclusions.

      But "true science" will weed out noise and erroneous data so those who don't have the time to invest in complete knowledge of a subject don't have to waste their time on it.

    33. Re:Don't turn AGW into creation "science" by Marcika · · Score: 1

      If you read the actual report your article links to you'd have seen that the numbers mentioned were already adjusted for inflation.

      The actual dollars spent were 2.1B (1993) to 5.1B (2004). The 3.3B mentioned in the article was the adjusted 2.1 value.

      I apologize; you are right about the inflation adjustment: research spending has increased (though the actual number in 1993 was apparently 2.4 instead of 2.1).

      And what exactly does the net income of a private company have to do with government spending on research?

      I mentioned it to provide a reference point for comparison of the resources that climate change advocates have available vs. those of the industry, and to show that the oil/coal industry would have both means and motivation to easily swamp academic research results with their own PR and studies.

      Does it matter that that huge profit only represents about a 7.6% margin, which actually under performs against the majority of the US manufacturing market by nearly 2%.

      No, that doesn't matter. Margins are irrelevant in out-of-sector comparisons. What matters is ROE or ROA. (And even if Exxon were inefficient, that wouldn't change the staggering absolute number.)

  3. Hockey guy? by Spy+Handler · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Prof. Michael Mann, another prominent climate scientist is also under inquiry by Penn State University

    Mann? Is he the same guy who said global temperature will go up exponentially like a hockey stick unless we cap and trade right now?

    1. Re:Hockey guy? by Raul654 · · Score: 1

      You're in the right ball park, but (a) Mann wasn't making a prediction. He was making a temperature reconstruction -- a measurement of things that have already happened; and (b) it wasn't exponential, it a more-or-less linear increase. See this.

      --


      To make laws that man cannot, and will not obey, serves to bring all law into contempt.
      --E.C. Stanton
    2. Re:Hockey guy? by geoffrobinson · · Score: 1
      --
      Except for ending slavery, the Nazis, communism, & securing American independence, war has never solved anything.
    3. Re:Hockey guy? by tsotha · · Score: 2, Informative

      That's the guy. At the time, Mann refused to release his data and refused to release the methodology behind the creation of the graph. Years later it turned out if you use Gaussian noise for your temperature input you get a graph with the same hockey stick shape.

    4. Re:Hockey guy? by mschuyler · · Score: 5, Informative

      Right. Same guy. Random number input into his program produced a hockey stick. I downloaded the 61MB zip file and have read most of the emails. Those are damaging in terms of exposing several issues:

      1. They manipulated the peer-review process and controlled it to the point of changing what peer-review meant, freezing out contrary authors, reviewing each others' work, getting editors fired, etc. There's a lot of that kind of manipulation revealed.

      2. They colluded to avoid the FOIA and deleted emails and threatened to delete data before they would release it under FOIA. This is illegal.

      3. They admitted to manipulating data to 'hide the decline' or 'get rid of the Medieval Warming Period.' I don't have a problem with 'trick' being used. No big deal, but 'hide the decline'? Not good.

      4. They would manipulate the data by simply not adding it, closing a run on an increase, when the subsequent data showed a decline. They seem dismayed that the last ten years shows an overall redction in temperature, at one point calling it a travesty and suggesting the data must be wrong.

      5. Because there were no thermometers 2000 years ago, they use 'proxies' such as tree rings, ice core samples, etc. However, tree ring growth can be caused by wetness and other issues, not just temperature. In ine case they 'proved; warming based on 12 trees in Siberia. When hey went back and measured many more trees, the increase disappeared.

      But the more damning evidence is in the programs themselves, including REM statements where 'hide the decline' is found numerous times, data is manually manipulated, and the programs would throw an error and keep on running.

      The code, written primarily in FORTAN and IDL, is a mess--not professional. The datasets are often missing or in poor shape. There's one 'Harry Read me' text file where poor Harry is trying to make sense of the code, over several years, and points out many of the flaws.

      So what we've got here is email and program code evidence of manipulation, very poor data, and very poor programming.

      The thing is, there are only 4 datasets in the world, two terrestrial and two satellite. There are serious problms with both terrestrial data sets. NOAA's, for example, has manually 'adjusted' data over the years as much as 500%! In other words, the observed degree difference was .1 degree C and the 'adjustment' was +.5 degrees C. You'd think the satellite data asets would be more accurate, however, they were 'calibrated' on the 'adjusted' terrestrial data sets.

      Remember Gore's CO2 graph? Probably a 95% correlation between CO2 and temperature, which he presented as proof that CO2 CAUSES global warming. Except that the CO2 increased 800 years AFTER the warming trend. In other words, warming CAUSED CO2 increases, the opposite of what he implied.

      --
      How about a moderation of -1 pedantic.
    5. Re:Hockey guy? by ImOnlySleeping · · Score: 1

      No, he's the guy that showed that temperature has already gone up exponentially.

      --
      Everybody seems to think I'm lazy I don't mind, I think they're crazy
    6. Re:Hockey guy? by Coriolis · · Score: 2, Informative
      --
      Rgasuya aata! : I have been coding Perl and cannot tell where my fingers are now!
    7. Re:Hockey guy? by Spy+Handler · · Score: 1

      But the more damning evidence is in the programs themselves, including REM statements where 'hide the decline' is found numerous times, data is manually manipulated

      Wait, are you talking about the SOURCE CODE that these researchers wrote for their climate model simulations?

      If so how did you get to look at the source code?

    8. Re:Hockey guy? by choconutdancer · · Score: 1

      Excellent synopsis.

    9. Re:Hockey guy? by choconutdancer · · Score: 1

      The source code was part of the data that was leaked.

    10. Re:Hockey guy? by furball · · Score: 1

      Except that the CO2 increased 800 years AFTER the warming trend. In other words, warming CAUSED CO2 increases, the opposite of what he implied.

      This may be related to the amount of carbon dioxide in solution in sea water. The ocean acts as a CO2 sink. As the temperature increases, there's more water vapor and more CO2 released from the ocean.

    11. Re:Hockey guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Heresy! Blasphemy!

      How dare you post such deceptions. We - the authoritative slashdot community - need to prevent such abominations from being seen. This kind of thing belongs in the invisible "Score:1" category. It has no place in a "Score:3", and is an abomination at "Score:5, Insightful". We should have seen this coming with such a loose mod point process. Those loons have gone and bought their own stash of "Insightful" mod points. We need to make sure only knowledgable people can assign "Insightful" mod points. And I don't care if we have to redefine the whole "mod point" process to do it!

    12. Re:Hockey guy? by Avumede · · Score: 2, Informative

      Most of your assertions have been debunked a long time ago. To take just one example:

      http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2004/12/myths-vs-fact-regarding-the-hockey-stick/

      And, from working in academia as a programmer, I can tell you that the quality of engineering is in general low, because most of the time you don't have professional software engineers working on the product. Unfortunate, but there's not enough money for anything more than an RA, which are often inexperienced.

    13. Re:Hockey guy? by Snocone · · Score: 2, Informative

      3. They admitted to manipulating data to 'hide the decline' or 'get rid of the Medieval Warming Period.' I don't have a problem with 'trick' being used. No big deal, but 'hide the decline'? Not good.

      Look closer. They actually *replaced* the inconveniently truthful proxy data with instrument measurements to get the fitting they wanted. That's not a 'trick'. That's plain fraud.

    14. Re:Hockey guy? by Robin47 · · Score: 1

      Barring the chance this might be sarcasm (and if it is, I apologize in advance) it was leaked with the emails. Ever hear of the Pentagon Papers or police tip lines? It's out there now. To ignore it would be illogical.

    15. Re:Hockey guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Using realclimate.org is as about as reliable as PETA. Both are run by activists who are pushing their own agendas, not science. "The Hockey Team" and their data had been discredited a long time ago.

    16. Re:Hockey guy? by sexconker · · Score: 1

      Link to realclimate.org

      You do know that realclimate.org is complete, paid-for bullshit, right?

    17. Re:Hockey guy? by ChromeAeonium · · Score: 1

      Finally something we can all agree on: Global warming is Mann made.

    18. Re:Hockey guy? by symbolset · · Score: 5, Informative

      You guys keep pointing back to the same realclimate.org website as if that proves anything. Shall I collect up a few DailyKos, Freeper and HillaryIs44 links to rebut? Realclimate.org is run by the same people who invented global warming. That content may be discussion, but it's not proof.

      --
      Help stamp out iliturcy.
    19. Re:Hockey guy? by HertzaHaeon · · Score: 1

      Remember Gore's CO2 graph? Probably a 95% correlation between CO2 and temperature, which he presented as proof that CO2 CAUSES global warming. Except that the CO2 increased 800 years AFTER the warming trend. In other words, warming CAUSED CO2 increases, the opposite of what he implied.

      That's a classic argument that has been refuted again and again. Like at How to talk to a climate skeptic; CO2 Lags Not Leads, or at Realcliamate.org; The lag between temperature and CO2. (Gore’s got it right.).

      In short, with warming periods lasting for around 5000 years, a lag of 800 years isn't as significant as you might think. Other factors than just CO2 affects warming, which isn't surprising or unknown.

    20. Re:Hockey guy? by HebrewToYou · · Score: 1

      Realclimate.org is an unreliable source considering their correspondence was included among the leaked emails. Just sayin'...

      --
      I'm not popular enough to be different.

      Homer Simpson, The Simpsons

    21. Re:Hockey guy? by w0mprat · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Caution: Science being done badly. Whats new? Science is meant to be pristine and perfect? If climate scientists have to cook the books to get politicians to do something then it says two things. Our understanding of climate is inadequate for the questions we need to answer. That we have major major problems at a politicial level, perhaps even to the demise of civilisation.

      We've dumped a metric assload of carbon into the atmosphere and we can measure it (we have actually boosted greenhouse gases about 40% from the level pre-industrial era). there is no way this could be anything but very very bad.

      If the world isn't observably warming up, or not over the last decade, but that is purely by a stroke of luck, and buys us time to actually do something. What the denalists can't show is that the aforementioned empirical asston of greenhouse gases we've spewed out is completely harmless, because simple reliable science say it can't be, and indeed hasn't been in prehistory.

      --
      After logging in slashdot still does not take you back to the page you were on. It's been that way for 20 years.
    22. Re:Hockey guy? by sycodon · · Score: 5, Informative

      Isn't RealClimate.org pretty much the creation of Mr. Jones, et al?

      this is pretty much like Wikipedia citing Wikipedia.

      --
      When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    23. Re:Hockey guy? by Avumede · · Score: 1

      Can you explain how having your email leaked makes you an unreliable source? I'm not getting it.

    24. Re:Hockey guy? by feepness · · Score: 1

      What the denalists can't show is that the aforementioned empirical asston of greenhouse gases we've spewed out is completely harmless, because it is impossible to prove a negative.

      FTFY.

    25. Re:Hockey guy? by Avumede · · Score: 3, Informative

      Well, it's run by scientists who know more than any of us, which is why it is useful to link to them.

      There are also scientists who know more than any of us that oppose global warming, but there are much fewer of them. Therefore, it seems clear that we should believe the majority, since we ourselves are not experts. Linking to some of those experts is the correct thing to do here.

    26. Re:Hockey guy? by HebrewToYou · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It's the content of the correspondence in question that makes the source unreliable. Please click the link and read up on the issue.

      --
      I'm not popular enough to be different.

      Homer Simpson, The Simpsons

    27. Re:Hockey guy? by Nutria · · Score: 1

      The real problem I have with GW is that a 0.1 degree change from 20C is 1/2 of 1%, which is normally considered statistical "noise". Attempts to "cleanse" the data can skew the results.

      --
      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    28. Re:Hockey guy? by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1


      I don't know whether the chart was valid or not, but he didn't say that the chart was produced from random noise as you stated. He said that the method for producing the chart gives the same sort of hockey stick result even when you feed it random noise.

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    29. Re:Hockey guy? by tsotha · · Score: 1

      realclimate.org is a completely discredited source, in my opinion. You'll have to do better than that.

    30. Re:Hockey guy? by Coriolis · · Score: 1

      Citation needed. Attack the science, not the scientist. Honestly, you're not even trying.

      --
      Rgasuya aata! : I have been coding Perl and cannot tell where my fingers are now!
    31. Re:Hockey guy? by Coriolis · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Seeing as I don't know you from Adam, I'd prefer a well reasoned argument from the data, to "your opinion". I don't have to do better than that, as it would be immense hubris for me to imagine I do could better than the people whose speciality this is. Tell me, who do you consider to be a reliable source?

      --
      Rgasuya aata! : I have been coding Perl and cannot tell where my fingers are now!
    32. Re:Hockey guy? by techno-vampire · · Score: 2, Informative
      Well, it's run by scientists who know more than any of us, which is why it is useful to link to them.

      Correction: it's run by advocates who are only interested in presenting one side of the argument and suppressing any evidence that doesn't point the way they want it to. It's only useful to link to them if you're more interested in advocacy than facts.

      --
      Good, inexpensive web hosting
    33. Re:Hockey guy? by rho · · Score: 1

      Well, it's run by scientists who know more than any of us, which is why it is useful to link to them. There are also scientists who know more than any of us that oppose global warming, but there are much fewer of them. Therefore, it seems clear that we should believe the majority, since we ourselves are not experts. Linking to some of those experts is the correct thing to do here.

      While that's not the worst idea I've ever heard--I once heard a guy suggest that we should douse ourselves in paint thinner and leap into a volcano--it ranks pretty high.

      If that was rewritten with "priests" instead of "scientists" you'd probably shit your pants, but it would parse extremely well.

      --
      Potato chips are a by-yourself food.
    34. Re:Hockey guy? by berashith · · Score: 2, Informative

      except that we are discussing scientists losing their jobs for manipulating data. The collectors of the data are appearing to be delivering data in ways that prove their personal beliefs, and in ways that dont allow anyone to contradict their personal beliefs. Now, not all of the scientists are manipulative and crooked, but they may have been basing their beliefs on scientific leaders, such as the ones that cooked the books. There is not much of a true source now, especially if the only data left is the "cleansed" data, not the original raw data.

    35. Re:Hockey guy? by makomk · · Score: 4, Insightful

      1. They manipulated the peer-review process and controlled it to the point of changing what peer-review meant, freezing out contrary authors, reviewing each others' work, getting editors fired, etc. There's a lot of that kind of manipulation revealed.

      The "changing what peer review meant" was a joke - as demonstrated by the fact they did reference the two papers in the IGCC report that they were talking about what "changing what peer review meant" in order to exclude.

      2. They colluded to avoid the FOIA and deleted emails and threatened to delete data before they would release it under FOIA. This is illegal.

      As far as I can tell, they weren't serious about that, though most of the scientists do seem to be seriously fed up with dubious FOIA requests for data they can't release by people who'll just end up misinterpreting it anyway...

      3. They admitted to manipulating data to 'hide the decline' or 'get rid of the Medieval Warming Period.' I don't have a problem with 'trick' being used. No big deal, but 'hide the decline'? Not good.

      Firstly, not one e-mail talked about getting rid of the Medieval Warm Period. There were e-mails talking about a bogus statement attributed to one scientist in which he said that, but that's it. (Oh, and e-mails about containing the Medieval Warm Period - as in, obtaining temperature data far back enough to cover it in its entirety...)

      Secondly, they did a really good job of "hiding the decline". Publishing about it in the very high-profile journal Nature a decade ago proved a very effective way of keeping it secret. Not. (The "decline" in question is a decline in indirect temperature measurements obtained from the density of tree cores in the high-latitude Northern hemisphere. It's a headache for reasearchers because they know based on other measurements that temperatures haven't actually declined - real cooling would be a different matter entirely...)

      4. They would manipulate the data by simply not adding it, closing a run on an increase, when the subsequent data showed a decline.

      Nope. The issue is not that the subsequent data shows a decline, but that it doesn't match up with other measurements.

      They seem dismayed that the last ten years shows an overall redction in temperature, at one point calling it a travesty and suggesting the data must be wrong.

      Hmmmm? The only thing I've seen called a travesty was the current scientific level of understanding of certain large-scale weather systems. One of the scientists was complaining that it was the coldest year on record where he was and they didn't know why.

      5. Because there were no thermometers 2000 years ago, they use 'proxies' such as tree rings, ice core samples, etc. However, tree ring growth can be caused by wetness and other issues, not just temperature. In ine case they 'proved; warming based on 12 trees in Siberia. When hey went back and measured many more trees, the increase disappeared.

      Yeah, that's a pain for researchers

      But the more damning evidence is in the programs themselves, including REM statements where 'hide the decline' is found numerous times

      All related to Briffa's work on the problem with certain tree rings as temperature measurements since 1960, from what I can tell. Yes, all of them, really. Take a look at the file names.

      data is manually manipulated, and the programs would throw an error and keep on running.

      Sounds about right for scientific code.

      There's one 'Harry Read me' text file where poor Harry is trying to make sense of the code, over several years, and points out many of the flaws.

      Yep. Some ancient legacy code base for an generating an obscure and equally legacy temperature dataset, apparently. (One that's underfunded, I suspect - it's not

    36. Re:Hockey guy? by Avumede · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Your comment only makes sense if you don't believe in science.

    37. Re:Hockey guy? by Idiomatick · · Score: 1

      Does the source matter? There are plenty of citations and links to raw data. Attacking the source seems like it might be a bit pathetic.

    38. Re:Hockey guy? by rho · · Score: 1

      From the original post:

      Therefore, it seems clear that we should believe the majority

      That is not "believing" in science.

      I'm arguing that one believes in religion, but one practices science. Using the language of one in the demesne of the other is often a mistake and should be avoided.

      --
      Potato chips are a by-yourself food.
    39. Re:Hockey guy? by feepness · · Score: 2

      Lie.

      Liars.

    40. Re:Hockey guy? by Buelldozer · · Score: 1

      Okay, you perhaps picked off the easy one. Now how about you address the other 9 points that mschuyler made?

      It's those nine points that are really relevant to this discussion, not the perhaps debunking of the debunking of the hockey stick graph.

      I'm swayable on this argument so I'm worth the time investment but I should warn you that like mschuyler I'm not impressed with links to realclimate.org and here's two reasons why:

      1) Using them in defense of CRU is a circular reference. Much of RC.Os "stuff" comes from CRU.
      2) They get things wrong and then hide the devil in the details.

      For instance Myth #1 from your link : MYTH #1: The "Hockey Stick" Reconstruction is based solely on two publications by climate scientist Michael Mann and colleagues (Mann et al, 1998;1999).

      They go on to argue that a dozen other proxy tests have been performed and that most of them show similar results. What they DON'T tell you is that of the dozen other proxy tests performed all but three of them were done either by Mann himself or one of his students! More circular proof and this time RC.O keeps it hidden from you.

      So please address points one through nine without using RC.O links. I'm interested in what you have to say.

    41. Re:Hockey guy? by sycodon · · Score: 1

      Now who is the Denier?

      --
      When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    42. Re:Hockey guy? by Coriolis · · Score: 2, Informative
      --
      Rgasuya aata! : I have been coding Perl and cannot tell where my fingers are now!
    43. Re:Hockey guy? by Avumede · · Score: 2, Insightful

      If you have a better idea of how to go about believing in something, I'm eager to hear it.

      Here's a few methods that I know don't work:

      1) Believe based on the evidence and arguments you hear. Sounds reasonable, right? Unfortunately, for any field of sufficient complexity, laymen like us don't have the ability to evaluate the evidence and arguments in context, because we are too ignorant. I don't care if this has been your hobby for a few years, or that you are a brilliant person. Unless you actually have a degree in this stuff, you aren't going to be a great judge of arguments.

      2) Believe based on a particular expert. But when there are many experts, there is no reason to believe in any particular one.

      3) Believe based on the personalities involved. Don't trust Al Gore? Logically, it shouldn't make a difference, since many more people are involved beside Al Gore.

      So, please tell me the method you use to believe, that is better than scientific consensus.

    44. Re:Hockey guy? by Mab_Mass · · Score: 1

      The real problem I have with GW is that a 0.1 degree change from 20C is 1/2 of 1%, which is normally considered statistical "noise". Attempts to "cleanse" the data can skew the results.

      Ah, where to start?

      First of all, comparing 0.1 degree change to 20C is meaningless. The zero point of the Celsius scale has been arbitrarily set to the freezing point of water. If you are looking to do a percent change measure of the heat content, you'd be better off using kelvin.

      That doesn't matter, though. The real mistake here is the assertion that "1% is normally considered statistical 'noise'."

      The level of noise has everything to do with the precision of the instruments that you're using to measure your system.

      These are two very basic Science 101 concepts, and if you're struggling to understand these, I must question your ability to understand something as vastly complicated as climate science.

    45. Re:Hockey guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except if they did fraudulently manipulate data, than what they say ABOUT THAT SAME DATA is inherently untrustworthy...

    46. Re:Hockey guy? by raddan · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "invented global warming"? I hate to break it to you, guy, but the Greenhouse Effect was discovered in the 1850's, with people like Callendar pointing to anthropogenic sources in the 1930's. Nearly ALL of the early global warming researchers believed that this phenomena would be a net positive, so their research was far from a scare tactic. The effect was noticeable enough by the 1960's that researchers from separate disciplines (i.e., not climate scientists) began to notice the trend independently.

      There is a huge amount of data that supports the claim that the planet is warming. The data is unequivocal. The cause of this warming, and whether is is anthropogenic or not, has been a major research focus for more than 40 years. Your claim that there's this cabal of scientists conspiring to brainwash the general public into believing in a theory of anthropogenic warming is ludicrous. Do you know how many people you're talking about?

    47. Re:Hockey guy? by tsotha · · Score: 1

      Oh, I'm willing to at least look at most things. It's not that I only look at sources I consider reliable, it's that the source you've cited is notably unreliable. As you say, you don't know me from Adam. But I wonder if you can follow the argument he's making well enough to spot flaws, or if you're trusting the analysis as written.

    48. Re:Hockey guy? by Coriolis · · Score: 1

      Please provide an alternative source/analysis that you trust more.

      --
      Rgasuya aata! : I have been coding Perl and cannot tell where my fingers are now!
    49. Re:Hockey guy? by pwfffff · · Score: 1

      Wow, I've seen better arguments with a magic 8 ball. At least you're consistent...?

      His claims at least had a bit of that 'logic' and 'fact' stuff thrown in. But I suppose you're right; the guy simply repeating 'NONONONO' has no bias and only truth.

    50. Re:Hockey guy? by Coriolis · · Score: 1

      Oh by the way, RealClimate doesn't do original research itself, you'll notice. It's not actually a primary source, but more of an aggregator of primary sources. So, you don't have to trust or believe RealClimate itself; indeed you shouldn't. You should go to the source.

      --
      Rgasuya aata! : I have been coding Perl and cannot tell where my fingers are now!
    51. Re:Hockey guy? by Nutria · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The level of noise has everything to do with the precision of the instruments that you're using to measure your system.

      A point which I have not overlooked.

      Do you know the precision of ground-based weather stations? Also, I seriously doubt that tree-ring and ice-core data can be accurate down to the tenth of a degree.

      These are two very basic Science 101 concepts, and if you're struggling to understand these, I must question your ability to understand something as vastly complicated as climate science.

      I do understand them, and should have taken into account temperatures below "zero". My other reply in this thread points out out that using Kelvin makes things even worse.

      --
      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    52. Re:Hockey guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Unless you lack a brain and can't tell good science from bad science, you'll realize that whatever these guys say make a hell of a lot more sense than the denialist crud that pervades the net. When I read them I feel like I am learning things, as opposed to wanting to destroy walls with my head because flawed and hopelessly spun arguments are insulting my intelligence.

    53. Re:Hockey guy? by feepness · · Score: 1

      No. It's pretty fucking sad.

    54. Re:Hockey guy? by sycodon · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Apparently, your simple reliable science can't account for the last decade of no warming.

      And how convenient for you that you can't prove a negative because it leaves you free to assert pretty much anything.

      --
      When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    55. Re:Hockey guy? by DiamondGeezer · · Score: 2, Informative

      Oh puleease!

      Give us all a break. Realclimate regularly and often trashes the reputations of scientists that they disagree with so often, its not even funny. Its purpose then and now was to rebut Steve McIntyre's pioneering analysis on the Hockey Stick.

      --
      Tubby or not tubby. Fat is the question
    56. Re:Hockey guy? by DiamondGeezer · · Score: 1

      Correction: There are plenty of citations and links now to raw data. It wasn't too long ago that Mann was claiming that releasing data and source code was "giving in to intimidation" as Steve McIntyre recorded in 2005.

      . But by far the most important data set, HADCRU3 cannot be recreated from its source because Jones admitted weeks ago that the original data had been lost. I think we've discovered the motherlode of "faith-based science" if you think that's even remotely credible.

      --
      Tubby or not tubby. Fat is the question
    57. Re:Hockey guy? by DiamondGeezer · · Score: 1

      I think we should take this denialism and bottle it for future generations. They'll never believe how stupid people can accept idiot rationalizations if it comes from a website run by self-proclaimed scientists.
      Never mind cause-and-effect being reversed. If it comes from Realclimate, no matter how much its debunked, you'll believe it.

      --
      Tubby or not tubby. Fat is the question
    58. Re:Hockey guy? by rho · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Study on the matter and come to a conclusion yourself.

      Unless you actually have a degree in this stuff, you aren't going to be a great judge of arguments.

      This is nonsense, because we do this all the time. And those with degrees do not always judge correctly either.

      It's a thinking person's responsibility to look into all of these important issues and come to their own conclusions. You're perfectly welcome to punt and let somebody else make the decision for you, but you shouldn't feel good about it.

      --
      Potato chips are a by-yourself food.
    59. Re:Hockey guy? by HertzaHaeon · · Score: 1

      Denialist, me? Pots and kettles.

      I prefer those scientists over conspiracy theoreticists who find worth in imagining they are among the few select brave bloggers revealing a global scheme.

      What's worse is that your kind is tainting the sensible scientific criticism.

    60. Re:Hockey guy? by w0mprat · · Score: 1

      You didn't read let alone understand my post. I never attempted to account for the last decade of no warming, so I infact agree with you (however the cooling is even more unproven than warming, still plauisble however).

      I merely point out the elephant in the room, which since we are talking about convienience in arguements, is conviently left out of debates. I go on to asert, that the presence of elephant implies that there is infact a possiblity of there being an pachyderm of some sort in the vicinity. But I can't prove the negative so I may be making baseless asertions.

      You are clearly excercising your freedom to asert pretty much anything including something I didn't say. Standard internet discourse. :)

      --
      After logging in slashdot still does not take you back to the page you were on. It's been that way for 20 years.
    61. Re:Hockey guy? by tgibbs · · Score: 1

      No, the source code that was leaked wasn't climate model code. That's not what CRU does. The guys who analyze historical trends aren't generally the guys who create climate models. Different skill sets; trend analysis is statistics, climate modeling is physics. Besides, the source code for the climate models is available online (and has been for a long time). Anybody who wants can work with it.

      In fact, it's not clear whether the code that was leaked was ever used for any published data. Anybody who has done research probably has code on their HD where they've asked questions like, "Well, what if I assume that this data is wrong and make this modification to the data. Does that change my conclusions?" A lot of the time, the result is not particularly interesting, and it never gets published.

    62. Re:Hockey guy? by Penguinisto · · Score: 3, Informative

      Political Action Committee - Funded.

      Not nitpicking, I promise, but seriously? You may want to consider using a different source than 'Mann's friends and defenders posting on a left-leaning PAC funded website' if you're going to use the word "Lie" in such a definitive manner.

      --
      Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
    63. Re:Hockey guy? by w0mprat · · Score: 1

      What the denalists can't show is that the aforementioned empirical asston of greenhouse gases we've spewed out is completely harmless, because it is impossible to prove a negative.

      FTFY.

      Theory is validated by being shown not be false. You can show someone was not at a murder scene by confirming a alibi, thus a negative has been proven.

      --
      After logging in slashdot still does not take you back to the page you were on. It's been that way for 20 years.
    64. Re:Hockey guy? by Penguinisto · · Score: 1

      ...for starters, Mann is a very frequent writing contributor to realclimate.org - using it as a cite to bolster his arguments is kind of recursive, don't you think?

      --
      Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
    65. Re:Hockey guy? by tnk1 · · Score: 1

      Does the source matter? There are plenty of citations and links to raw data. Attacking the source seems like it might be a bit pathetic.

      The source matters in this case because of exactly what is being charged here. Their scholarship in the sense of presenting data and properly quoting publications is not in question here. It is that they selected only favorable data and used papers that they knew were improperly peer reviewed to cite.

      Since this site appears to be contributed to by the very people who are accused of fabricating data, you certainly have to take what is on the site with a grain of salt at the very least.

      No one is saying these people are stupid, they are saying that they are dishonest. That does not mean that they have looked at real data and come to the wrong conclusions. It means that they came up with a desired outcome and massaged the data to fit it. That's not science.

      If you were a scientist with the needed equipment and experience, you might be able to use those citations to try and reconstruct their data with your own experiments and models.

      What you cannot honestly do is use those citations as a basis to make quotations to lay people on Slashdot.

    66. Re:Hockey guy? by symbolset · · Score: 2, Insightful

      When they tell me that all throughout the history of life on Earth up until 1960, trees grew rings at a specific rate in relation to temperature, and that in 1960 when datalogging was invented the trees suddenly stopped behaving in this way, I have questions about that. When they use that as a reason to add .5c to a calibrated instrument measurement made today, I have a problem with that. When they claim these adjustments that create an AGW signal not present in the raw data are necessary for good justifiable reasons that they can't show us the math for, well, that is not science.

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    67. Re:Hockey guy? by jbeach · · Score: 1

      What would you accept as proof?

      --
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    68. Re:Hockey guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dude - why are you so blase about the horrible code quality? Saying that other scientific code is also bad is not a justification! If it is bad code, it might produce wrong results! So can you assure us that EVEN THOUGH it is bad code, we still got reliable results out of it?

    69. Re:Hockey guy? by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 1

      Ohh..... I get it! It's the Glenn Beck approach! "Isn't it true that Susie is a whore? Isn't she? Well then you will have no problem proving that she isn't. I'm just asking questions that need to be asked."

      Seriously. The amount of personal insinuations that are floating around about this is astounding.

      --
      Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
    70. Re:Hockey guy? by VoltageX · · Score: 1

      OK, ignore climate change completely. No problem. We're still going to run out of oil, though.

      --
      "Anonymous could not immediately be reached for further comment." - International Business Times
    71. Re:Hockey guy? by Nelson · · Score: 1

      As far as I can tell, they weren't serious about that, though most of the scientists do seem to be seriously fed up with dubious FOIA requests for data they can't release by people who'll just end up misinterpreting it anyway...

      How common is this? Is there are lot of science that is subjected to FoIA "harassment?" Seriously, call me naive on this one. I understand the premise, I understand intellectual property and proprietary data I just can't remember Feynman and Gell-Man evoking FoIA to challenge each other or really any other example in science.

    72. Re:Hockey guy? by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      Look closer. They actually *replaced* the inconveniently truthful proxy data with instrument measurements to get the fitting they wanted. That's not a 'trick'. That's plain fraud.

      So if I wanted to know what the temperature is at this very moment, I should leave my thermometer behind and instead take a core sample?

    73. Re:Hockey guy? by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      Its purpose then and now was to rebut Steve McIntyre's pioneering analysis on the Hockey Stick.

      What exactly did McIntyre pioneer? Has McIntyre actually produced a temperature reconstruction?

    74. Re:Hockey guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ok, I've been reading these emails in different websites and I call B.S.

      To disclose:

      I am a scientist, I work at a prominent national university, and I specialize in statistics. I am not in climatology.

      My impression from what I've read (including original peer-reviewed papers) is that there is GW, it is probably anthropogenic, but that part of it is less certain to me. I believe that regardless of this, diversifying energy sources away from oil is a good idea for economic reasons, and that there's a lot to be gained in terms of energy efficiency and decreased pollution by focusing on renewable energy resources, regardless of how that all turns out.

      About all of these emails:

      1. They are *completely and absolutely* taken out of context. It's completely inappropriate for you to use terms like "colluding" or "manipulating data" in the way you mean, because there's *no context* for what they're talking about. Maybe processing the data is desirable. If you have a known bias in the record (e.g., changes in the way measurements are taken after a certain point in time), ignoring it would be irresponsible. The now infamous "hide the decline" thing is a perfect example of this lack of context. In every case that I have seen, the emails are referring to the fact that they are projecting temperature estimates based on tree ring data, and that after about 1960 the tree ring data doesn't correspond to real, hard temperature measurements anymore. Maybe this is because of pollutants in the air, maybe it's because trees grow differently after a certain temperature, who knows--but they are trying to not make use of what they know to be flawed approximations. Maybe they should never use tree ring measurements at all, but that's a different issue.

      2. You cannot have your data cake and eat it too. I've read some climate skeptic sites claiming that tree ring estimates are B.S. So here's some fing emails where the authors try to eliminate it. Pick your position.

      3. This code BS is BS. I have lots of code sitting around on my machine that's not good, that produces wrong answers, etc. I keep it around so I know what I did *before I did it right*. If someone found my hard drive and picked old code that never got used to produce something that was peer-reviewed, I'd be pissed. This code isn't like some production code that you see in software development--it's trial and error stuff. It's "not professional" *because it was never meant to be read by anyone other than the fing people reading the emails.* (See point 1 above).

      4. Climate skeptics and people being conned into this "climategate" scandal: stop telling me there's some discrepancy between the "real data" and the published results without explaining it. I'm sick of going to climate skeptic sites and seeing people complain that reported GLOBAL AVERAGE trends are incorrect, and then pointing to data from a single fing site as an example of how the raw data are being hid. Let's deal with apples and apples. Show me what the global trends SHOULD look like. Do you think I'm going to believe you without any explanation over peer reviewed articles where the corrections are documented?

      5. Just because you don't understand the processing of some data doesn't mean it's "dubious" or "magical" or "black." It means you don't understand it. Get out of the way unless you understand it (see point 4: you demonstrate understanding by explaining something, not by saying something is unexplained).

    75. Re:Hockey guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You'd think the satellite data asets would be more accurate, however, they were 'calibrated' on the 'adjusted' terrestrial data sets.

      Thats not true ! Can you provide a source ?

    76. Re:Hockey guy? by arminw · · Score: 1

      ....of carbon into the atmosphere ...

      which was in the atmosphere before man started burning fossil fuels, before the fuels were formed a long time ago. We call them fossil fuels, because they come from living things. No fossils or fossil fuels are being made today, because the CO2 content of the atmosphere and its temperature are much lower today than they were. The more CO2 there is in the atmosphere, the more plants flourish. Even if global warming were true, which it doesn't appear to be, at least by the last 10 years or so data, it would not be the end of the world. It would be very different, but not necessarily bad.

      --
      All theory is gray
    77. Re:Hockey guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The code, written primarily in FORTAN and IDL, is a mess--not professional.

      Just as a side-note, I'm a researcher (in an unrelated field), and the code here is a mess as well. That seems to be pretty standard among the large majority of scientists who don't have a software development background.

    78. Re:Hockey guy? by cheesybagel · · Score: 2, Informative
      The data that the CRU refused to release when other people tried to reproduce their results? The data that was leaked in the hack, and was massaged by the CRU deleting inconvenient data points, increasing or lowering data points for decades where they felt it was necessary and so on? You call this data unequivocal?

      Or the tree ring data later used that was based on that if a tree grew more that year, it surely must have been because of a higher temperature. Or the ice cores which are supposed to measure CO2 rather than temperature?

    79. Re:Hockey guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1) Actually the deniers corrupted the peer-review process. Chris de Freitas, a paid shill and avowed climate change denier, rushed a paper by Soon and Baliunas through the editorial process. The four independent reviewers found fatal flaws in the analysis, authors cited by Soon and Baliunas formally complained that their conclusions were being distorted and six other co-editors resigned in protest. After being published, a dozen or so papers documented Soon and Baliunas's inability to do basic arithmetic

      2) No all FOIA requests were responded to and documents provided. Of course FOIA only works in the US and demanding that countries like India turn over all of it meteorological data for the last 30 years under US FOIA laws were promptly ignored

      3) The trick you referred to, if you had finished reading the sentence the word trick was used in, is plotting the reconstructed temperatures along side the observed temperatures, Since the Little Ice Age and Medieval Warm Period are well documented central and western European events only, how do you deal with it when examining GLOBAL temperatures?

      5) Actually the Yamal problem is only a Watts and McIntyre problem, Briffa freely admits its a problem and he and other climatologists don't know why these 12 tree show a problem. If you take them out or add other tree data the temperatures INCREASE

      Never looked a line of FORTRAN or IDL code have you. Try taking a look at source code for something like gcc or X11 or better yet Windows and then come back when you have understood and cleaned up the code. I give you 20 years although it will probably take longer than that for WIndows.

      As far as there only being four data sets that a flat out lie

    80. Re:Hockey guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Remember Gore's CO2 graph? Probably a 95% correlation between CO2 and temperature, which he presented as proof that CO2 CAUSES global warming. Except that the CO2 increased 800 years AFTER the warming trend. In other words, warming CAUSED CO2 increases, the opposite of what he implied.

      Apparently someone here likes to get their pseudo-science from Fox News.

      CO2 is a greenhouse gas. This is a matter of physics, not speculation. The CO2 lag after initial temperature increases is the signature characteristic of ice age terminations. The earth's orbit goes through a number of long-term orbital fluctuations called Milankovich cycles whose harmonics are on the order of tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of years. On the uptick those cycles warm the oceans -- one of the earth's largest carbon sinks -- which lose capacity for absorbing CO2 and, as they warm further, start to release it. It's ultimately that CO2 that is the primary driver in transforming post-glacial climate. The earth's climate history is a proof, not a refutation, of the vital role of GHG's in its climate. Please stop posting right-wing bullshit.

    81. Re:Hockey guy? by hey! · · Score: 1

      Right. Same guy. Random number input into his program produced a hockey stick.

      Right. According to another guy who was hand picked by a pair of politicians to come up with that result, and who "peer reviewed" it by emailing it to a couple of his friends.

      This, by the way, is *not* what science is about. In case you haven't noticed, this has become about how Mann is evil and Wegman is good. In truth, the politicians got some statistics Nazi to write a criticism of Mann's report and -- big surprise -- the statistician found statistical practices he could criticize. That's true of *all* scientific papers. None of them are unassailable. When the effects of the flaws Wegman pointed out were factored in in the peer reviewed literature, the results were not significantly changed. So ironically, by bypassing the peer review process, Wegman himself ended up overstating *his* results.

      It is significant that Wegman, whose paper you are referring to, later presented *his* findings in a talk entitled, "Method Wrong + Answer Correct = Bad Science". Which shows that when you push a scholar, he doesn't back down, he *clarifies his position*.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    82. Re:Hockey guy? by Idiomatick · · Score: 1

      I didn't say the guy wasn't a wad. Just that it was an ad hominem attack.

    83. Re:Hockey guy? by symbolset · · Score: 1

      The site is a blog of Michael Mann, the man behind Mann-made global warming. For a contrasting viewpoint from real scientists you can read climateaudit.org.

      Me, I'm not a scientist and I apparently don't have the reverence for a title that's self-ordained that you have. I am rather particular though that people employ symbols in appropriate ways. I don't think that "scientist" is synonymous with "entertaining storyteller". In my world the generous term for such a person is "bard".

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      Help stamp out iliturcy.
    84. Re:Hockey guy? by OzRoy · · Score: 1

      Remember Gore's CO2 graph? Probably a 95% correlation between CO2 and temperature, which he presented as proof that CO2 CAUSES global warming. Except that the CO2 increased 800 years AFTER the warming trend. In other words, warming CAUSED CO2 increases, the opposite of what he implied.

      Both is actually true. CO2 traps heat in the atmosphere. That is well known and understood physics. Something that has been known for well over 100 years.

      The CO2 lag is caused by a runaway event. There is an initial trigger that causes an increase in global temperatures. This increase causes ice caps to melt and marshlands to be created which causes more CO2 to be released into the atmosphere, which then causes the temperature to rise again, which then causes more CO2 to be produced and so on. This keeps going even after something causes the global temperatures to decrease. So CO2 remains high for a period after temperatures drop.

      The CO2 lag is well known, and well understood and a part of all global warming models and is not an argument against anthropomorphic climate change.

      Watch this youtube series for an explanation of the Science of climate change instead of the rhetoric.
      http://www.youtube.com/user/potholer54#grid/user/A4F0994AFB057BB8

    85. Re:Hockey guy? by chrb · · Score: 1

      "The Hockey Team" and their data had been discredited a long time ago.

      Wrong. The "hockey stick" was investigated by a 2006 report of the US National Academy of Science, which found that:

      "The basic conclusion of Mann et al. (1998, 1999) was that the late 20th century warmth in the Northern Hemisphere was unprecedented during at least the last 1000 years. This conclusion has subsequently been supported by an array of evidence that includes both additional large-scale surface temperature reconstructions and pronounced changes in a variety of local proxy indicators, such as melting on ice caps and the retreat of glaciers around the world."

      So, the "hockey stick" is okay, unless you think that the US National Academy of Science are a) liars and b) taking part in a global conspiracy.

    86. Re:Hockey guy? by raddan · · Score: 1

      The CRU is but one of MANY research groups. If you had any familiarity with the scientific community, you would know this.

    87. Re:Hockey guy? by intheshelter · · Score: 1

      Feel free to pull your head out of your butt with that ridiculous logic. "Experts" told us the world was flat at one time too.

    88. Re:Hockey guy? by intheshelter · · Score: 1

      Nice typical bullshit rebuttal. If YOU had any familiarity with logic you'd know he has some valid points that you conveniently avoided responding to.

      The more I hear about "the scientific community" the more I realize they are pompous windbags who don't like being questioned or told that someone doesn't believe them. In other words, they are human, and as such their statements are fair game to be questioned just like anyone else.

    89. Re:Hockey guy? by spitzak · · Score: 1

      A 0.1 degree change from 20C is 1/2 of 1%

      Holy crap! You could at least use Kelvin. Why then you could say the change is only .03 of 1% and thus really really tiny!

      Instead you have proved your total ignorance of science. Thank you.

    90. Re:Hockey guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At which point in the debate tumbleweed starts blowing across...

    91. Re:Hockey guy? by raddan · · Score: 1

      Right, but you also should know that a single data point is not representative. Even if the CRU *is* corrupt, it does not invalidate the argument that every else is making.

    92. Re:Hockey guy? by macbutch · · Score: 1

      nice :)

    93. Re:Hockey guy? by rochrist · · Score: 1

      Sadly, you aren't going to convince the skeptics with reason or fact.

    94. Re:Hockey guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Weren't we heading for an ice age back in the 1970's?
      Oops.

    95. Re:Hockey guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As someone pointed out back when the emails were leaked, it's a 61 MB "random" sample of the emails they stole. The fact that it's only a subset, with threads, that all paint the researchers in a negative light implies that this isn't truly a random sample, but rather a hand picked subset. And conveniently just before the big climate change summit. How "random"!

      Of course the code is a mess and "not professional", it's written by climatologist grad students instead of some software engineer. Why was it written in Fortran? Easy. It's what they know, and it's a perfectly valid tool. Do you know what all the software that analyzes all the big physics experiments are in? Yup. Fortran. Why? It's what they know. Honestly, this is by far the weakest of all your complaints.

      Most damning for the conspiracy folks is the fact that the code, simply doesn't show any evidence of fraud. "Hide the decline"? Well there are two graphs labeled "Northern Hemisphere MXD" and "Northern Hemisphere MXD corrected for decline."

      Apparently they slept through "Fraud 101" in grad school huh?

      Why would they call their estimation of temperature a "travesty" for when it showed an reduction in temperature for the last 10 years? Well, because temperature, as measured by thermometers, actually increased during that time. So ether the Earth is wrong, or the code is wrong. Which is it?

      Climate proxies have been used for years. Do you really think that that they don't know that tree growth can be effected by something other than temperature? Anyone that knows someone that forgot to water a plant know s that. That's why in Dendroclimatology, you control for various effects by comparing trees from one region with those from another region that would be less likely to have been effected by whatever it is you're controlling for. I am shocked. SHOCKED! I say! That there are known methods for doing this correctly. Next you'll be telling me that the air bubbles in ice core data don't actually contain samples of the atmosphere at that time they were formed.

      Only four datasets? Really? Well you better tell Steve McIntyre! His list of datasets goes on for for pages!

      So the physics of CO2 that you can test in jar is wrong, and there's no correlation, even when measured directly. Wow. You are quite insightful. What is your expertise again?

    96. Re:Hockey guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're overstimating the number of "data points" available. The leaked emails suggest that enough people were involved in shady activities to affect all the data the IPCC reports currently relay.

    97. Re:Hockey guy? by nathanh · · Score: 1

      The code, written primarily in FORTAN and IDL, is a mess--not professional.

      I'm sorry, but "mess" and "professional" are not incompatible. In fact, they're usually the same thing.

      I'm utterly amazed that Slashdot of all places, with perhaps the highest concentration of IT geeks on the Internet, doesn't seem to know that professional code is often messy crap, which barely compiles, and is riddled with bugs, and is totally undocumented. That's par for the course.

    98. Re:Hockey guy? by symbolset · · Score: 1

      I made you a link to An interesting graph.

      Do you understand why we have questions now?

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      Help stamp out iliturcy.
    99. Re:Hockey guy? by symbolset · · Score: 1

      Apologies. You're a reasoned voice in the storm, offering useful guidance. I shouldn't bother you.

      I did find an interesting link and this is a good place to bookmark it.

      Yes, ordinary people should examine the evidence for themselves and come to their own conclusions. I agree.

      --
      Help stamp out iliturcy.
  4. Ha! That'll show them hippies! by jollyreaper · · Score: 2, Funny

    Too fucking right! Those big money scientists are faking the whole global warming thing so they can rake in the big bucks. I'm on to their game. Where did the glaciers go? Hmm, maybe you should ask the scientists! They were the last ones seen with them. Bet they've got 'em hidden somewhere just waiting to cash in, same place they put the ice caps.

    Besides, even if the climate is changing, it's changed in the past! We had the little ice age, little richard, little italy, and we're doing fine now. If it's a natural change, why should it bother us? The saharah used to be grassland and now it's a desert. That's not hurting America none and it was long before we started burning fossil fuels. If global warming is happening and it isn't man-made, then there's absolutely no reason to do anything about it or even study it. And I still maintain that it's a plot by big science to fleece hard-working, god-fearing, reality-tv-watching American men and women.

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    This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
    1. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by MozeeToby · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I know there are lots of whackjobs who are conviced that GW is a worthless topic, or that the scientists are all on someone's payroll, or that GW science is some kind of master plan to give a certain political party power (and that power will just evaporate if they lose the next election? I've never understood those kinds of consiracy theories). That being said, the issue that I have is more along the lines of scientists trying to "do what's right" to protect the planet (meaning it's not about science anymore for some of them, it's about protecting the planet).

      At best, that attitude leads to behaviors like celebrating the death of someone who disagrees with you; at worst it leads to falsifying data to ensure that world sees things the same way you do. We know, for a fact, that the former has happened; the question to me is, how far towards the latter end of the spectrum is their behaviour? Release the raw data and let everyone take a look at it, until then I'll always have my doubts as to what is really going on.

    2. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by ArsonSmith · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "or that the scientists are all on someone's payroll"

      Umm, yes. They are.

      --
      Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
    3. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by sweatyboatman · · Score: 1

      until then I'll always have my doubts as to what is really going on

      and even after that, I imagine.

      unless you intend to personally fact-check every data point (make your own ice-cores, etc) and then create your own models from their data, how can you be sure?

      Honestly, I can't see how getting their hands on this data will mollify skeptics.

      --
      It breaks my pluginses, my precious!
    4. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by megamerican · · Score: 4, Informative

      Too fucking right! Those big money scientists are faking the whole global warming thing so they can rake in the big bucks.

      Phil Jones, the man who just stepped down has received $22.6 million in grants since 1990.

      Research has shown that when the Sahara was grassland it was due to a warmer global climate (including more CO2 in the atmosphere).

      You're reaction is hilarious because you refuse to look at any facts or allegations. These e-mails show that only a few scientists were corrupt, but they happened to be the ones most influencing policy at the IPCC. The rest of the scientists just flock to grant money and worry about peer pressure.

      This in itself has become a major scandal, not least Dr Jones's refusal to release the basic data from which the CRU derives its hugely influential temperature record, which culminated last summer in his startling claim that much of the data from all over the world had simply got "lost". Most incriminating of all are the emails in which scientists are advised to delete large chunks of data, which, when this is done after receipt of a freedom of information request, is a criminal offence.

      --
      If you have something that you dont want anyone to know, maybe you shouldnt be doing it in the first place -Eric Schmidt
    5. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      while i believe we can not change the direction the global climate goes i do think we humans should try to keep a clean environment: http://www.chinahush.com/2009/10/21/amazing-pictures-pollution-in-china/

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eScDfYzMEEw

    6. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by phantomfive · · Score: 2, Informative

      You jest, but this guy was the recipient (or co-recipient) of $19 million worth of research grants in the last few years. ExxonMobile spends $7million or so a year to various organizations, but the european commission's most recent appropriation is near $3 billion for climate research. California is spending $600 million for its climate initiative.

      There is a lot of big money floating around this thing.

      --
      Qxe4
    7. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 5, Insightful

      We know, for a fact, that the former has happened; the question to me is, how far towards the latter end of the spectrum is their behaviour? Release the raw data and let everyone take a look at it, until then I'll always have my doubts as to what is really going on.

      Sadly, they don't have the raw data. They threw it away. Worse, they probably have threw it away much more recently than they originally stated.

      We'll never see it because they've deliberately destroyed it.

      Based on my reading of the e-mails, which are available on Wikileaks for your own inspection, combined with this more recent information about the destruction of the raw data, I'd have to say they are very far towards that latter end of the spectrum.

    8. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Release the raw data and let everyone take a look at it, until then I'll always have my doubts as to what is really going on.

      http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/data-sources/ is a collection of a variety of raw data, partially processed data and models. It is from realclimate, which is run by scientists who definitely believe in AGW but it's still some of the raw data that everyone keeps asking about.

    9. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by commodore64_love · · Score: 1, Troll

      >>>Those big money scientists are faking the whole global warming thing so they can rake in the big bucks.

      You were modded funny, but this sentence is insightful.

      As my professor was just telling me a few months ago: For every 3 physicists, there's only enough grants to keep 1 employed. That's a lot of pressure to produce the desired results so you can keep getting handed "big bucks" aka grants. If I was in that position, rather than lose my job or research grant, I might fudge the data too and keep the dollars rolling in. Apparently these people managed to do it for ~15 years before finally getting caught. That's billions of dollars they would not have been given, if they had not fudged the data.

      Meanwhile those who are honest, and didn't hide the temperature decline, well they are "paupers" in comparison since nobody wants to fund them. They were also shut-out from publishing papers or reviewing data. Go read "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions", aka Paradigm Shifts, by Thomas S. Kuhn

      --
      "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
    10. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by john83 · · Score: 1

      You're reaction is hilarious because you refuse to look at any facts or allegations.

      Er, the gp post is clearly satirical. It's even been moderated funny. And it's "your". Step back, and take a deep breath. Emotive reactions to this subject are the enemy of scientific debate.

      --
      Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.
    11. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by Jodka · · Score: 1

      I know there are lots of whackjobs who are conviced that GW is a worthless topic, or that the scientists are all on someone's payroll...

      In fact they are "on someone's payroll":

      Consider the case of Phil Jones, the director of the CRU and the man at the heart of climategate. According to one of the documents leaked from his center, between 2000 and 2006 Mr. Jones was the recipient (or co-recipient) of some $19 million worth of research grants, a sixfold increase over what he'd been awarded in the 1990s.

      Why did the money pour in so quickly? Because the climate alarm kept ringing so loudly: The louder the alarm, the greater the sums. And who better to ring it than people like Mr. Jones, one of its likeliest beneficiaries?

      Thus, the European Commission's most recent appropriation for climate research comes to nearly $3 billion, and that's not counting funds from the EU's member governments. In the U.S., the House intends to spend $1.3 billion on NASA's climate efforts, $400 million on NOAA's, and another $300 million for the National Science Foundation. American states also have a piece of the action, with California—apparently not feeling bankrupt enough—devoting $600 million to their own climate initiative. In Australia, alarmists have their own Department of Climate Change at their funding disposal.

      --
      Ceci n'est pas une signature.
    12. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by sexconker · · Score: 1

      http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/data-sources/ is a collection of a variety of manipulated, redacted, and thoroughly politically debriefed raw data, partially processed data and models. It is from realclimate, which is run by politicians who definitely want you to believe in AGW but it's still some of the raw data that everyone keeps asking about.

      Fixed that for you.

    13. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by HertzaHaeon · · Score: 1

      $22.6 million is pocket change for the oil industry and others who'd rather not see AGW dealt with. If the level suspicion warranted is proportional to the amount of "big bucks", then there should logically be many times more suspicion of industry interests counter-conspiring against these few scientists.

    14. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by MozeeToby · · Score: 1

      That's like saying you shouldn't care if software is open sourced unless you intend to go through every line of it yourself to check for errors. If the data were released thousands of people would be going through it, people from both ends of the climate debate and, more importantly, people who don't have a vested interest in which way the result ends up.

    15. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      or that GW science is some kind of master plan to give a certain political party power (and that power will just evaporate if they lose the next election?

      No, most anti-cap and trade people (like myself) look at the longevity of massive bureaucracies like the EPA, created by Nixon, incidentally. Once this program is created, there will be a permanent bureaucracy, a huge set of rules, further intrusions into personal life, aggressive capricious enforcement, more lobbying, stifling of small business and permanent expansion of government power. And it will never go away because the environment will never be clean enough to just let people go about their lives.

      It's rather similar to the leftist theory of the military industrial complex.

    16. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1


      Well I fully acknowledge that I don't know whether the climate is significantly warming due to humans or not, and what the effects will be if it is. I am a skeptic which is a good thing. Skeptic just means you question and don't take things on faith. If I were dogmatically certain that there wasn't such warming, then I'd be open to criticism. But skepticism is good.

      So how do I choose good courses of action (or who to support) when I'm unable to spend the years necessary to inform myself to the level necessary (and even then, I wouldn't know)? Well, there's no guarantee, but I keep an eye out for certain things - people with incentives to lie to me, political correctness, absence of evidence, silencing of critics. That's all I can base things on really as a layperson. And the funny thing is that some years back, this approach led me to consider the global warming faction more convincing. I could see examples such as those people paid by oil money to go and disrupt public talks on global warming. That made me distrust the anti-climate change faction considerably. But what have I seen since? We've moved from "global warming" to "climate change", we've seen endless shifts in the theory - none of which I'm qualified to judge, but the constant changing and of the basic theories of climate change indicate there is great uncertainty, and now this: some of the World's most influential proponents of climate change have now been shown to be deliberately suppressing inconvenient truths, lying and fudging data to fit what they want it to prove. And this has been a sustained behaviour over a period of years. And their methodologies have been shown to be shoddy to the point of negligence. And that bias which so puts me off trusting a side, which formerly worked to make me distrust the anti-climate change groups? Well now I see gross bias in the media over this. I've only heard about this because I read sites like Slashdot and The Register. This is a BIG story and how much coverage have I seen in the British press? The Guardian has run a couple of stories on it - good for them. My own usual paper The Independent hasn't printed a word on it. In fact today, they printed a fifteen page special on the "Facts" of Climate Change without a single reference to these events anywhere in the paper that I could find.

      Even if this story had been a hoax, it would have been worthy news to talk about it. Now that it's confirmed, I still see nothing. The head of one of Britain's most influential environmental organizations has just resigned disgraced and nary a word is printed. You want me to trust people talking about global warming when I can see this level of media bias and suppression right in front of me? There's no way I can look at the facts and figures of something like this and draw my own conclusions. It has to be done on the basis of which sources I trust. And right now, the climate change lobby has just fallen very far in that regard.

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    17. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by slimjim8094 · · Score: 1

      It must suck to be you. And I thought I was cynical...

      --
      I have developed a truly marvelous proof of this comment, which this signature is too narrow to contain.
    18. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by Idiomatick · · Score: 1

      20years is few?

      That money isn't for climate research, it is for ALL environmental research, including tons on sustainable practices and conservation stuff. http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/environment/about-env_en.html#what

      You know what, [citation needed] for your whole damn post.

    19. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by Straif · · Score: 2, Interesting

      That was for one researcher at one facility. The US government alone spends billion annually on climate research

      I'd like to see your number on how much the oil industry is spending on anti-AGW studies and such. The only number I can find is for Exxon @ about 23 million over the last decade, with approximately 7 million of that for last year. Even if that had all been spent last year that would still fall short of just US federal spending by more than a factor of 100.

      Only in the AGW realm can a group of people collectively spending a few million (even a few 10's of millions to be generous) be considered the Goliath to a worldwide political force spending in the 10's and hundreds of Billions.

      --
      Of course that's just my opinion...... you could be wrong!
    20. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by Belial6 · · Score: 1

      at worst it leads to falsifying data to ensure that world sees things the same way you do.

      Seriously? No, at worst, they would literally be raising armies, killing people, and destroying the tools of their enemies like power stations and factories. They are claiming that the current path will lead in a very short time to the destruction of mankind. To the painful death of their children and grandchildren. What would you do if you truly believed that someone was going to kill your child in a horrific fashion. If you had absolute proof that they were going to do it if you didn't do something about it.

    21. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by qmaqdk · · Score: 1

      You jest, but this guy was the recipient (or co-recipient) of $19 million worth of research grants in the last few years. ...

      Research being the operative word. Do you think he just pockets the money?

      --
      My UID is prime. Hah!
    22. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by qmaqdk · · Score: 0, Redundant

      Phil Jones, the man who just stepped down has received $22.6 million in grants since 1990....

      Research being the operative word. Or did you think he just pocketed what money?

      --
      My UID is prime. Hah!
    23. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by HertzaHaeon · · Score: 1

      It's not just about what the industry spends on climate (or anti-climate) studies. You have to look at the sum of what it stands to lose, which could be a significant part of everything they own and produce. You also have to add up the salaries of so-called experts, directly and indirectly hired, who are paid to make trouble.

    24. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      Research being the operative word. Do you think he just pockets the money?

      I think he would regret losing it.

      --
      Qxe4
    25. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 1

      Fortunately, there's plenty of more data available. Like, I don't know, NOAAs, NASAs....

      --
      Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
    26. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by jbeach · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Actually the raw data has not been destroyed. Only these specific scientists' copies of it. The raw data still exists, at the various meterological services which originally recorded the data.

      http://mediamatters.org/research/200912010030

      --
      The Invisible Hand of the Free Market is what punches workers in the nuts.
    27. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by bonch · · Score: 1

      The problem is telling societies that you've 100% proven that they're causing global warming, and as a result, you're raising their taxes and enforcing standards on their ways of life. We don't know enough about our planet yet to claim such a thing with certainty or to justify that kind of power trip.

      George Carlin performed the best bit on environmentalism that I've ever seen.

    28. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by HiThere · · Score: 1

      FWIW, if you're employed, you're on someone's payroll.

      Very few scientists these days are independently wealthy. (There was the "Surfer Dude" we heard about about a year ago, but he's about it as far as my knowledge goes.)

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    29. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by HiThere · · Score: 1

      Sorry to disappoint you, but though I'm anti-cap and trade, it's for quite different reasons.

      Where it's been tried, cap and trade as been demonstrated to be a failure as a carbon control measure. It's been a subterfuge to award grants to carbon emitting companies, officially for not polluting, but actually there's no measured success rate. It generally has been used to subsidize things that were going to be done anyway.

      A carbon tax is a much better answer. It doesn't require the immense bureaucracy, but that isn't my reason. By putting costs at the source (e.g. where fuel is either imported or extracted) the ability to ensure that limits are enforced is stronger. (The EPA should also be allowed to regulate carbon emissions...as they were briefly around a decade ago, but that isn't sufficient...though it's also a requirement unless the carbon tax is quite punitive, and that would encourage smugglers.)

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    30. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That being said, the issue that I have is more along the lines of scientists trying to "do what's right" to protect the planet (meaning it's not about science anymore for some of them, it's about protecting the planet).

      I'm not sure you agree with this line of reasoning however I don't because that doesn't make sense. If the data suggests they're wrong multiple times then it is time to revise your theories and come out with new ones. If not you could in fact be making the environment we live in more harmful due to our misunderstanding of it.

      If all scientists lied to the public because "it's for our own good" then we'd be no better off then our witch burning ancestors.

    31. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is the research you're talking about this: http://www.dfg-ozean.de/fileadmin/DFG/Berichte/M65_1.pdf ?

      Because if it is I am disappointed. I count 13 samples taken. That's pathetic to gain any insightful data. Although the most pathetic thing really is that you claim there is better research and then link to a news article.

    32. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So what are you saying - because the guys who run the oil industry makes lots of money it is ok for scientists to fake and distort data to give the impression AGW is worse than it is? Read the emails and go through the Fortran code yourself. Don't shoot from the hip regarding the oil industry which is probably corrupt in parts and honest in parts. But that is another discussion. THis discussion is about Mann and Jones and the tricks they have been up to. Stay focused.

    33. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is false. All the original raw data is still available from the individual stations that generated it. What they deleted was their own collection of that raw data because it was perceived to no longer be useful as it had been analysed and adjusted for error, and that there were no funds at the time to allow them to store it.

      The data in question can be recompiled by anyone who wishes to do so.

    34. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by ImOnlySleeping · · Score: 1

      The numbers aren't even comparable. Scientists have to actually spend the money on research and Institutes spend it on themselves I guess since their contribution to science is about a half hour figuring out the pieces of data to isolate and blow out of proportion.

      --
      Everybody seems to think I'm lazy I don't mind, I think they're crazy
    35. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 1

      Virtually all of the historical models (the ones that establish the 'baseline' for global warming) are based on CRU's models.

    36. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 1

      Right. How much money and effort will it take to collect it all? Never mind that data collected from weather stations is inaccurate for the purposes of climate modeling. In the meantime, there currently exists no good, expedient way to corroborate CRU's admittedly cooked data with the raw, uncooked data. Isn't that nice and convenient?

    37. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Here, the climate data (raw).

    38. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by jbeach · · Score: 1

      There's no doubt it sucks, and recreating the data as the scientists used it will be inconvenient. I'm just pointing out that the data isn't gone forever.

      --
      The Invisible Hand of the Free Market is what punches workers in the nuts.
    39. Re:Ha! That'll show them hippies! by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 1

      Source please.

      --
      Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
  5. Science by b1t+r0t · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Science is not done by consensus. Science is done by showing your work so that others can see it and confirm that your data and methods make sense... sort of like the Open Source process. Only instead of a few million Windows computers getting botted, our very economy is at stake from the "warmers" and their political machinations.

    --

    --
    "Open source is good." - Steve Jobs
    "Open source is evil." - Microsoft
    1. Re:Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you think it's done by consensus, I suggest you find something in medicine, physics, or anything else and try to convince the Old Guard to give you the time of day

    2. Re:Science by wizardforce · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You act as if the deniers have nothing to gain from ignoring the science. No matter what the science says, everyone that has a stake in industries that produce large amounts of CO2 will tend to fight tooth and nail against anyone claiming that CO2 does any harm. Simple selfish interest.

      --
      Sigs are too short to say anything truly profound so read the above post instead.
    3. Re:Science by Yokaze · · Score: 1

      I followed you up to this point:

      > Only instead of a few million Windows computers getting botted, our very economy is at stake from the "warmers" and their political machinations.

      Those, as you called them, "warmers" are actually scientists publishing in peer reviewed journals. Despite the illegal and unethical breach of their private communication, no new facts concerning data and/or methods have been unveiled, only adding further to the list of ad hominem attacks.

      Concerning the effect of assumed counter-measurements against climate change, I am astonished, that you can claim to know the economical impact, as at least to my knowledge, economic models are several orders less reliable than climate models, as recent events may indicate.

      Care to share your insight, which seems to exceed that of the tree huggers at McKinsey's?

      --
      "Between strong and weak, between rich and poor [...], it is freedom which oppresses and the law which sets free"
    4. Re:Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You act as if the alarmists have nothing to gain from manipulating the science. No matter what the science says, everyone that has a stake in securing research grants that "prove" a link between CO2 and warming will tend to fight tooth and nail against anyone claiming that CO2 does no harm. Simple selfish interest.

    5. Re:Science by wizardforce · · Score: 1

      Except that if they do they've just bought themselves a one way ticket to prison if they're convicted of fraud. The truth will come out either way it's just a matter of time.

      --
      Sigs are too short to say anything truly profound so read the above post instead.
    6. Re:Science by megamerican · · Score: 3, Interesting

      You act as if the deniers have nothing to gain from ignoring the science. No matter what the science says, everyone that has a stake in industries that produce large amounts of CO2 will tend to fight tooth and nail against anyone claiming that CO2 does any harm. Simple selfish interest.

      It's the energy companies fighting for cap and trade. Demand goes up while they aren't allowed to supply more, which makes prices rise without them having to add any more supply.

      Jones, who is stepping down had received over $22.6 million in grants since 1990.

      Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands is the top shareholder of Dutch Shell Oil (how much so is a state secret) and is also the founder of the WWF. She is also an honorary member of the Club of Rome, which has pushed global warming as a way to scare people into world governance, funded by carbon taxes (see: First global revolution).

      All of the top beaurocrats pushing global warming (al gore, maurice strong, etc...) are heavily invested in carbon trading exchanges.

      I have yet to see the "deniers" be as heavily involved in money making schemes as the "alarmists."

      --
      If you have something that you dont want anyone to know, maybe you shouldnt be doing it in the first place -Eric Schmidt
    7. Re:Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "sort of like the Open Source process"....

      And there we end up with KDE and Gnome? And these projects makes perfect sense? (shakes fist)... compared to OSX, Win7, or even Palm WebOS?
      (Granted the Linux kernel is a blessing, but is really driven by a few people (Linus + around 32 folks) and a monolithic kernel isn't the end all be all when you need more support like in RT apps). Peer review (part confirmation, more consensus) is a great idea, when money, politics and egos are checked at the door. Otherwise, we need something better.

      Let's face it, science is either politicized for governments and universities, or exploited for business and technology. I have yet to come across a independent scientist (like Newton or B. Franklin for example) or groups that truly confirm/repeat experiments.

    8. Re:Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >everyone that has a stake in industries that produce large amounts of CO2 will tend to fight tooth and nail against anyone claiming that CO2 does any harm.

      I'm not so sure. I think their technique is to manipulate the media to convince the masses that global warming is a myth, and an affront to their freedom.
      Then the masses will do the hard work for them.

    9. Re:Science by Snocone · · Score: 1

      Despite the illegal and unethical breach of their private communication,

      Actually, it was neither. In fact, *not* revealing it would be a crime!

      There is quite clear evidence in the email dump of widespread conspiracy and of several actual commissions of fact to evade the requirements of the FOIA. As that is a felonious activity, to conceal your knowledge of it is the crime of misprision.

    10. Re:Science by argStyopa · · Score: 1

      You act as if the AGW zealots have nothing to gain from ignoring the failures in the science.
      No matter what the science says (that would be the REAL data, not some massaged, averaged, sampled, and manipulated data), everyone that has a political stake in declaring "the sky is falling"* will tend to fight tooth and nail against anyone claiming that CO2 isn't the catastrophe it's claimed to be. Simple selfish interest.

      * whether this be from: too much cold, too much heat, running out of food, running out of oil, running out of clean water, all the wild animals going extinct, running out of landfill space, DDT, PCBs, mercury, lead, acid rain, nuclear power, coal power, overpopulation...did I miss any 'doomsday naturalist scenarios' posited in the last 30 years?

      --
      -Styopa
    11. Re:Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Oh yes, the same scientists that were manipulating the peer review process in order to make sure that only their views ever made it to the journals. That's not real peer review. http://politics.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1464428&cid=30301040

    12. Re:Science by vlm · · Score: 1

      There is quite clear evidence in the email dump of widespread conspiracy and of several actual commissions of fact to evade the requirements of the FOIA. As that is a felonious activity, to conceal your knowledge of it is the crime of misprision.

      Also, if the releaser was ordered by the conspirators to destroy evidence, not releasing could have resulted in charges for obstruction of justice, unless he saved a copy in some other format, like on wikileaks or whatever.

      "Obstruction charges can also be laid if a person alters or destroys physical evidence, even if he was under no compulsion at any time to produce such evidence."

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obstruction_of_justice

      --
      "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
    13. Re:Science by sycodon · · Score: 1

      Careful, you need to be more specific. There are now two categories of "Deniers".

      The most recent being those who deny there is some kind of funny business going on in the AGW movement.

      --
      When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    14. Re:Science by sexconker · · Score: 1

      Except that if they do they've just bought themselves a one way ticket to prison if they're convicted of fraud. The truth will come out either way it's just a matter of time.

      You must be new to politics.
      NO ONE will be held accountable for this.

      The VERY WORST will be someone "stepping down" only to later be appointed to some other political position to continue their bullshit.

    15. Re:Science by Bourbonium · · Score: 1

      How many astronomers or physicists have you met?

    16. Re:Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Science is done by showing your work so that others can see it and confirm that your data and methods make sense... sort of like the Open Source process.

      And that is why I'm pissed off by every op-ed that says the CRU guys are guilty while not calling for completely open journals. The journal system is a sad mess, and climate science is not the only one that suffers as a result. Anyone that points a finger at CRU should be pointing at the broken journal system too.

      Only instead of a few million Windows computers getting botted, our very economy is at stake from the "warmers" and their political machinations.

      Only instead of our very economy, we could be facing large scale destruction of our habitat and resources. Climate science is too important to get wrong, be it due to the bias of scientists or the greed of corporations and economies. Though, if our habitat goes it will probably melt your 401K faster than you can say "polar bear."

    17. Re:Science by SnarfQuest · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Science is done when you get a polition who flunked out of a religious college to make a power point presentation on a subject he barely understands. You then give him a Nobel Prize.

      --
      Who would win this election: Andrew Weiner vs Andrew Weiner's weiner.
    18. Re:Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're acting as if a person cannot be interested in a specific topic, such as preventing AGW, and also be intelligent enough to see a good market investment and go with it.

      Your skepticism is unfounded. I could easily say that Gore is well informed on AGW and is using that knowledge to predict the inevitable markets that will come, and thus is investing his own money wisely. And so the difference between your skepticism and my explanation is that instead of it being a corrupt act, it is an act of intelligent foresight.

      So if you had some facts to show that your skepticism of such 'corruption' was indeed based on corruption, then you could be right. But you don't. All you have are factoids to which you are placing questions. Glenn Beck does that too, and he is also fallacious and stupid.

    19. Re:Science by sweatyboatman · · Score: 1

      I have yet to see the "deniers" be as heavily involved in money making schemes as the "alarmists."

      not to be facile about this, but it kinda makes sense that people concerned about the future would be more likely to invest speculatively. Nor does it seem bizarre that they would invest in industries that stood to benefit from the changes they anticipate.

      on the other hand, the deniers strike me as "head-in-the-sand" types. they have no faith in projections or science so it's difficult for them to make equivalently speculative investments.

      --
      It breaks my pluginses, my precious!
    20. Re:Science by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      Let's face it, science is either politicized for governments and universities, or exploited for business and technology. I have yet to come across a independent scientist (like Newton or B. Franklin for example) or groups that truly confirm/repeat experiments.

      Alas, Newton was not so pure

      You need not give yourself the trouble of examining all the calculations of the Scholium. Such errors as do not depend upon wrong reasoning can be of no great consequence & may be corrected by the reader.

      Newton to Cotes June 15 1710

      Newtongate: the final nail in the coffin of Renaissance and Enlightenment ‘thinking’

    21. Re:Science by SnarfQuest · · Score: 0, Troll

      See: homeopathy, cold fusion, n-rays, scientology, and other fun digressions.

      --
      Who would win this election: Andrew Weiner vs Andrew Weiner's weiner.
    22. Re:Science by sycodon · · Score: 1

      "scientists publishing in peer reviewed journals."

      Peer reviewed Journals that pretty much didn't accept anything other than the party line.

      The entire AGW movement has become self-referential.

      --
      When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    23. Re:Science by dkleinsc · · Score: 1

      Only instead of a few million Windows computers getting botted, our very economy is at stake from the "warmers" and their political machinations.

      Or alternately, our very civilization is at stake from the "deniers" and their political machinations.

      I don't know for sure that CO2 emissions are a problem. What I do know is that right now we only have one place to perform a real-world test to find out, and unfortunately we're living on it and have no alternatives if we screw up. Sort of a Reverse Pascal's Wager.

      --
      I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
    24. Re:Science by Yokaze · · Score: 1

      > Actually, it was neither.

      Strangely enough, the BBC refers to i stolen. The police has been informed and is investigating. Unless you can point out, under which law such an action is legal, my point still stands.

      > In fact, *not* revealing it would be a crime!

      Hardly, there is no legal requirement to publish ones personal communication, unless there is a court order.

      > There is quite clear evidence [...]

      I can only reiterate my wish for actual facts, instead of half-baked assertion.

      > evade the requirements of the FOIA

      Which requirements of the FOIA have they supposedly been trying to circumvent?

      > that is a felonious activity, to conceal your knowledge of it is the crime of misprision.

      The FOIA is a law pertaining the legal rights of a person in relation to a public authority. I am intrigued, where you derive the legal framework from for judging a person working there. Enlighten me, by pointing out the name of the passed law, and the section.

      Even if it were a crime, you seem to claim that the persons in questions are the perpetrators, which in turn would make not publishing it not a crime. The right against self-incrimination is fairly well established.

      --
      "Between strong and weak, between rich and poor [...], it is freedom which oppresses and the law which sets free"
    25. Re:Science by ukyoCE · · Score: 2, Insightful

      With so much money behind proving CO2 is NOT harmful, I find it really hard to believe there's a monetary incentive to come to the conclusion that it IS harmful.

      If it was so profitable for alarmists to sound an alarm about totally bogus claims, we'd have a lot more bogus claims out there than just global warming. Sure we have "infinite energy" startups, and every news article has somewhat of an alarmist spin on it. But global warming has been claimed by many scientists for many years. There are still a lot of unknowns I'm sure when making predictions on such a long time scale with so many inputs. So sure, claim they're extrapolating without adequate evidence. Say they're using bad science and point out where.

      But it's a really tough sell to say that ALL global warming research has been intentionally dishonest.

    26. Re:Science by SnarfQuest · · Score: 0, Troll

      You act as if the deniers have nothing to gain from ignoring the science. No matter what the science says, everyone that has a stake in industries that produce large amounts of CO2 will tend to fight tooth and nail against anyone claiming that CO2 does any harm. Simple selfish interest.

      These "deniers" are trying to get a massive gain: The truth.

      What "science" are you talking about? The faked data? The munged programs? The attacks on opponents?

      I have a program and data set that shows that if you don't send me all of your earnings for the last 10 years, then the world will be destroyed. Sorry, the programs and data have been lost, but the proof is in this paragraph, so you better start writing that check right now before the Earth is destroyed. You need to do it right now, any delay could be devistating. If you want collabration, just ask any of my partners in this scam.

      The "Climate Change" business has smelled like those Nigerian letters for a long time now. Send us money right now, or something terrible will happen.

      Unless they can rewrite this into a real scientific study, it's just going to be yet another moderately successful scam that went bust. They need to get usable, reliable, verifiable data sets. They need to do analysis in a way that others can reproduce. They need to prove that man is causing it, and that it is not a natural event.

      All they have right now is a political/religious propaganda effort.

      --
      Who would win this election: Andrew Weiner vs Andrew Weiner's weiner.
    27. Re:Science by lennier · · Score: 1

      "cold fusion"

      You do realise that, snide 'science' writers to the contrary, anomalous heat production in deuterated systems has long been proven to be a real effect, right?

      http://www.lenr-canr.org/

      The problem is that we don't currently have an acceptable mainstream theory for it, not that evidence for the thing itself doesn't exist.

      Unfortunately, normal science at high levels seems to involve discrediting evidence that the incumbents don't like - and that's a big problem.

      --
      You are not a brain: http://books.google.com/books?id=2oV61CeDx-YC
    28. Re:Science by JobyKSU · · Score: 1

      Science is not done by consensus.

      Having gone through the research/submission/revision/publication process of science multiple times, I can vouch for the fact that Science is indeed done by consensus. Research will be conducted on a topic until the same conclusion has been reached by multiple authors, likely using multiple methods. The later verifications most likely will try to give some sort of "value added" by integrating complementary theories, but those previous conclusions will be tested often.

      Science is done by showing your work so that others can see it and confirm that your data and methods make sense...

      That aspect of your argument is definitely true. That is one of the ways that consensus is built - repeated analysis and conclusions that verify the validity of the initial findings. One thing that is often lost in the CRU scandal is that there have been many independent researchers that are coming to the same conclusion using different methods. Mann and Jones' behavior is the result of the politicized environment and partisanship that exists around climate change science - an environment they definitely helped create (chicken or the egg?). Given the number of climate change proponents that jumped to justify the leaked emails as perfectly innocent and refused to see anything damning in them, it makes it difficult to give the rest of the (nearly uniformly) honest scientists the benefit of doubt.

    29. Re:Science by Snocone · · Score: 1

      Unless you can point out, under which law such an action is legal, my point still stands.

      Be glad to!

      http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/ukpga_19980023_en_1

      Both 43B (1) (a) and (b) are applicable.

      I can only reiterate my wish for actual facts,

      Here you go.

      http://www.eastangliaemails.com/emails.php?eid=891&filename=1212063122.txt

      The fact of conspiracy is evidenced. The fact of commission is currently being researched.

      Which requirements of the FOIA have they supposedly been trying to circumvent?

      The emails referenced in the above link are subject to FOIA requests. Deleting them is a felony.

      Even if it were a crime, you seem to claim that the persons in questions are the perpetrators

      Given the title of the leaked file, it is quite reasonable to conclude that the whistleblower was tasked with complying with an FOIA request, and when that request was denied leaked the information compiled to comply with it anyways. And quite rightly so, both as a matter of honour and a matter of law.

    30. Re:Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except that if they do they've just bought themselves a one way ticket to prison if they're convicted of fraud. The truth will come out either way it's just a matter of time.

      Yeah. Because that's totally what happened to all those tobacco execs that decided to cook their "scientific" results on links between smoking, cancer and heart disease. So many people died because they thought there was no risk to smoking that some of the mass-murdering execs even got the gas chamber. Oh, wait...

    31. Re:Science by wizardforce · · Score: 2, Insightful

      These "deniers" are trying to get a massive gain: The truth.

      BS. They have much to gain from denying AGW. Truth doesn't factor into the profit equation here.

      --
      Sigs are too short to say anything truly profound so read the above post instead.
    32. Re:Science by DiamondGeezer · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Those, as you called them, "warmers" are actually scientists publishing in peer reviewed journals. Despite the illegal and unethical breach of their private communication, no new facts concerning data and/or methods have been unveiled, only adding further to the list of ad hominem attacks.

      The peer review process itself was subverted. They got published and anyone who wrote articles criticizing them got blocked, even to the extent of having independent editors removed if they dared question the "science" that they were producing.

      --
      Tubby or not tubby. Fat is the question
    33. Re:Science by DiamondGeezer · · Score: 2, Informative

      there is no legal requirement to publish ones personal communication, unless there is a court order.

      Actually there is, if the communication is on a publicly funded server, and the communication is requested under FOIA.

      Boring but true.

      --
      Tubby or not tubby. Fat is the question
    34. Re:Science by IICV · · Score: 1

      22.6 million in grants since 1990? That's a fucking travesty. That's about 1.1 million a year to run a lab, pay wages, buy equipment, purchase services, pay for facilities, and fund all of those other things you need to do to do science - they must be running on a near-shoestring budget, and this is some of the most important research on Earth right now.

      Oh wait was I supposed to be aghast that the man personally received millions of dollars in grants? That's not the way it works; you really don't get rich doing science.

    35. Re:Science by arminw · · Score: 1

      ....has pushed global warming as a way to scare people into world governance....

      Both the prophet Daniel and the apostle John speak of a one world government. Its leader is referred to as the antichrist. You may be right about the global warming scare, but it will probably take something bigger than that, such as World War III, or at the very least a big war in the Middle East with a nuke or two lobbed by Iran and Israel at each other.

      --
      All theory is gray
    36. Re:Science by symbolset · · Score: 1

      When you modify your raw data to create the desired result, and then delete it, what you're doing isn't science. It's science fiction. Have a nice pdf.

      --
      Help stamp out iliturcy.
    37. Re:Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The vast number of regular Americans that consider themselves "deniers" are not as concerned with their stocks in those industries being affected as they are the power and control the US government will receive in the name of combating the biggest hoax in the history of the planet. The amount of taxes to be levied, regulations imposed and freedom taken by the US Government in the name of saving the planet from the big lie that is man-made GW is mind-boggling and scary. THAT is what we regular people are afraid of, our stocks taking a hit does not hold a candle to that fear.

    38. Re:Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No matter what the science says, everyone that has a stake in industries that produce large amounts of CO2 will tend to fight tooth and nail against anyone claiming that CO2 does any harm. Simple selfish interest.

      ...and looking at the business section of the Telegraph (UK) I've seen lots of examples of financial sector parasites rubbing their hands in anticipation of Carbon trading and other schemes. They're all in favour of billions going into "green" carbon offset schemes and taxes, and passing through their sticky fingers as they take their commissions. They'll fight tooth and nail against anyone claiming that CO2 hasn't done any harm. Simple selfish interest.

      Perhaps we should drop pseudomarxist kneejerk as a scientific argument?

    39. Re:Science by Yokaze · · Score: 1

      Actually, no. Simply thought experiment: What would happen, if you requested your professors correspondence?
      Personal communications are exempt under Section II, 40, as they are protected by the Data Protection Act 1998,
      which overrules FOIA as explicitly stated in several places.

      Let me reiterate, the FOIA is a personal right in your relation to a public authority, not a person.
      There is no contradiction in the fact, that a public authority is composed by private persons, it simply makes it more difficult to
      separate those to.

      --
      "Between strong and weak, between rich and poor [...], it is freedom which oppresses and the law which sets free"
    40. Re:Science by Yokaze · · Score: 1

      > Both 43B (1) (a) and (b) are applicable.

      Those sections are referring to disclosure, not "acquiring" information. As paragraph (c) points out, illegal acquired information is not
      covered.

      > Here you go.

      Well, that is fairly damning and hardly a moment of glory for the people involved. I have to give you that point.
      But fortunately, I can still retreat to ad hominem.

      > > Which requirements of the FOIA have they supposedly been trying to circumvent?

      > The emails referenced in the above link are subject to FOIA requests. Deleting them is a felony.

      You keep re-iterating it. I fail to see it written in law.

      > Given the title of the leaked file, it is quite reasonable to conclude that the whistleblower was tasked with complying with an FOIA request, and when that request was denied leaked the information compiled to comply with it anyways. And quite rightly so, both as a matter of honour and a matter of law.

      Hardly, because if the request was denied, they are de jure not subject to FOIA request.
      So it is not within his rights to release the mail. That is why the police is investigating that person, instead of the scientists.

      --
      "Between strong and weak, between rich and poor [...], it is freedom which oppresses and the law which sets free"
    41. Re:Science by Snocone · · Score: 1

      But fortunately, I can still retreat to ad hominem.

      Nicely put. I'll have to remember that one.

      You keep re-iterating it. I fail to see it written in law.

      You had your head in the sand the last eight years and missed the fuss over the whole White House email thing? Anyone receiving federal funds, as Dr. Mann does, is subject to FOIA laws no less than the President.

    42. Re:Science by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      The peer review process itself was subverted. They got published and anyone who wrote articles criticizing them got blocked, even to the extent of having independent editors removed if they dared question the "science" that they were producing.

      Other than the fact that this is a bunch of nonsense pulled out of your ass, you mean. What's happened in this case is simply standard operating procedures for the ostriches - seize on anything that looks like a smoking gun on face value, nevermind that their "gun" falls apart as quickly as a lunar conspiracy theory.

      Thickening arctic ice means global warming is a hoax (except it's happening due to increased precipitation from warmer temperatures bringing more water vapor into the air).

      A few faulty temperature sensors in a few American cities mean that global warming is a hoax (nevermind all the nonfaulty sensors and multitude of other data).

      Now it's talk of a "trick" (common phrase amongst statisticians) and "hiding fudged data" (nevermind that it was throwing out data from tree cores that didn't match measured temperatures).

      Same shit, different day.

    43. Re:Science by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      ...and looking at the business section of the Telegraph (UK) I've seen lots of examples of financial sector parasites rubbing their hands in anticipation of Carbon trading and other schemes.

      And how many of those ads are placed by those doing the research? You also fail to mention that the whole reason for carbon trading is that it's an attempt to use capitalism to help reduce climate change. And I thought conservatives liked capitalism. Well, since you're against it now, I guess we could start passing harsh regulations against the fossil fuel industry instead....

    44. Re:Science by mhelander · · Score: 1

      on the other hand, "corrected by the reader" kind of implies the full data was published so that the reader might spot the errors.

    45. Re:Science by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      The vast number of regular Americans that consider themselves "deniers" are not as concerned with their stocks in those industries being affected as they are the power and control the US government will receive in the name of combating the biggest hoax in the history of the planet.

      It's also due to the innate hypocrisy of conservatives. They preach about personal responsibility and accountability, but like the everything else they preach about - fiscal responsibility, family values, strong national defense - they are only standards for people who aren't conservative, not for themselves.

      If global warming is real, that conservatives have had a hand in its creation (along with everyone else) but are almost entirely responsible for for the fact that we haven't done anything about it. So, rather than face that responsibility and accountability, they continue to deny the problem.

  6. Climategate? Bah!!! by Vinegar+Joe · · Score: 4, Funny

    I prefer the term Warmaquiddick.

    --
    "The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old......They literally know nothing." - Ben Rhodes
    1. Re:Climategate? Bah!!! by dkleinsc · · Score: 1

      How about "Climatewinsky"?

      --
      I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
  7. What's worse than the appearance of impropriety? by Culture20 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Impropriety.

  8. Fraud by pallmall1 · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Why is it so hard to acknowledge that Jones, Mann, et al have engauged in FRAUD? Not just any kind of fraud, but a massive fraud that makes Bernie Madoff's scam look tiny. Just like Bernie, climate "scientists" like Jones and Mann have said their science doesn't need to be questioned because of their renowned reputations. Actually, they may be worse than Madoff, because AFAIK, Madoff didn't go out of his way to smear critics.

    Jones, Mann, and their fellow science-nazis should be cooling their heels in jail cells right next to Madoff.

    --
    3 things about computers: they're alive, they're self-aware, and they hate your guts.
    1. Re:Fraud by Vinegar+Joe · · Score: 1

      Jones, Mann, and their fellow science-nazis should be cooling their heels in jail cells right next to Madoff.

      If they've been collecting government grants while falsifying data, they just might.

      --
      "The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old......They literally know nothing." - Ben Rhodes
    2. Re:Fraud by chillax137 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      FALSE. All accusations of fraud have been addressed by the scientists in question, as well as outside sources. There is a reason this hasn't been getting much mainstream media coverage. For everyone's information: data was not manipulated, dissenting papers were not suppressed
      http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v462/n7273/full/462545a.html
      http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2009/12/cru-hack-more-context/

      --
      chillax137
    3. Re:Fraud by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It is possible to explain bullshit with more bullshit.

    4. Re:Fraud by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This lays it out very clearly:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu_ok37HDuE

    5. Re:Fraud by HebrewToYou · · Score: 5, Informative

      Citing realclimate.org doesn't help your cause. Several contributors to that site have been implicated in the leaked emails.

      With regards to the content of your post, the data was most certainly manipulated. Have you not taken the time to discover the coding travesty documented in the HARRY_READ_ME file that was leaked along with the emails? Here are a couple good links to start with.

      --
      I'm not popular enough to be different.

      Homer Simpson, The Simpsons

    6. Re:Fraud by thepotoo · · Score: 4, Informative

      Thank you for the links, best article I've read all day.

      A couple of quotes from the Nature editorial for the TL;DR crowd:

      A fair reading of the e-mails reveals nothing to support the denialists' conspiracy theories. In one of the more controversial exchanges, UEA scientists sharply criticized the quality of two papers that question the uniqueness of recent global warming (S. McIntyre and R. McKitrick Energy Environ. 14, 751–771; 2003 and W. Soon and S. Baliunas Clim. Res. 23, 89–110; 2003) and vowed to keep at least the first paper out of the upcoming Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Whatever the e-mail authors may have said to one another in (supposed) privacy, however, what matters is how they acted. And the fact is that, in the end, neither they nor the IPCC suppressed anything: when the assessment report was published in 2007 it referenced and discussed both papers.

      (Emphasis mine).

      The stolen e-mails have prompted queries about whether Nature will investigate some of the researchers' own papers. One e-mail talked of displaying the data using a 'trick' — slang for a clever (and legitimate) technique, but a word that denialists have used to accuse the researchers of fabricating their results. It is Nature's policy to investigate such matters if there are substantive reasons for concern, but nothing we have seen so far in the e-mails qualifies.

      There is far, far too much politics in science. I don't know why Dr. Jones decided to step down, but I'm inclined to believe (after reading the Nature editorial) that the reasons were almost entirely political.

      --
      Obligatory Soundbite Catchphrase
    7. Re:Fraud by STRICQ · · Score: 1

      Isn't it true that the maintainers of those two web sites are also implicated in the emails that were leaked? How can we trust anything they say when they are a part of the fraud?

    8. Re:Fraud by d3ac0n · · Score: 2, Informative

      I love how when the "science" behind the global warming religion is shown to be a complete hoax, you warmers just point back to the ALREADY SHOWN TO BE FAKE data as some kind of "proof" that AGW is real.

      (Realclimate? Seriously? Realclimate is the freaking Vatican of the Church of Global Warming. We're supposed to take ANYTHING they write seriously? HA!)

      Get over it. AGW is a hoax, always has been. Your religion is a lie that was designed to allow AGW scientists to feather their nests with multi-million dollar grants and for their fellow travelers on the political far left to use as a tool to bludgeon free societies into socialist servitude. It's well past time to accept it like a big boy and move on.

      Anyone who still believes the AGW crap is a brainwashed moron.

      --
      Official Heretic from the "Church of Global Warming". Proven right thanks to whistle blowers. AGW = Flat Earth Theory
    9. Re:Fraud by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      some cock gobbler shill modded him up,

      nature and realclimate are both controlled by the illuminiati

    10. Re:Fraud by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Um, yeah, except that realclimate.org was created by Michael Mann, who is now under investigation by his own university for some of the questionable activities described in the hacked emails.

      And if nobody has done anything wrong, why are people stepping down?

    11. Re:Fraud by Snocone · · Score: 3, Informative

      For everyone's information: data was not manipulated

      Oh, for crying out loud. Not only was it manipulated, they threw out both the raw data and any audit trail.

      "SCIENTISTS at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have admitted throwing away much of the raw temperature data on which their predictions of global warming are based ... Climate change sceptics have long been keen to examine exactly how its data were compiled. That is now impossible. "

      http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6936328.ece

      I hope you're at least getting a paycheque for throwing out nonsense so easily proved wrong.

    12. Re:Fraud by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You shouldn't count just direct damages here. Policies resulting from their theories could end up costing $120,000,000,000,000 according to some estimates. Everything from CAFE standards on cars to the ban on incandescent light bulbs has to be factored into this (as well as obvious things like carbon credits and cap and trade). If man made climate change turns out to be a total hoax, then the amount of money and wealth they indirectly stole makes Bernie Madoff look like a mere shoplifter in comparison.

    13. Re:Fraud by pallmall1 · · Score: 1

      ...denialists' conspiracy theories

      No bias there?

      --
      3 things about computers: they're alive, they're self-aware, and they hate your guts.
    14. Re:Fraud by dwguenther · · Score: 1

      If the data was manipulated, then why does it show the same trends as NASA and NOAA data? And how come it agrees with research by the Germans, Australians, Japanese, Candians and French? I mean, come on, when do the French *ever* agree with anyone else?

    15. Re:Fraud by megamerican · · Score: 2, Informative

      So we should believe the same publications who published the fraudulent analysis from the same people who are implicated in this scandal? Yeah, right.

      By the way, why don't they show us the data they've been hiding and trying so hard to block FOI requests for? Oh, that's right, they "lost" it.

      The e-mails clearly show that they fudged the analysis of the data, not the data itself. The e-mails show they conspired with government officials to block FOI requests, which is a criminal offense. They also discussed deleting data after FOI requests were made, another criminal offense.

      Reading two articles where they look at selected e-mails that don't show much isn't impressing anyone. Read the e-mails or at least have the fortitude to look at what dissenters have to say and which e-mails they show.

      --
      If you have something that you dont want anyone to know, maybe you shouldnt be doing it in the first place -Eric Schmidt
    16. Re:Fraud by antibryce · · Score: 4, Informative

      fyi realclimate.org should be viewed very skeptically. In the leaked emails the fact that realclimate.org is essentially run by these very scientists is discussed in detail

      http://www.eastangliaemails.com/emails.php?eid=622&filename=1139521913.txt

      I wanted you guys to know that you're free to use RC in any way you think would be helpful. Gavin and I are going to be careful about what comments we screen through.... We can hold comments up in the queue and contact you about whether or not you think they should be screened through or not, and if so, any comments you'd like us to include.

      [T]hink of RC as a resource that is at your disposal.... We'll use our best discretion to make sure the skeptics don't get to use the RC comments as a megaphone.

    17. Re:Fraud by HebrewToYou · · Score: 2, Informative

      Very few people dispute that the Earth is in a warming period due to recovery from the Little Ice Age. That's not the issue.

      One issue is that the proxy data was manipulated in such a way that makes current temperatures appear to be warmer than at any other point in historical times. Another issue is that certain proxies, such as the Tiljander series, were used incorrectly. A third issue is that certain treemometers appear to have been cherry-picked over others in order to provide results that were more sought after. I suggest you research the work done by Steve McIntyre at his blog. New content is being added to this mirror.

      --
      I'm not popular enough to be different.

      Homer Simpson, The Simpsons

    18. Re:Fraud by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      nothing to see here, move along, move along

    19. Re:Fraud by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      Bullshit can be used to fertilize cattle feed.

    20. Re:Fraud by sweatyboatman · · Score: 1

      what else would you call the theories of those who believe that there is no manmade global warming and that it is all a conspiracy?

      --
      It breaks my pluginses, my precious!
    21. Re:Fraud by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      Madoff stole BILLIONS of dollars, caused numerous people to commit suicide, and turned retiree's pleasant lifestyles into hellish poverty. Who did Jones and Mann impoverish or cause death to?

    22. Re:Fraud by rapidient · · Score: 1

      Not just any kind of fraud, but a massive fraud that makes Bernie Madoff's scam look tiny.

      Does Godwin's Law allow for amendments?

    23. Re:Fraud by Straif · · Score: 1

      So your defense against the fraud charges are an editorial from Nature magazine and a post from a website that is itself caught up in the middle of the scandal. By this point even many of the more prominent AGW supporters are admitting things look very fishy at the CRU, including fellow members of the EAU faculty.

      As for the mainstream media defense, that's right along the 'consensus = proof' argument. The MSM has been pushing AGW for years; far beyond the limits of disinterested reporters. In some cases (NBC in particular) they have direct financial ties to the continuation of the theory. NBC's parent company stands to make billions (and yes that's a 'B') based on the proposed anti-CO2 legislation. Is there any wonder why suddenly when news comes out that shines a very negative light on their cause of the day that they are slow in covering it.

      Basically, in the US in particular, if the story doesn't fit their political agenda news agencies are quite happy to ignore them. Just look at the last election cycle with the John Edwards fiasco. The New York Times was running front page stories of John McCain's relationship a decade earlier with a lobbyist that 2 assistants said he was friendly with (despite no hint of an affair and a voting record that did not in any way match her lobbyist positions) meanwhile no one except the National Enquirer was bothering to report on Edwards (poorly hidden) extramarital affair while he wife was fighting cancer.

      Or even more recently, the entire ACORN mess. Most media outlets failed to report on it until AFTER people were fired, the senate had voted to remove all federal funding of the agency and several state agencies reported investigations into their practices. Even then many choose to focus on the two people reporting the story rather than the content of their investigation or simply did a quick 30 segment or small back page article on the matter. Even Jon Stewart had to rip the media for that one.

      --
      Of course that's just my opinion...... you could be wrong!
    24. Re:Fraud by thepotoo · · Score: 1

      Nature is one of the top scientific journals (maybe the top journal), the only bias I notice when reading it is a pretty consistent pro-science one.

      What would you prefer to call denialists? The majority have no credibility to speak on anything remotely related to science, as such calling them "skeptical scientists" or some politically correct BS just won't cut it. They're just parroting stuff they've heard from others, and only a (very) small step above the evolution denialists.

      However, you'll notice that when the article was talking about someone with a papers published in the field (Stephen McIntyre), they said that his paper

      question[ed] the uniqueness of recent global warming

      Sorry if that is "bias" in your book.

      Also, remember that this was an editorial piece. Wanna see what real bias looks like in an editorial piece? Go ahead, click here.That's from the supposedly reputable WSJ.

      Besides, I have no desire to get into a flame war (oops, too late) with someone who has already made up his mind about this issue (judging by your comment history), so if you respond, please give me some good, solid [peer-reviewed is best] evidence to back up your claims.

      --
      Obligatory Soundbite Catchphrase
    25. Re:Fraud by Snocone · · Score: 1

      come on, when do the French *ever* agree with anyone else?

      Yes, the French do disagree, don't they? For instance, here is research by the French which disagrees with that data, directly contrary to your assertion.

      "A French scientist's temperature data show results different from the official climate science. Why was he stonewalled? Climate Research Unit emails detail efforts to deny access to global temperature data..."

      http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/11/26/skewed-science.aspx#ixzz0YZ7p3beK

      it agrees with research by the ... Candians[sic]

      OK, on that particular point -- as you could guess from that link above to Canada's National Post! -- I consider myself on quite firm ground indeed. Please provide citations to the Candians[sic] research papers you believe agree. I follow the research production of all major Canadian universities, and I'm aware of a couple papers that support solar-linked climate theories, and I am aware of dozens of papers in geology and archaeology which quite directly contradict the accepted AGW narrative by demonstrating that the Medieval Warm period in northern Canada was several degrees warmer than today.

      But I am not aware of a single Canadian-authored paper that would make your statement above truthful. If there is just one, please cite.

    26. Re:Fraud by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      Madoff? Why not Jay Gould?

    27. Re:Fraud by chillax137 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Obviously you didn't take the time to read the realclimate.org post. They cite evidence in their refutations, show that most of the claims are taken out of context, and explain certain terms and phrases that can be considered jargon for their community.

      In response to the readme file. Yes, the coding is bad. They aren't fudging the data though.

      --
      chillax137
    28. Re:Fraud by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, you know what they say... "truth has a well-known liberal bias".

    29. Re:Fraud by HebrewToYou · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Evidence cited by realclimate.org should no longer be considered admissible in this debate. The contributors at that site are not to be trusted. Click the link; read the correspondence of theirs that was leaked. They are not interested in science but rather pushing an agenda.

      --
      I'm not popular enough to be different.

      Homer Simpson, The Simpsons

    30. Re:Fraud by dwguenther · · Score: 2, Interesting

      How does this constitute a 'complete hoax' of global warming when literally thousands of other researchers have produced thousands of papers over the last twenty years showing similar trends in atmospheric temperature, ocean temperature, glacial retreat, permafrost melting, seasonal trends, species migration and etc?

    31. Re:Fraud by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When tanks are pointed at them?

    32. Re:Fraud by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      'Tis a massive conspiracy. Perhaps it can be connected to the Rothschilds, and the Knights Templar.

    33. Re:Fraud by Mac-O-War · · Score: 1

      Skeptics

    34. Re:Fraud by thepotoo · · Score: 2, Interesting

      And what, precisely, was wrong with the Nature editorial linked to above?

      Someone's pushing an agenda here, and it's not chillax137.

      Sure, maybe realclimate.org is "not to be trusted", but when Nature (investigates separately and) agrees with their conclusions, I'm inclined to agree with them even if climate-gate.org does not. Moreover, is it possible that (even if only going by the name and ignoring the type of content that they post) climate-gate.org might just have an agenda of their own to push?

      --
      Obligatory Soundbite Catchphrase
    35. Re:Fraud by sycodon · · Score: 1

      You forgot the New Zealanders...oh...wait

      --
      When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    36. Re:Fraud by weston · · Score: 1

      Citing realclimate.org doesn't help your cause. Several contributors to that site have been implicated in the leaked emails.

      Which would actually make them uniquely qualified to comment on the content, since they participated in the discussions and know the context and what was behind some of the comments.

      With regards to the content of your post, the data was most certainly manipulated.

      Sure. In fact, in order to do science, you have to manipulate data.

      Have you not taken the time to discover the coding travesty documented in the HARRY_READ_ME file that was leaked along with the emails? Here are a couple good links to start with.

      This isn't what proof of intentional data misrepresentation looks like.

    37. Re:Fraud by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Madoff stole BILLIONS of dollars, caused numerous people to commit suicide, and turned retiree's pleasant lifestyles into hellish poverty. Who did Jones and Mann impoverish or cause death to?

      How about the third-worlders unable to afford food due to the doubling of food prices bought on by the biofuel business, for which the demand was manufactured by the AGW scare? Thousands of brown people dying somewhere out of sight and out of mind for us in the west deserve more consideration than the delusionally greedy 'victims' of a pyramid scam, who can no longer afford a new ferrari every year.

      Western environmentalism is a fashion choice that the poor can ill afford when its consequences are forced upon them.

    38. Re:Fraud by HebrewToYou · · Score: 1

      Notice I didn't say anything about Nature...

      --
      I'm not popular enough to be different.

      Homer Simpson, The Simpsons

    39. Re:Fraud by HebrewToYou · · Score: 1

      Climate-gate.org simply appears to be a repository for the leaked documents. I don't believe they've opined on the subject. That's been left to others.

      --
      I'm not popular enough to be different.

      Homer Simpson, The Simpsons

    40. Re:Fraud by thepotoo · · Score: 1

      It would be nice if it was just a repository. But, it's supported by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a libertarian think-tank organization. Libertarianism is fine, however, getting large chunks of cash from Exxon et al. leads me to be just a little skeptical when I read that stuff (citation).

      --
      Obligatory Soundbite Catchphrase
    41. Re:Fraud by ukyoCE · · Score: 1

      Ah-ha! Finally, I found the insider comment that explains the deep pockets behind pro-global warming research! It's the Illuminati!

    42. Re:Fraud by ukyoCE · · Score: 1

      You're essentially claiming that Global Warming is and has always been a money-grabbing scam by the scientists doing the research?

      A perpetual motion machine business gone wildly out of control because more and more scientists are trying to get in on this "global warming pyramid scheme"?

      I think it'd be a lot more believable if you claimed the researchers were mistaken, rather than claiming it's an overtly malicious conspiracy.

    43. Re:Fraud by sweatyboatman · · Score: 1

      so "skeptics' conspiracy theories" would have been better?

      --
      It breaks my pluginses, my precious!
    44. Re:Fraud by d3ac0n · · Score: 1

      Bullshit can be used to fertilize cattle feed.

      You Church of AGW types know all about Bullshit. It's your stock in trade.

      --
      Official Heretic from the "Church of Global Warming". Proven right thanks to whistle blowers. AGW = Flat Earth Theory
    45. Re:Fraud by Buelldozer · · Score: 1

      Before you go defending them too much, read this:

      http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/11/24/the-people-vs-the-cru-freedom-of-information-my-okole%E2%80%A6/

      If this is really how the CRU crew did business then no one has any reason to defend them. They're as bad as any oil company could ever be.

    46. Re:Fraud by d3ac0n · · Score: 1

      The Church of AGW has stolen TRILLIONS of dollars from the world economy on BS schemes which have both directly and indirectly cause economic and personal harm to BILLIONS of people around the world. (Hello? Kyoto Accords?)

      I wonder how many people have starved because the AGW quacks have us turning food-stocks into auto fuel? Or have you already forgotten the cornmeal shortage-caused riots in the 3rd world over the last few summers? Another stupid scam foisted upon us by the Church of AGW.

      You would have to be willfully ignorant to not see the massive damage already caused by the Church of AGW and their political accomplices on the far left. And what they have PLANNED will spell nothing less than the collapse of Human civilization and possibly the extinction of our species. All for a lie.

      --
      Official Heretic from the "Church of Global Warming". Proven right thanks to whistle blowers. AGW = Flat Earth Theory
    47. Re:Fraud by d3ac0n · · Score: 1

      Congratulations. You can ape George Monbiot. Got any other tricks, or is that the extent of your intellect?

      --
      Official Heretic from the "Church of Global Warming". Proven right thanks to whistle blowers. AGW = Flat Earth Theory
    48. Re:Fraud by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      From the same article:

      "The revised figures were kept, but the originals — stored on paper and magnetic tape — were dumped to save space when the CRU moved to a new building."

      "Jones was not in charge of the CRU when the data were thrown away in the 1980s, a time when climate change was seen as a less pressing issue."

      So raw, noisy data which was useless to them was thrown away almost _thirty years ago_ in order to make space. Doesn't sound like a big deal to me. Anyone could have done that. Heck, the same exact thing probably happened in countless labs in almost every university on the planet at some point in time.

      But it's good to see how easily you jump to absurd conclusions.

    49. Re:Fraud by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      obviously you didnt take the time to read the readme.txt

      Mann is full of shit and is backtracking to cover their ass and possibly jail. All they can do is claim everything is out of context.

      Sure seems there is a whole lot of "beleif" required to get on the AWG bandwagon.

      beleive me- the data said its so.
      its invisible now because I deleted it but just beleive in me.
      beleive me when i say something else and claim I ment something else. Just beleive everything I say when I say it and dont question it. I am Mann hear me roar.

    50. Re:Fraud by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Realclimate started out as an impartial discussion site...but it is now dominated by the corrupt science revealed in the e-mails.

      In the CRU e-mails, the global warming establishment boasts that RealClimate is in their pocket.
      Mann says in one of the e-mails-

      "I wanted you guys to know that you're free to use RC in any way you think would be helpful. Gavin and I are going to be careful about what comments we screen through.... We can hold comments up in the queue and contact you about whether or not you think they should be screened through or not, and if so, any comments you'd like us to include."

      Sorry, Realclimate is no longer a valid source. They are tainted, and caught in their web of so called climate consensus.

    51. Re:Fraud by Jeian · · Score: 1

      > and explain certain terms and phrases that can be considered jargon for their community.

      Excuse me if I don't take their explanations very seriously at this point, especially given that they have a fairly major motive to downplay the leak.

      "No, no, officer, you misunderstand. Yes, I said I was going to kill her, but you see, 'kill' is actually jargon in my community that really means I was going to treat her to a nice seafood dinner and then never call her again."

    52. Re:Fraud by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm a former academic researcher and current researcher in private industry. Horrible code is par for the course. Unless your final product is the code itself, all code in pursuit of the product (scientific paper to publish or widget to sell) is duct tape via cowboy methods. In industry, I hope to get functional proof of concept in development, and figure the guys who polish it up for commerce know what they're doing. They often don't. For established examples from private industry see Diebold or the breathalyzer code.

    53. Re:Fraud by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      I suppose that in your mind, the Vatican's response or lack of response only makes Dan Brown's fiction ring truer. Damned if you do, damned if you don't....

    54. Re:Fraud by izomiac · · Score: 1

      There is far, far too much politics in science. I don't know why Dr. Jones decided to step down, but I'm inclined to believe (after reading the Nature editorial) that the reasons were almost entirely political.

      I think most everyone agrees on that. There was actually a best selling book about that very topic a few years ago. It used global warming as the example, and, ironically, wound up further politicizing the issue. I'm appalled by the overall lack of reading comprehension in America, and find it interesting that the book was prominently "rebutted" point by point by one of the people tangentially involved in the e-mails. While it's wrong to assume guilt by association, it does seem to me that the people suffering because of the leak appear to adamantly disagree with the book and it's premise that science should be separate from politics.

    55. Re:Fraud by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 1

      As opposed to the contributors at climate-gate.org? You're committing the exact crime you're accusing the CRU people of: to silence people based on nothing but who they are, and put certain other people in charge based on nothing but who they are against.

      Nice.

      --
      Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
    56. Re:Fraud by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 1

      Shhhh. You're upsetting his carefully crafted fantasy of him being the last bastion of reason in a world of brainwashed morons. A single instance of anything is enough for him to prove decades worth of extrapolation.

      --
      Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
    57. Re:Fraud by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      Who?

    58. Re:Fraud by Scareduck · · Score: 1

      In response to the readme file. Yes, the coding is bad. They aren't fudging the data though.

      Try again. They misrepresent their ability to estimate temperatures with proxies. They remove inconvenient data that fails to show their hypothesis panning out. I don't know what to call that, but "science" isn't it.

      --

      Dog is my co-pilot.

    59. Re:Fraud by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      Every once and while, some apologist for AGW theories suggests that "even if the projections aren't as bad as we feared " combatting the global climate crisis will provide institutional support for global governance...." I wish they'd stop assuming that "making decisions as a planet" is a good thing. It's conspiracy bait.

    60. Re:Fraud by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      I wish that all you Law and Order freaks would stop trying to shoehorn scientific debate into some sort of trial by jury.

      Life is not a Daubert test.

    61. Re:Fraud by Mashiki · · Score: 1

      If you have to ask, you don't understand. Cap and trade hurts poor nations the most as they're required to put money into programs that will cause undue hardships on the poorest of the poor. There's a reason why hyper economies like India and China are rather pissy over the entire thing. It's not just limited to economic growth, it limits population growth, and growth of farmable areas to sustain populations.

      So lets take a look further at the push of eco-green tech pushed by people into area's like Africa. Just go a head and research that a bit, you'll find that it's not as a pretty picture as they make it out to be. Rather it keeps dirt farmers, as dirt farmers. It pushes farming production backwards, and causes primary and secondary strife. It all reeks of the old "positive population checks" of Malthus. I'll take the reasoning of Borlaug instead; "you can't create a peaceful world on empty stomachs."

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    62. Re:Fraud by RJBeery · · Score: 1

      "....data was not manipulated, dissenting papers were not suppressed..."

      Jesus man, are you serious? Have you read anything other than the realclimate.org rebuttals???

    63. Re:Fraud by labnet · · Score: 1

      beleive me- the data said its so.
      its invisible now because I deleted it but just beleive in me.
      beleive me when i say something else and claim I ment something else. Just beleive everything I say when I say it and dont question it. I am Mann hear me roar.

      Believe me, it's i after e except before c!

      --
      46137
    64. Re:Fraud by HiThere · · Score: 1

      I haven't yet seen anything substantive that makes me certain the policies they were recommending were wrong. I've seen some things that indicate they did wrong, but that isn't the same thing.

      OTOH, I'm not even certain exactly what they did, and how abnormal it was. It certainly isn't the way I want people to act, but I've lots of times noticed that people often don't act as I want them to.

      I'm reminded of a presidential election. Whichever side you look at, it's abusing the process, and breaking the laws. (Perhaps this would be less so if there were more than two significant parties, but our election process pretty much guarantees that there won't be more than two, and strongly encourages there to be two.) So depending on your sympathies, you look at the opposition and talk about how they are criminals. And you're right. But you're ignoring that your favored side is doing the same thing.

      I really wish they hadn't done whatever they actually did. (I'm not quite certain about that.) But I still think that the preponderance of the evidence shows that global warming is happening, and that the rate is increasing. And that one of the key factors is the carbon dioxide level of the atmosphere. And that we have been acting in ways that increase that value. And this basic level doesn't rely on any one team of scientists, or any five, or any twenty. Details are, of course, important, and the details *do* rely on scientists acting honorably.

      It would definitely be beneficial if all climate data were made publicly accessible. It would also be beneficial if the models that were made which interpreted the data were published as open source. I'm not sure precisely which license would be appropriate, though. You want attribution to be required, and ALL modifications to be listed and attributed. This would allow for independent validation of every version of the models.

      (Actually, these closed sources are the kind of reason I don't trust closed source programs to do what they claim. And for science that's a fatal flaw.)

      This still leaves the problem of how to trust the data. It's one thing to say "This data fed into these models yield these results." and that can be solved via standard Open Source protocols. But it doesn't address the assertion "This data is honest and reliable." Open publication at an early stage of the raw data is an appropriate step, but it still leaves room for doubts about the honesty BEFORE the publication happened.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    65. Re:Fraud by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not fudging the data? How do you know? They won't give the data to folks looking to check things out. Did they actually admit in e-mails that they were fudging data, nope. Not in the e-mails they didn't delete.

      Basically they took millions in grant money and refused access to people who wanted to check their work. That's not what good scientists are supposed to do. If they're so worried about disclosing their potential mistakes it's reasonable to assume they don't actually have confidence in their results.

    66. Re:Fraud by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In response to the readme file. Yes, the coding is bad. They aren't fudging the data though.

      They don't have to; the code itself does it for them. Whether or not the data has been manipulated (I can't tell, since I have no original data to which it can be compared) is irrelevant, because the code itself is irrefutable evidence that the science is fraudulent. It isn't merely written in an incompetent manner (although it is), it also doesn't do what a reasonable person would expect such code to do. Anyone who has looked at that code and believes it is an accurate model of the Earth's climate is incompetent to hold a relevant opinion on the matter.

      Human caused global warming might be real, but that code is a fraud regardless of anyone's opinion on the subject.

    67. Re:Fraud by kayoshiii · · Score: 1

      One thing about this that really amuses me. If you go to realclimate.org you and read the comments you will see real debate going on... Comments may be moved but opinions that have some merit to the discussion seem to be left in. In contrast I have been trying to find websites from the other side of the debate and so far I haven't found any that seem to have any sort of dissenting opinion - it's just one massive circle jerk.

    68. Re:Fraud by TheTurtlesMoves · · Score: 1

      In god we trust, the rest of you show me the data.

      Deleting data is more than bad enough to justify the inquiry. If it was an accident this brings up competence issues. If it was deliberate, its so close to scientific fraud..... And after you get a FOIA whatever, its illegal.

      --
      The Grey Goo disaster happened 3 billion years ago. This rock is covered in self replicating machines!
    69. Re:Fraud by TheTurtlesMoves · · Score: 1

      We'll use our best discretion to make sure the skeptics don't get to use the RC comments as a megaphone.

      Q:Since when are you not allowed to be a skeptic in science?
      A:When its politics.

      --
      The Grey Goo disaster happened 3 billion years ago. This rock is covered in self replicating machines!
    70. Re:Fraud by TheTurtlesMoves · · Score: 1

      Bullshit also contributes to global warming. :)

      --
      The Grey Goo disaster happened 3 billion years ago. This rock is covered in self replicating machines!
    71. Re:Fraud by Eunuchswear · · Score: 1

      No, it's not the Illuminati, ESR thinks it's the KGB.

      --
      Watch this Heartland Institute video
    72. Re:Fraud by Eunuchswear · · Score: 1

      including fellow members of the EAU faculty.

      That's UEA to you, sonny. (UEA CHE/CMP 1977 - 1980).

      --
      Watch this Heartland Institute video
  9. Deniers on my Slashdot? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's more common than you think.

  10. Stepping aside =/= stepping down by JackCroww · · Score: 1

    The man is still going to be at the Center, which means he'll use his "pull" to keep his fingers in the pie, kinda like Putin isn't President of Russia anymore.

    --
    "Ayn Rand is a bloody socialist compared to me." - Robert A. Heinlein
    1. Re:Stepping aside =/= stepping down by tsotha · · Score: 1

      I doubt that. Reputation is everything for scientists, and the revelation of his misdeeds has blackened his reputation forever. Far from having "pull", he's going to be radioactive - nobody will want to work with him.

    2. Re:Stepping aside =/= stepping down by JackCroww · · Score: 1

      Outside of CRU, very likely. But as director of the center, he isn't going to willing completely surrender/delegate all his authority. Internal employees' paychecks will most likely still be subject to his authority, at least for a while. Given his display of ethics via the emails released, do you think he'll not use that power in internal debates/conflicts? And I don't mean that paycheck authority is the only thing that he might abuse. Project funding, grant application approval, etc.

      The only path to Hadley CRU ever gaining respectability starts with Phil Jones' complete exit.

      --
      "Ayn Rand is a bloody socialist compared to me." - Robert A. Heinlein
    3. Re:Stepping aside =/= stepping down by commodore64_love · · Score: 1

      Yes. Kinda like Ken Kutaragi who was disgraced, and then shoved into a Sony office where he still collects a fat paycheck, but has no power to influence anything. It's the Japanese method of forced retirement. Mann and the other heavy-hitting scientists are headed to the same fate - They have their titles, but no power.

      --
      "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
    4. Re:Stepping aside =/= stepping down by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      Nah, he'll be cleared, and resume his position. The emails imply that Jones is prickly sort of scientist who finds intrusive investigations, "audits", and smears to be irritating. A comprehensive review would just get in his way, and interfere with his work.

      It's akin to being audited by the IRS or Inland Revenue. They might not find anything, but on the whole it's less stressful to have a lawyer and an accountant handle most of the talking.

  11. Great, just great by JoshuaZ · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So now we have hard working scientists who have their lives disrupted over this idiocy. This whole matter has been completely overblown. So people ranted and sent intemperate emails on a private mailing list? Wow. Newsflash: Scientists are not vulcans. The only thing that's even more shocking is the email where using a standard statistical technique is referred to as a "trick." If this is the grand conspiracy, it has to be the most pathetic grand conspiracy I've ever seen. A private mailing list of a few scientists that was mostly used productively and with an occasional whiny email or rant simply isn't that big a deal. People backbiting and such is really common. Welcome to academia.

    1. Re:Great, just great by RobNich · · Score: 2, Informative

      Intemperate messages? The messages include instructions to delete emails regarding specific topics (which apparently were deleted), adding "garbage" data to study data analysis to cover up the lack of global temperature increase, and discussion of how to suppress journals that would dare to publish works that disprove anthropogenic global warming. There's more, but that's plenty for me! You have to be completely up the anus of this scam to think that this is completely overblown. Like the New York Times. Here's a newsflash: you've been LIED TO. Or, if that doesn't fit, YOU'RE LYING.

      --
      Hello little man. I will destroy you!
    2. Re:Great, just great by JoshuaZ · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Mostly out of context. Have you never said anything nasty about someone and then asked someoen to delete it? Right. And claims that garbage data was added is simply false. Discussion about "suppressing" journals never occurred either. What was discussed was a single person suggesting that maybe not send papers to certain journals and not citing papers from those journals. Again, you are going to need to do a lot better than that. Capitalizing things doesn't make an argument any more valid. But nice try.

    3. Re:Great, just great by STRICQ · · Score: 3, Informative

      The source code which was leaked clearly shows the data was manipulated with garbage data and arbitrarily created fudge factors. Even the comments in the code state that this was exactly the purpose. Someone on another website ran all 0's through the algorithm and the resulting data was the same 'hockey stick' pattern. Even running random data through the algorithm produced the same 'hockey stick' pattern. So, there's no fraud? Yeah, there is.

    4. Re:Great, just great by sweatyboatman · · Score: 1

      clearly, you believe that all climate change science is a fraud.

      can you think of anything that could convince you otherwise?

      --
      It breaks my pluginses, my precious!
    5. Re:Great, just great by luzr · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Deleting 30 years of inconvinient data and replacing it with something else is now considered the "standard statistical technique"?

      See, nobody disputes that instrumental records for past 30 years are more accurate than data obtained by proxy. Anyway, if there is such a divergence of proxy data and instrumental record (proxy data pointing downwards), it casts serious doubts about validity of proxy data of the past.

      Also, it means that to show the hockey stick, you in fact do not need care about proxy data too much. Instrumental record will make the right shape even if you feed anything before with noise.

      I guess that the most important issue in Mann's and Briffa reconstruction is that MWP was downplayed and current warming thus became "unprecedented". Which is exactly what you get if you choose noisy unreliable proxy data, and 'stick' real temperature records where it fits...

      If you see any flaws in this analysis of "trick to hide the decline", I would be glad to hear your objections.

    6. Re:Great, just great by Bourbonium · · Score: 1

      Did you read the same leaked messages I read? Did you read what Jones advised doing with/to that journal and anyone who contributed to it? Did you read what he suggested his colleagues do to avoid complying with FOIA regulations?

    7. Re:Great, just great by makomk · · Score: 5, Informative

      The source code which was leaked clearly shows the data was manipulated with garbage data and arbitrarily created fudge factors.

      I notice you don't mention which data had arbitrary fudge factors applied to it - probably because it sounds more ominous that way. Data from tree cores taken in the Nothern hemisphere post-1960 had arbitrary fudge factors applied to it, and as far as anyone can tell the results were thrown away. It appears the code was part of an attempt to determine why and how the temperatures claculated from the tree cores diverged from the actual temperature. In the end, the researchers didn't find an answer and just advised not using that data.

      Even the comments in the code state that this was exactly the purpose.

      That didn't ring any alarm bells for you? After all, if you're secretly fudging results, the last thing you want is clear comments stating as much. Perhaps that's because, you know, the code's author didn't want the fudged results to be used...

      Someone on another website ran all 0's through the algorithm and the resulting data was the same 'hockey stick' pattern. Even running random data through the algorithm produced the same 'hockey stick' pattern.

      Yeah, it would do. The trouble with the conspiracy theories is that the algorithm in question wasn't the one that produced the hockey stick graph. You've got it backwards - the fudge factors make the tree data roughly agree with actual temperatures, which are of course hockey-stick shaped.

      So, there's no fraud? Yeah, there is.

      No there isn't.

    8. Re:Great, just great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      clearly, you believe that all climate change science is a fraud.

      can you think of anything that could convince you otherwise?

      Lets see, how about an open reappraisal of the global temperature record, with full easy access to raw data, metadata and processing methodology and results for all to review.

      Now all we need is a name for this new approach... Lets see, how about calling it "Science"?

    9. Re:Great, just great by luzr · · Score: 1
      Please carefully read what I wrote. You response is absolutely out of context.

      Really, I do not care about about cheering somebody's death or calling sceptics crackpots. I understand that emails were private.

      But if you raise the issue of "trick", I thought I will help you to understand the problem.

      Maybe the term "deleted" is wrong, but these data were simply removed from the hockey stick graph, replaced by instrumental record, creating false illusion of "unprecendented warming". And then the graph is used in Al Gore's presentations.

    10. Re:Great, just great by luzr · · Score: 1

      I notice you don't mention which data had arbitrary fudge factors applied to it - probably because it sounds more ominous that way. Data from tree cores taken in the Nothern hemisphere post-1960 had arbitrary fudge factors applied to it, and as far as anyone can tell the results were thrown away. It appears the code was part of an attempt to determine why and how the temperatures claculated from the tree cores diverged from the actual temperature. In the end, the researchers didn't find an answer and just advised not using that data.

      Well, but you should tell the whole story then. In IPCC graphs these records were simply replaced by instrumental data.

      Now, if they "didn't find an answer", it makes the whole reconstruction a little bit strange. If proxies do not match temperatures when you have the most accurate datasets, how can you tell they correctly represent temperatures 1000 years ago?

    11. Re:Great, just great by tjstork · · Score: 1

      Have you never said anything nasty about someone and then asked someoen to delete it? Right.

      No, and that's really the point. The scientists involved have no character, and it pretty much confirms for many people what they thought all along - the people pushing this global warming stuff are just a bunch of scumbags looking for a way to cash in on people's lives by creating a new sort of a religion.

      The whole thing, for the idea of the scientist to work, is that they have to appear impartial and unemotional so that their information could be trusted. Since the 60s and the advent of the activist scientist, we've not had that, at least in the environmental space, and so there is no reason to trust them.

      --
      This is my sig.
    12. Re:Great, just great by migla · · Score: 0, Troll

      Then this must be lies, since it refutes the claims that random data makes a hockey stick: http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2005/01/on-yet-another-false-claim-by-mcintyre-and-mckitrick/

      Where's the refutation of the refutation?

      --
      Some of my favourite people are from th US; Vonnegut, Chomsky, Bill Hicks.
    13. Re:Great, just great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is very interesting, can you link this website? I am not doubting your claim I just want to see that for myself.

    14. Re:Great, just great by Mashiki · · Score: 1

      Sets from other sources were included too. Including Yamal, if you haven't been paying attention to the flaming fire trees of Russia then you need to be paying attention to fudging of data to push an agenda and why peer reviewed data has been pulled all over the place recently.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    15. Re:Great, just great by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      Funny how it used to be "global warming". Then Al Gore went to present a global warming speech at one of the coldest recorded days in history, there is like a decade showing there has been a temperature decline, rather than increase, and it is suddenly "climate change". No shit there is climate change. If there wasn't, the weathermen would be out of a job. We could just use last year's prediction to this year or some such. AGW (anthropogenic global warming) seems to be a fraud of a science, since it is based on tampered data, as shown per the leak, even if there was no other foul play done, which there is. What is the use of a model which can't predict anything?

    16. Re:Great, just great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Even the comments in the code state that this was exactly the purpose.

      That didn't ring any alarm bells for you? After all, if you're secretly fudging results, the last thing you want is clear comments stating as much. Perhaps that's because, you know, the code's author didn't want the fudged results to be used...

      Uhm... the author had no intent of ever releasing that code.

    17. Re:Great, just great by symbolset · · Score: 1

      Interesting you should use noise as a temperature input. In 2005, some researchers did just that. It turns out that feeding "red noise" into these bogus climate models instead of real data yields a "hockey stick" graph 99% of the time. link (pdf).

      --
      Help stamp out iliturcy.
    18. Re:Great, just great by TheTurtlesMoves · · Score: 1

      As a scientist. One no one has ever heard of. I can get fired for deleting data. The day it was claimed that the data was "lost" an inquiry should have started right then. The last person to use that as an excuse for not presenting the data when asked was fired, and a scientific board advised that *all* his results should be disregarded as fake.

      Why should these guys be treated any differently. Because they are getting treated differently, since they didn't even need to make the data available to get published and didn't get in much trouble for claiming lost data. This inquiry should have all happened long before any emails getting leaked or otherwise.

      --
      The Grey Goo disaster happened 3 billion years ago. This rock is covered in self replicating machines!
    19. Re:Great, just great by intheshelter · · Score: 1

      You apologists appear to conveniently gloss over the other point of context in the "trick" sentence. He mentions using a "trick" to "HIDE the decline" (emphasis mine). I could maybe buy the trick explanation, but the context of the sentence shows he's hiding something that disagrees with his goal. Sorry, but the argument of yours doesn't hold water.

    20. Re:Great, just great by zkiwi34 · · Score: 1

      Dude, you're really in denial of what happened as revealed by the emails and code. It is a little more than hard to "take out of context" requests to delete email and data to avoid complying with a FOI request. And then there's the "No way will I hand over 25 years of my work" response to another FOI act request. Then there's the pushing to get a journal editor dismissed because he isn't on side with them. Acting like that it would be a comparatively easy task to "settle the science" that the Earth is actually flat, and remove the possibility of dissent. Bad behaviour like Jones, the CRU and their "associates" is what holds back science. Seriously, if they "grew a pair" and were prepared to accept review and critique of their work by people who they didn't like then they'd be better scientists, rather than the tossers that they are being revealed as.

    21. Re:Great, just great by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      Uhm... the author had no intent of ever releasing that code.

      Uhm....if you rob a bank I doubt you leave plans lying around your house, even if you plan on leaving no evidence tying the robbery to you...

    22. Re:Great, just great by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      Well, but you should tell the whole story then.

      Why? Say your name is Bob Rivers and you have a sister named Jan and a brother named Jim. Someone hacks your email account and one message out of thousands talks about how "Jim" got Jan pregnant. Except "Jim" is "Jim Smith", the name of her husband - who just happens to share the same first name as your brother.

      Why is it your job to explain to random strangers that your family is not from the South?

  12. Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Glad to see the cat finally coming out of the bag.
    The reason this is under "Politics" is because, like it or not, this has become a political debate.
    The science was thrown out long ago, as the emails prove.

    The Earth undergoes cycles of climate change. We(humans) have a minimal affect on it.
    We were not around for any of the previous hot or cold times, and they will continue to happen long after we're gone. To deny this is to deny historical fact.

    The debate is indeed over. The proof is written in the stone, or the ice, as it were. ;-)

    1. Re:Finally by ejtttje · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Just because climate changes occurred before humanity existed doesn't mean we can't cause changes as well, or that we shouldn't be concerned and mitigate future changes regardless of whether we are the original trigger.

      Our industrial processes are massive. Pretending that this has no effect on the environment or that we shouldn't care about the environment is willfully short sighted.

    2. Re:Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Glad to see the cat finally coming out of the bag.
      The reason this is under "Politics" is because, like it or not, this has become a political debate.
      The science was thrown out long ago, as the emails prove.

      The Earth undergoes cycles of climate change. We(humans) have a minimal affect on it.
      We were not around for any of the previous hot or cold times, and they will continue to happen long after we're gone. To deny this is to deny historical fact.

      The debate is indeed over. The proof is written in the stone, or the ice, as it were. ;-)

      I agree with a large portion of this. However, you simply cannot say that "humans have a minimal affect on it" because there isn't enough data one way or the other to make such a statement. What can be said, however, is that the Earth has undergone far more radical changes in both directions (warm and cold) than what humans can tolerate. And it will certainly continue to do so long after we are gone. But to deny that we should be responsible stewards of the planet while we are here is simply irresponsible.

    3. Re:Finally by cdrguru · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Call me when you can either (a) prevent or (b) cause an iceberg melting.

      The energies involved are trivial compared to the energies stored in the oceans that affect the climate. It is possible, but not proven, that adding CO2 to the atmosphere is increasing the energy stored in the ocean system.

      What is certain is that slowing the rate of addition of CO2 will do nothing. Except cause a major shift in political and economic power. You want real change? How about doing something real that would actually reduce the emissions rather than reducing the rate of increase of the emissions?

      In September of 2001 for a few days passenger air travel was suspended. It actually reduced the emission of CO2 for a few days. This did not cause economic collapse, nor did it kill people or change their lifestyle in a meaningful way. We could shut off passenger air travel and it would have a huge effect on CO2 emissions without a corresponding shift in political and economic power. If there was a real crisis, this would be an option that would make sense. It isn't even up for consideration, almost certainly because of the lack of there actually being a crisis and the fact that it would not cause a huge political and economic shift.

    4. Re:Finally by Bourbonium · · Score: 1

      Too bad I let my mod points expire, or I would be happy to mod you as Insightful.

    5. Re:Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So close. We(humans) currently have an unknown effect on it. Unless you've done the science to demonstrate otherwise.

      There is still plenty of work to be done. What this situation points out is that it needs to be performed in a more transparent manner.

      Regardless, I often wonder what it is that many people want to accomplish. A large group of people appear to want the climate stabilized at it's current or recent state in perpetuity. It seems absurd.

    6. Re:Finally by ejtttje · · Score: 1

      It is possible, but not proven, that adding CO2 to the atmosphere is increasing the energy stored in the ocean system.

      Sounds like you already contradicted your "debate is over" statement. This is why we need research, not people running around spouting policy advice like they already know the extent of our impact.

      And yes, if we then decide to change our impact, this would require a corresponding change in our technologies and usage. I'm not sure why sibling post considers this insightful.

    7. Re:Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Forest fires have been around long before man discovered fire. Therefore, forest fires that occur today are clearly not the result of man.

    8. Re:Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry, you're a 'warmer'. Way too eager to buy into this junk.

      I personally am going to have to see much harder proof now to let you get away with dismissing the warming deniers. Our industrial processes are massive? We (humanity, collectively) are a gnat on a giant. The world is HUGE, have you ever flown overseas? It's huge. Trust me, it takes forever and all you see is ocean the whole time.

      All this pseudo-science, adjusting of numbers, and black magic climate model code has made me 100% skeptical. I think you got played.

      I recommend that all the warmers discretely switch back to traditional religion (or at least unmasked socialism.) One's religious texts must be articles of faith inspired by god to pass muster; GW's cooked books appear to be Scientological.

    9. Re:Finally by nEoN+nOoDlE · · Score: 1

      Yeah, humans of course couldn't have any effect on climate change whatsoever. A huge industrial complex shooting massive amount of CO2 and various other chemicals has been going on for thousands of years - ever since Fred Flinstone slid down his dinosaur/crane after the end of his long workday.

      --
      Don't trust a bull's horn, a doberman's tooth, a runaway horse or me.
    10. Re:Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I get it now! Species went extinct before humans existed, therefore humans have never driven a species to extinction. QED
      Brillant!

    11. Re:Finally by Yunzil · · Score: 1

      We(humans) have a minimal affect on it.

      Show your work.

    12. Re:Finally by w0mprat · · Score: 1

      Just because climate changes occurred before humanity existed doesn't mean we can't cause changes as well, or that we shouldn't be concerned and mitigate future changes regardless of whether we are the original trigger. Our industrial processes are massive. Pretending that this has no effect on the environment or that we shouldn't care about the environment is willfully short sighted.

      To add to your point, massive indeed: we've bumped up the ammount of CO2 in the atmosphere from a pre industrial 350 ppm to past 450ppm and climbing. In the absence of all other evidence to say any impact we have would be minimal is ignorant. CO2 levels is something we have a reliable measure of. The burden of proof is one anyone to show it's going to do nothing.

      --
      After logging in slashdot still does not take you back to the page you were on. It's been that way for 20 years.
    13. Re:Finally by arminw · · Score: 1

      ....Our industrial processes are massive....

      Compared to what? If you compare the entire human output in CO2 and other pollutants, it is miniscule compared to an event like Krakatoa.

      --
      All theory is gray
    14. Re:Finally by ejtttje · · Score: 1

      Krakaotas come and go, but human burning of fossil fuels is non-stop and world wide. Maybe we're not 100% of CO2 production, doesn't mean we don't add up to a significant chunk. And CO2 is only one part of the pollution problem, we also put a lot more exotic stuff in the atmosphere.

      Regardless of the size of our contribution, a separate question is whether we are heading toward global warming and what we can to mitigate this... maybe cutting production, maybe also boosting absorption like protecting rain forests or seeding algae in the oceans. Or we can just run around yelling "LALALALA not my fault LALALA" as Florida goes underwater. (hey, maybe global warming isn't such a bad thing!)

    15. Re:Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You...do realize...it was science that told you that there are regular climate cycles.

      Picking and choosing at all?

    16. Re:Finally by intheshelter · · Score: 1

      We definitely need to stop the pollution, protect resources (rainforests, coral reefs, etc.) and find alternative energy sources. We definitely do NOT want to start f'ing with nature by seeding algae in oceans, etc. Humans have a HORRIBLE record when we mess with nature because we have historically upset natural checks/balances in a effort to "do something good". We simply don't understand our world well enough yet to start down that road.

    17. Re:Finally by volpe · · Score: 1

      The Earth undergoes cycles of climate change. We(humans) have a minimal affect on it.

      Your position on this issue is typical of the Republican War on Science, and it's flawed on two counts:

      First, it's highly disingenuous of you to summarily dismiss global warning as nothing more than a manifestation of the cyclic climate changes that have occurred over thousands of years, when you know that the climatologists and geologists who have been studying this problem are already keenly aware that such cyclic changes take place, and yet remain undeterred in their conviction that the phenomenon is a real anomaly that doesn't fit the pattern.

      Second, if you honestly believe that global warming, by which I mean an anomalous climate change, is even happening, then you don't understand the issue, because nobody, and I mean nobody, who knows anything at all about global warming, disputes that it's happening. It is happening; it's no longer controversial (despite these recently leaked emails); and it's not what the debate is about. The debate is about whether human activity is causing the global warming that is happening. And there is plenty of reason to believe that that it is. I personally like to group the reasons into three broad categories: scientific philosophy, scientific evidence, and scientific consensus.

      With regard to scientific philosophy, there is a principle in science commonly known as Occam's Razor, which, simply put, states that the simplest explanation for something is often the best explanation. The converse of this is that extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. In the context of global warming, what we know is as follows: Over the past 150 years, mankind has seen a rapid rise in industrialization. Industrialization requires energy. Energy is often obtained through the burning of fossil fuels, which releases "greenhouse gasses" into the atmosphere, so named because they are opaque to infrared radiation (like the glass walls in a greenhouse) and therefore trap the radiation that would otherwise radiate away from the earth, allowing it to cool. During those same 150 years, the mean temperature on earth has risen sharply in a way that has never been seen before. It seems to me that the simple explanation is that the burning of fossil fuels is causing the the global warming that is happening, and that the alternative hypothesis, that this is one great big coincidence, is the extraordinary claim that ought to require extraordinary proof.

      With regard to scientific evidence, in 2005 a study was released in which mathematical models were developed based on the various plausible causes of climate change. These models were then examined under computer simulation to see which models agreed with the data. None of the models agreed with the data, except one, that is: the one based on anthropogenic climate change. That model fit the data almost perfectly.

      Finally, there's scientific consensus. In 2004, a meta-study was conducted, examining other studies during the prior ten year period. Not all the studies drew conclusions about the cause of global warming. Some studies dealt with new methods of making historical temperature measurements, and things like that. But the study found approximately 700 peer-reviewed, published, scientific studies demonstrating how human activity is contributing to global warming in one way or another. Now, I say "approximately" 700, because it's difficult for me to remember the precise number of such studies. It's not, however, difficult for me to remember the precise number of peer-reviewed, published scientific studies during that time period demonstrating that human activity has nothing at all to do with global warming. That number is zero. Zilch. Nada. Nill. Bupkiss. There aren't any.
       

  13. Not stepping down. Standing aside by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Not stepping down. Standing aside. As in "I won't be the one in charge whilst this investigation is going on, just like a judge would recuse himself if he had even the appearance of interest in the case".

  14. TEMPORARILY by jfengel · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Even the WSJ article they linked to included the key word "temporarily". They relegated it to the subtitle, but it was there. (The WSJ, owned by Rupert Murdoch, also owner of Fox News, can be assumed to to take the climate-denialist position on everything.)

    Temporarily stepping down is very different from an admission of guilt. It can be a way of allowing work to go on while investigations are under way, when a controversial figure attracts so much attention as to detract from the real work.

    Maybe there are some real failures here, for which the guy does deserve to be removed from his job, but so much of what I've read about the hacked emails is hyped and deliberately misinterpreted that I'm unimpressed by this incident.

    1. Re:TEMPORARILY by tsotha · · Score: 1

      "Temporarily" is also a method for large organizations to fire someone without taking the PR hit when the scandal is hot news. I'd be willing to bet money he steps down permanently in a month or two.

    2. Re:TEMPORARILY by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 2

      (The WSJ, owned by Rupert Murdoch, also owner of Fox News, can be assumed to to take the climate-denialist position on everything.)

      I guess you never watch the Simpsons, Family Guy or any of the other shows on Murdoch's other "channel" (also called Fox) which routinely make fun of everything right of center, including Fox News.

      Yeah, what I thought. Rupert Murdoch is evil, because of Fox News, but Rupert Murdoch is cool because of Fox.

      Let me know when your head starts to explode.

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    3. Re:TEMPORARILY by phantomfive · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The WSJ, owned by Rupert Murdoch, also owner of Fox News, can be assumed to to take the climate-denialist position on everything.

      See, this is the attitude I can't stand. Why do you feel the need to divide everything into believers and denialists? It isn't 'us' against 'them.' That's not scientific in any way.

      What I've seen from the Wall Street Journal seems to be more of a skeptical viewpoint.....they want to see the evidence before they choose one side or the other. As a financial periodical, the WSJ lives and dies by the quality of the information it provides, information that is often immediately testable (if I read that there is an oil embargo in some country, and based on that information invest in oil, only to find out later the information was wrong, I'm not going to be very happy). Is it really unreasonable to demand from scientists that their results also be testable and verifiable? That is how science should be done.

      --
      Qxe4
    4. Re:TEMPORARILY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yes its all rupert and fox news fault that the so called science practiced by the MMGW dolts is a sham, hoax, fake, lies, scam.

      You might want to pinch that pimple stuck between your ass cheeks so you can breath again!

    5. Re:TEMPORARILY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Quote: Is it really unreasonable to demand from scientists that their results also be testable and verifiable?

      It has been tested and verified. Yes, it's us and them, when we say gravity exists and they say we're tied to the earth with invisible strings. It's the hydrostatic paradox again - do we really have to give equal time to people who think electricity is invisible moles, or the time cube guy? No. Random crackpot vs experienced researcher in the field do NOT get equal time, weight, etc.

    6. Re:TEMPORARILY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, what I thought. Rupert Murdoch is evil, because of Fox News, but Rupert Murdoch is cool because of Fox.

      What Rupert Murdoch cares about first and foremost is money. Of course he is conservative to the core, but if he can also make a buck somehow off people with a more liberal bent, he will do that, too. It's all about money to him. Nothing else.

    7. Re:TEMPORARILY by Robin47 · · Score: 1

      Strange that the WSJ and Rupert Murdoch and the skeptics can be portrayed as having a conspiracy but the other side can not? I call double standard.

    8. Re:TEMPORARILY by Rewind · · Score: 1

      I don't see anywhere in what you are replying to the statements "Murdoch is evil" or "Fox is cool!!!!one!!!1!", so I am not sure how that was a counter to what he was saying. Murdoch's news shows almost always lean right, this is fact. That is what the poster was trying to say. Conservative != evil.

      As for the Simpsons and Family Guy, they are comedy shows. Not news shows. While they lean left, they also attack people on the left. Sure they make fun of the right too, and more often, but not exclusively. And again, it is comedy. South Park recently mocked Glenn Beck, I don't think this means that South Park is now a leftist propaganda outlet...

      Besides, I don't think Murdoch could can the Simpsons even if he wanted to. I mean Fox has a history of canning good shows to replace them with drivel, but I think the Simpsons has tenure for more or less saving his network on repeat occasions. :P

      --
      ?
    9. Re:TEMPORARILY by phantomfive · · Score: 2, Insightful

      OK, you're anonymous, but on the off-chance you'll drop by again, let's talk about this.

      What exactly has been tested and verified? Is it a six degree increase in temperature? No, you won't find any consensus anywhere about that. Has it been verified that the climate simulations are accurate? No, there is significant doubt on that point. Is it that global warming will be harmful to man and the planet? No, the effects of such a warming are largely unknown. Is there a consensus that the cap-and-trade bill in congress is a good thing? No, there aren't many people who believe that, I think.

      The consensus is that the temperature records for the last century or so are roughly accurate, and that CO2 has contributed an unspecified amount to towards increasing that temperature. There is consensus that adding CO2 to the atmosphere will increase temperature. There is no consensus that this increase will be outside of normal variation, or that it will be harmful.

      In addition, there's been some suspicious science going on. Once it becomes a political thing, an 'us' against 'them' thing, then you have to be very careful in your investigation of what's going on. From all appearances, the scientists have become just as involved in the political process. This impairs their capacity to see the situation clearly.

      --
      Qxe4
    10. Re:TEMPORARILY by StopKoolaidPoliticsT · · Score: 1

      The WSJ, owned by Rupert Murdoch, also owner of Fox News, can be assumed to to take the climate-denialist position on everything.

      You mean like the hour long special from 2005, The Heat Is On: The Case of Global Warming where they were praised by the greens for being biased in favor of AGW?

      I know it's hip to bash Fox News and all, but maybe you should actually watch it before you repeat what other pundits have said about it. You know, kinda like you should look over the source material for AGW before blindly accepting someone else's interpretation of it.

      --
      Stop Koolaid Politics
    11. Re:TEMPORARILY by algoa456 · · Score: 1

      Don't be sanctimonious - read the f'king Fortran source code of the model yourself and then make a conclusion. I have and it is clear the thing is an unstructured rats nest and that there are several algorithms in it for removing or excluding data that does not support their AGW position. And unfortunately the original data has gone missing. What can one conclude? Regardless of whether there is or is not AGW this work cannot be trusted. And your silly comments about WSJ are irrelevant. George Monbiot (Google him) who is a believer in AGW has also said that what Mann and Jones has done is questionable. He called it a crisis. (Get some facts into your head before you put finger to keyboard.)

    12. Re:TEMPORARILY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ... owned by Rupert Murdoch, also owner of Fox News, can be assumed to to take the climate-denialist position on everything.)

      I'm not sure that this is right. "...can be assumed to take the position that will cause more money to come to News Group companies" is closer to the truth.

      Fox News doesn't take the political position that it does because of political belief, but because of the belief that it will drive viewers to the station.

    13. Re:TEMPORARILY by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 1

      can be assumed to to take the climate-denialist position on everything.

      Murdoch's news shows almost always lean right, this is fact.

      This statement, which is stupid (assuming anything is stupid) on face value, but also shows the person who wrote it has a particular political bent, namely that anyone that disagrees with AGW thesis is a tool of the right.

      I often snicker at "leans right" type comments, because quite frankly, I don't see them as being "right" on the "News" portion of the show. Hanity, Beck and even O'Reilly are commentary, not News, which is where the Liberals typically complain.

      News is news. What is covered often bent left or right(mostly left on most news programs), but is regardless, news.

      I don't have a problem with "left leaning" news any more than "right leaning" news, because I'm able to decipher between the "news" and the "slant".

      The problem I have is the hypocrisy of the left and right, when they get caught making the slant the news, and the news the slant.

      Dan Rather, in his ignoring the GWB Air National Guard document forgery even after it was shown to be a forgery, it clearly one of the more stark examples of the left's forgiveness of Fraud in reporting, when it suits them.

      Hanity, almost on a daily basis is a good example of the same thing on the right. BOTH sides do it.

      The difference, Hanity is admittedly a "conservative", while Dan Rather keeps trying to foist his "independance" and "objectiveness" in journalism.

      Lets just call a spade a spade, and be done with it. Why can't the left just admit they are left leaning and keep reporting? Because ultimately there is no such thing as "unbiased news".

      Why do you think that most news organizations don't report much on the ACORN scandals? Why do you think that the Washington post assigned 12 fact checkers to Palin's new book, while not assigning even one to cover BHO's at that time?

      Political bent is found in all sorts of areas, you just have to open your eyes to see how and what news is covered, and compare.

      There is enough hypocrisy on both sides.

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    14. Re:TEMPORARILY by Rewind · · Score: 1

      I really don't want to get drawn into a debate on news networks when that wasn't my point, however I must point out these two things against my better judgement:

      I often snicker at "leans right" type comments, because quite frankly, I don't see them as being "right" on the "News" portion of the show. Hanity, Beck and even O'Reilly are commentary, not News, which is where the Liberals typically complain.

      But those people ARE Fox News. Jon Stewart had a good bit on that a while back where he basically said what I have been saying forever... All the people you know of as Fox News who come on a prime hours are commentary, even to their own admission. The rest of the news shows are basically no names that come on during off hours. That is fine, in and of itself, but not when you proclaim you are 'Fox News: Fair & Balanced and 1/2 your hosts rant about every other news network being liberal talking points.

      The difference, Hanity is admittedly a "conservative", while Dan Rather keeps trying to foist his "independance" and "objectiveness" in journalism.

      Same thing here, he hardly admits any bias. He is part of Fox News, telling us all the truth that the "liberal media" won't show. Fair & Balanced, but not really. :P

      Because ultimately there is no such thing as "unbiased news".

      Here I totally agree with you. I don't think the left is innocent either. Personally I read the BBC and The New York Times online and my local paper. I also watch The Daily Show if it can be considered news :P. I am sure I get plenty of bias in there, I know this.

      I just dislike the 'Fair & Balanced' naming on Fox News. I also have an automatic dislike for them because the only time I see Fox News is when some friends and I go to a local burger place. They have a big screen TV, we usually go on the weekends and watch some of the college football games while we eat. However, every other weekend or so this same family comes in and changes the TV (they never ask either, the employes used to be more annoyed by this than we were, but I guess they gave up) over to Fox News and I have to listen to that junk over football for the rest of my meal. I don't like that :P

      Anyway (wow this got long) my point wasn't about if I like Fox News or not, I was just pointing out that neither the OP nor I was saying Fox News was evil, but Fox was cool.

      --
      ?
    15. Re:TEMPORARILY by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 1

      Same thing here, he hardly admits any bias. He is part of Fox News, telling us all the truth that the "liberal media" won't show. Fair & Balanced, but not really. :P

      Bill Moyers, Dan Rather, Bill Bradley even Walter Cronkite, all "News" Anchors/reporters all, all LEFT wing.

      They were often their network's "News" guys. The problem is that they just wouldn't admit it, and tried to hide behind "unbiased" and "objective" reporting. Hardly "fair" and not "Biased".

      What makes "Fox" news more "Fair" and "Balanced" is that they don't hide the political leanings of their guests on the commentary shows. Additionally, they will report things that the other media outlets won't, like the examples I listed earlier.

      Personally I read the BBC and The New York Times online and my local paper.

      I was just pointing out that neither the OP nor I was saying Fox News was evil

      Yup. Gotcha.

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    16. Re:TEMPORARILY by Rewind · · Score: 1

      Eh, I think we will just have to agree to disagree on those. I personally just don't see the connection. As for the clip I was talking about, which makes the point better than I can, I dug it up:

      http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-october-29-2009/for-fox-sake-

      if you care to watch it. But I generally try not to debate Fox's coverage too seriously, no one ever changes their opinion so it is fairly pointless. Plus it usually ends up with the pot calling the kettle black on both sides as every source has bias just as every individual does.

      --
      ?
    17. Re:TEMPORARILY by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 1

      I think you've misunderstood my point.

      I don't get my news from Fox. I don't get it from NYT, the BBC, PBS or anywhere else like that.

      I prefer my news raw and unfiltered by news organizations. My point is News organizations are slanting news coverage, by definition.

      The internet makes news gathering interestingly easy for just about anyone to "gather" their own "news".

      I subscribe to a wide variety of RSS feeds(news sites, Blogs, Drudge etc), to get my "news". The intersting thing about this approach is that I can usually find the sources and quotes directly from first hand sources, unbiased and unfiltered.

      I used the Dan Rather example because I knew three or four days before the "news" organizations picked up on it, that someone had figured out it was Microsoft Word document, not the "original" Rather believed it was. Mainstream news only picked it up after the internet caught them with their pants down.

      I also know when "thousands" of protesters are only a couple dozen Liberal protesters, and when a 'few hundred' people are really tens of thousands of "teabaggers".

      Yeah, it is funny how people see the news they want. And yeah, I know I'm not going to change your mind, but perhaps you'll start looking at the "news" differently

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    18. Re:TEMPORARILY by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      And every blue moon Chris Wallace performs an actual act of journalism and asks a tough follow up question of a Republican. That does nothing whatsoever to change the fact that he sucks Republican cock all day long, all day strong.

      Same goes for the rest of Fox. And anyone who argues otherwise is either grossly ignorant of Fox's penchant for labeling Republicans in trouble as Democrats on the ticker & showing months old footage and pretending it's new - just to scratch the surface - or they have the same appetite as Chris Wallace.

    19. Re:TEMPORARILY by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      I suppose you could see it that way, but then I'd have to call you willfully obtuse. Where's the financial incentive for scientists to fake results?

    20. Re:TEMPORARILY by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      See, this is the attitude I can't stand. Why do you feel the need to divide everything into believers and denialists? It isn't 'us' against 'them.' That's not scientific in any way.

      What are you babbling on about? This is Fox News, the propaganda mouthpiece for the Republican party. This isn't an ad hominem, it's a simple fact that's not up for debate. You might as well try and argue that Korean Central Television is an unbiased news source.

    21. Re:TEMPORARILY by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      Bill Moyers, Dan Rather, Bill Bradley even Walter Cronkite, all "News" Anchors/reporters all, all LEFT wing.

      I have a suggestion for you: go see a nice proctologist in North Korea for that little "problem" of yours. Once he's done extracting your head from your ass, you can take a good look around and see what LEFT WING actually looks like.

    22. Re:TEMPORARILY by Robin47 · · Score: 1

      I would think things like prestige, grants, awards, etc, anything to keep the money rolling in. These people are just as human as anyone else. The fact that these people were at the top of the heap in climate research probably means they were extraordinarily competitive also.That might be motivation to game the system to increase your edge. They had it going for a long time and might have thought they could still keep things under control. When you think you are on a winning streak, you don't think about it ending. It's often one little thing that brings it down. I don't gamble anymore. Too tempting to stay in the game and get one more good roll. I'm just saying everyone is human. Maybe they weren't running a scam on purpose but they certainly had group think going for them. Neither side is immune is the point.

    23. Re:TEMPORARILY by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 1

      so, what you're saying is that these are not left wing enough for you?

      Gotcha

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    24. Re:TEMPORARILY by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      Strangely the topic I was addressing wasn't Fox News, it was the Wall Street Journal. More specifically it is the whole idea of 'deniers' and 'believers' that is ridiculous. Anyone who talks about a scientific topic in terms of deniers and believers sounds like a religious fool.

      And you, you sound like you can't keep a topic straight.

      --
      Qxe4
    25. Re:TEMPORARILY by Donkey_Hotey · · Score: 1

      But it's true. It is just a part of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy...

      --
      (There is supposed to be a Sarcmark® here, but my $1.99 check hasn't cleared, yet...)
  15. Yahoo! by scarboni888 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Finally I can stop putting up the pretense like I care and quit bothering with all this reducing, reusing, recycling nonsense!!

    As IF we'd ever be able to pollute the planet in any significant way or run out of resources.

    Scientist jerks like these really get my goatse.

  16. Scientific method... by benjamindees · · Score: 1

    So would it be unscientific to say that where there's smoke, there's warming?

    --
    "I assumed blithely that there were no elves out there in the darkness"
  17. Yeah unlike Exxon shills who never get a cent by Nicolas+MONNET · · Score: 3, Insightful

    After all Exxon is so broke...

    1. Re:Yeah unlike Exxon shills who never get a cent by corbettw · · Score: 0

      Pick one, any one, climate scientist who receives funding from an oil company. Then show how his or her data or methods are flawed. Until then, shut the fuck up, no one cares where the money comes from if the data and methods are sound and support the conclusions.

      Which of course is the big problem with AGW now: the data and methods are fundamentally unsound, ergo their conclusions are not supported. Ergo, there is no global warming.

      --
      God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
    2. Re:Yeah unlike Exxon shills who never get a cent by Nicolas+MONNET · · Score: 1

      They certainly won't pay scientists to do science. They can simply pay dubious scientists for "advice". It's even more efficient to buy media time and politicians.

    3. Re:Yeah unlike Exxon shills who never get a cent by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ..., ergo their conclusions are not supported. Ergo, there is no global warming.

      Ergo you fail logic class.

    4. Re:Yeah unlike Exxon shills who never get a cent by lwsimon · · Score: 0

      So which is it? Is Exxon paying "them", or are they not?

      You Earther types are all the same - take both sides of an argument when it suits your agenda, then close your eyes to the logical contradictions.

      --
      Learn about Photography Basics.
  18. "Step down" by wiredog · · Score: 1

    Are they "spending more time with their families" now?

    They were fired.

    1. Re:"Step down" by uncadonna · · Score: 1

      Prof Jones is still a professor. He has temporarily stepped down as head of the Climate Research Unit pending the investigation.

      --
      mt
    2. Re:"Step down" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Prof Jones is still a professor. He has temporarily stepped down as head of the Climate Research Unit pending the investigation.

      Is that a little bit like Tiger Woods temporarily not playing golf in his own tournament this week?

    3. Re:"Step down" by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      You can't play your best golf when you're injured.

    4. Re:"Step down" by sycodon · · Score: 1

      In the meantime, he is trying to figure out of the island is sinking.

      Little does he know that Gilligan has been moving his measuring stick further and further into the lagoon in search of bigger lobsters.

      --
      When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
  19. Not fraud. Why is it so hard to believe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not fraud. Why is it so hard to believe?

    It isn't fraud since there's no evidence of fraud. With Bernie, there was a huge lump of money gone AWOL. Yet the independent data still shows the same effect as this supposedly contaminated one.

    So where's the evidence of fraud?

    It's like accusing a bank manager of robbing the bank but no money has gone missing.

  20. Who should I trust more ... by Nicolas+MONNET · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    On one hand, we have dozens of national academies of science, tens of thousands of scientists, a handful of whom might or might not have embellished their results. And that is very bad indeed, although I could point out that Mendel among others is believed to have done the same thing about his peas, and we all know how wrong that turned out to be.

    On the other hand we have the most evil people on earth, from the fat Exxon types raking in dozens of billions of dollars of revenue, or the mountain top removal coal mining asswipes raping the WV landscape when they're not too busy giving blowjobs to creationist gay-bashing whore-fucking war-mongering GOP congresscritters, and the conveniently stupid born again, young earther, racist ignorant nationalist fucktards that is their constituency.

    Yeah, who am I going to fucking trust.

    1. Re:Who should I trust more ... by corbettw · · Score: 1

      On the other hand we have the most evil people on earth, from the fat Exxon types raking in dozens of billions of dollars of revenue

      Yep, sounds like a completely objective post to me. Can't find a single reason to ignore everything you have to say on the subject.

      --
      God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
    2. Re:Who should I trust more ... by Nicolas+MONNET · · Score: 1

      Yeah cause I sure claimed to be objective by posting my *opinion*.

    3. Re:Who should I trust more ... by Shotgun · · Score: 1

      On the other hand we have the most evil people on earth, from the fat Exxon types raking in dozens of billions of dollars of revenue, or the mountain top removal coal mining asswipes raping the WV landscape

      And you sit there, munching your Doritoes (made from corn made possible by farm equipment powered by diesel fuel processed by Exxon) which came into town on a truck (powered by diesel fuel powered by Exxon), as you type at your computer (powered with electricity generated using the heat from the coal from those WV mountaintops), saying that you trust the ones who have been proven to be liars above those that are trying to hold an honest job.

      Obviously, you're completely clueless and in desparate need of help. Don't worry, Obama and Pelosi are here to make sure everything works out perfectly in your life. Until they get the world perfectly ordered for you, so that you don't have to worry about feeding or dressing yourself or tending to your own health, just keep in mind that if the old guy offers you candy, don't get in the back of his van.

      --
      Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
      Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
    4. Re:Who should I trust more ... by Nicolas+MONNET · · Score: 1

      I don't eat dorritos or any of that disgusting crap, my electricity comes 80% from state-owned, carbon neutral nuclear power and 0% from coal, and I sure would have preferred an Obama or a Pelosi to that Sarkozy son of a bitch.

  21. What surprises me about all of this by gujo-odori · · Score: 1, Interesting

    What surprises me about all of this isn't that that the Climategate scientists were caught apparently fudging facts and massaging data when said facts and data did not support what they wanted the conclusion to be, or that they were caught definitely trying to muzzle any scientists who questioned them. What surprises me most is that people are surprised by this. What surprises me second most is that scientists don't get caught doing this more often.

    Why is that?

    Well, we (well, not I, but many people) have this view of scientists as pure, balanced, objective, high-minded individuals in pursuit of pure scientific truth, Reality is that scientists, while highly trained and educated, are human just like everyone else. They can be vain, egotistical, self-serving, corrupt, and dishonest, just like everyone else. They want to be right, just like everyone else. They don't want to be publicly proven wrong, just like everyone else. And some of them will do anything to not be proven wrong, including lie and forge data and results. I'm not saying the scientists in question here did (or didn't) do that, just that some scientists have done things like that in the past and will do so again in the future. They're human, like anybody else.

    For those of you old enough to remember when the prevailing theory of dinosaur extinction was failure to adapt to changing environmental conditions and competition from the rise of mammals, you may also recall that the first scientists to advance the mass-extinction/asteroid impact theory had scorn heaped upon them for years by the scientific establishment. However, they stuck to their guns and that theory is now accepted as fact and anyone advancing the previous theory would be the scorn magnet.

    This is a case that certainly bears investigation, to find out whether or not real fraud has really occurred, and why (and how successful they were) they are trying so hard to prevent even the publication by other highly qualified researchers of any opposing viewpoint. After all, if the AGW theorists are correct and their methodology sound, it should stand up to public scrutiny and challenge, so why be afraid of challengers. If the AGW group is right, the challengers will be proven wrong.

    That said, I think that reasonable efforts to reduce use of fossil fuels and produce less pollution are good in and of themselves, whether global warming is caused by humans (or even happening) or not. If you lived in southern California in the seventies, you'll recall how bad the smog was in those days. There were days when the smog was so bad that classes at my middle school in San Diego were canceled and students were sent home early. Today, there are far more cars on the SoCal freeways, but the air is much better, thanks to more fuel-efficient vehicles and good pollution control equipment. AFAIK school doesn't get canceled due to smog anymore, not even in LA. If we all had the kind of cars now that we had then, the smog would be so bad that SoCal (and the Bay area) would both be unlivable. Sustainable practices are good, independent of global warming.

    1. Re:What surprises me about all of this by dwguenther · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      That's an astonishingly ignorant analysis of science. You've completely missed that point that published results can be reviewed and replicated by thousands of researchers from any research group, in any country, at any time. If 'vanity' drives any given researcher to lie (like that Korean geneticist), then sooner or later some other independent researcher will find them out. That's how science is supposed to work, and how it successfully overcomes political agendas. If you think that climate change research is rigged, then you're thinking much too small (or else thinking like a politician).

    2. Re:What surprises me about all of this by Shotgun · · Score: 1

      That's an astonishingly ignorant analysis of science. You've completely missed that point that published results can be reviewed and replicated by thousands of researchers from any research group, in any country, at any time.

      Not if the data to reproduce that research is not obtainable.
      Not if the methods that produce the results are not known.

      The scientist in question hid, then eventually destroyed data. They kept their "models" hidden for years.

      Luckily, as you say, now that their data a models are becoming public and peer review becomes possible, the wheels of science starts to grind and we discover that these so-called scientist were just frauds. And as the original poster stated, it is no surprise that some fraudsters have infiltrated the ranks of legitimate scientist.

      --
      Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
      Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
    3. Re:What surprises me about all of this by gujo-odori · · Score: 2, Insightful

      No, it's not. There's a smoking gun that they concealed data contrary to their hypothesis in some cases, modified the data to fit the hypothesis in other cases, and actively worked to prevent researchers with differing opinions from:

      1) Analyzing their data
      2) Being published at all.

      The Korean guy was a lot easier to catch because he was only one guy, and he was what one might call an honest liar. He made a bogus publication while supplying all the information necessary to falsify his claims.

      Climate research is dicier because not all that many scientists, really, have access to some of the raw data. Let's say, for example, that I set up a climatological research center. I go take a bunch of ice cores, tree cores, etc. I set up weather stations to record temperatures. I aggregate all this data, then adjust anything that doesn't support my hypothesis. Other researchers at my center and at other places collude with me in doing this. I publish my results.

      Later, somebody wants to double-check my work. I hand over all the data. All the massaged data, that is, while claiming that it's raw. No one questions it too closely b/c after all, why should I lie?

      Plausible? Sure. Did it happen in this case? Don't know. That's why I said it merits investigation. I didn't say climate change research is rigged. I said it might be, there's a smoking gun, and it needs to be scrutinized very closely. There are reputable scientists who have done so and are calling BS on some or all of it, only to have the other side work very hard to prevent them from being heard at all. Rather than attack their arguments, it doesn't want them to be allowed to argue. That's not how science is supposed to work.

      And like you said, if this is bogus, some independent researcher or researchers will find them out. They seem to not want independent researchers to be allowed to fact check them or publish. Could it be that they are in the process of being found out and are trying very hard to prevent it? Maybe. Let all the fact-checking go forward and let any and all scientists who think the pro-GW group is wrong publish. If the anti-GW scientists are wrong, that will become apparent. As you say, that's how science is supposed to work. My contention is that it often doesn't work that way. Science has politics and agendas of its own, driven in large part by the desire for public and private funding, and somewhat by the desire for fame.

      I'm not in disagreement with you about how it's supposed to work. What I'm telling you is that because scientists are human too, it doesn't always work that way. You sound like you are clinging to the "scientists are perfect, and perfectly honest" myth. That Korean geneticist is a perfect example supporting my argument. Thanks for that.

      Is there a political agenda in the global warming debate? Sure. More than one. The pro side certainly has a political agenda, since GW theory is giving them a good excuse to do what they want to do anyway, and they are not going to scrutinize it too closely. The anti side also has a politico-economic agenda because they don't want to do it if it's not actually necessary.

      That's why there needs to be a lot more scrutiny, something which the pro side seeks to suppress. Anytime one side wants to suppress debate, you need to look at their motives. It's kind of like healthcare reform in the US. The pros aren't much interested in debate of what, or even why, action needs to be taken. All the more reason why their should be vigorous and extended public debate.

  22. Is that all? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is that all?

    http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2009/04/13/daily10.html

    CEO of Exxon as much in a year...

    1. Re:Is that all? by sexconker · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The CEO of Exxon is the CEO of a company that provides an invaluable service to the entire world.

      The guy who stepped down? He's running a political organization designed to create laws and a new economy that will leech money off of the oil industry and the common people.

      I don't like that the CEO of Exxon rakes in assloads of cash when economies suffer from fuel prices. But at least Exxon provides a service, manipulates the world governments to a far lesser degree, and doesn't take a complete shit on science itself.

    2. Re:Is that all? by Celestial+Avatar · · Score: 1

      But at least Exxon provides a service, manipulates the world governments to a far lesser degree, and doesn't take a complete shit on science itself.

      Like that time Exxon tried to argue that lead additives in gasoline were not at all harmful and that the research showing the dangers of lead were simply the results of scientists with an agenda? Yes, clearly Exxon's track record is spotless.

    3. Re:Is that all? by Jedi+Alec · · Score: 1

      The CEO of Exxon is the CEO of a company that provides an invaluable service to the entire world.

      Holy fuck. That did it. You just destroyed what remained of my faith in humanity.

      Free market philosophy, fine. I may not agree on all aspects, but it's a valid starting point for a debate. But now we're actually supposed to be grateful to oil companies?

      And if Exxon manipulates governments less than this conspiracy of evil mad scientists...I feel really sorry for all those lobbyists who'll be out of work soon.

      --

      People replying to my sig annoy me. That's why I change it all the time.
    4. Re:Is that all? by intheshelter · · Score: 1

      I really hope this was intended to be sarcastic humor. I don't look at it as an either-or proposition. The "expert" scientists seem to have questionable methods/ethics AND the CEO of Exxon is a lying scumbag. They both suck.

      Any attempt to hold Exxon up as a pillar of good behavior is about the dumbest thing I've ever seen.

    5. Re:Is that all? by sexconker · · Score: 1

      They both suck, but at least Exxon does something useful.

    6. Re:Is that all? by sexconker · · Score: 1

      Way to miss the point.

      They both suck, but Exxon does something useful.

      Climate "scientists" have done NOTHING to benefit mankind in ANY way, and are only serving a political agenda that will harm people.

    7. Re:Is that all? by intheshelter · · Score: 1

      Not to descend into Godwins Law, but I'm sure I could find something useful that the Nazis did, but they were still scum.

  23. The denialists are out in force today by Nicolas+MONNET · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Madoff? The guy who stole billions of dollar? Versus a guy who might, at worst, have infringed on a Freedom of Information act? What else is fraud? The "Nature trick" thing? That's such bullshit it's ridiculous.

    1. Re:The denialists are out in force today by tjstork · · Score: 1

      Madoff? The guy who stole billions of dollar? Versus a guy who might, at worst, have infringed on a Freedom of Information act? What else is fraud? The "Nature trick" thing? That's such bullshit it's ridiculous.

      The economic damage caused by implementing massive energy taxes would essentially drop the standard of living of the USA by a Madoff per day.

      --
      This is my sig.
    2. Re:The denialists are out in force today by Nicolas+MONNET · · Score: 1

      What was the drop in the standard of living after Katrina?

      Oh that's right, because if one climate scientist lied, clearly they all do and Exxon-Mobil-NewsCorp-GOP Inc. was right all along.

    3. Re:The denialists are out in force today by tjstork · · Score: 1

      What was the drop in the standard of living after Katrina?

      Yeah, like any climate model can actually predict the formation and landfall of a particular hurricane.

      Oh that's right, because if one climate scientist lied, clearly they all do and Exxon-Mobil-NewsCorp-GOP Inc. was right all along.

      LEFT: You must do what we want, and give us all your money or (the world will end|the poor will suffer|the races will fight|just give us the money). We're the reasoning, intelligent people, and you can trust US.

      RIGHT: No. I totally don't care.

      LEFT: Wah wah wah wah.. You are evil we hate you! We're going to get the government! Wah wah wah!

      RIGHT: Ok, we'll just leave the city|state|country

      LEFT: Wah wah wah... you can't do that... Look at how evil that guy is... we're going to get you!

      --
      This is my sig.
    4. Re:The denialists are out in force today by Nicolas+MONNET · · Score: 1

      Yeah, like any climate model can actually predict the formation and landfall of a particular hurricane.

      And thermodynamic can't predict the behaviour of individual molecules therefore what it says about the general trends is wrong, right? ... you are a moron. An ignorant, pompous, criminally stupid moron.

    5. Re:The denialists are out in force today by tjstork · · Score: 1

      And thermodynamic can't predict the behaviour of individual molecules therefore what it says about the general trends is wrong, right?

      No, it says that thermodynamics fails for some aspects of individual molecules. If you have a set of maths that are PROVEN for climate, then that would be a different story. But, you can't predict climate, on any scale of dimension or time, whereas, thermodynamics at least succeeds above the molecular level. You can't make long range forecasts because of initial dependency. You can't make short range forecasts because of scale. You can't do anything.

      ... you are a moron. An ignorant, pompous, criminally stupid moron.

      Oh, how childish of you, quaint salesman of smoke oil.

      --
      This is my sig.
    6. Re:The denialists are out in force today by Nicolas+MONNET · · Score: 1

      Thermodynamics does not even remotely "fail for some aspects of individual molecules." It's not in scope. Thermodynamics is statistical in nature, and so is climate science. You lose. Go away.

    7. Re:The denialists are out in force today by tjstork · · Score: 1

      Thermodynamics is statistical in nature, and so is climate science. Y

      Thermodynamics can pretty reliably predict the average velocity of a billion molecules, or a trillion, and lets you subdivide things into grids and times that you like, and can even tell you the accuracy at each scale.

      Climate modelling, on other hand, cannot. Someone says they say the earth will be 6C warmer in 100 years. So I say it must be some f(x) C warmer in 10. But, oh no, we can't do that. Someone says the earth should be 6C warmer in 100 years, but, can I take a span of a freeway, measure that, and get a feel for how much CO2 actually effects temperature? No.. we can't do that.

      Thermodynamics is a science. Climate modelling is statistically informed speculation, and there is a difference. That doesn't mean you should reject climate modelling, or modelling of any kind, but you can't say that its hard science, because its not. If a model cannot predict sufficient to allow manipulation, then, its not science.

      --
      This is my sig.
    8. Re:The denialists are out in force today by Pranadevil2k · · Score: 1

      The argument being made is that the results of the CRU research that have been found to use this modified data played a large role in passing legislation in the US and other countries that cost governments millions or billions of [currency] to enact and enforce. On top of that, most likely using government money to create this fake data. Consider the lowest common denominator average joe citizen hearing this in the news after having global warming drilled into them for the past 10 years, and you might see how this single act of dishonesty on the part of these scientists could setback the global warming debate by a whole hell of a lot.

    9. Re:The denialists are out in force today by Nicolas+MONNET · · Score: 1

      Thermodynamics can pretty reliably predict the average velocity of a billion molecules, or a trillion, and lets you subdivide things into grids and times that you like, and can even tell you the accuracy at each scale.

      That's got nothing to do with "aspects of individual molecules," because even when you've got the best information possible about the state and structure of a system, thermodynamics also known as statistical mechanics only operates on statistical properties of large number of molecules.

      Just like demography will tell you that the average american family has 1.89 children, you won't find that one family with 1.89 children anywhere. And it doesn't fail for that -- that's simply an absurd request.

      In any case, when you've got excellent information about the state and structure of a system, you can run very good simulations, as you rightly point out. A very good example would be weather prediction. It's limited by processing power and input data accuracy.

      But as in any engineering discipline, even with lacking data you can draw conclusions. A civil engineer can't tell you at exactly at what load his bridge will collapse, but he can tell you a very good estimate on what is safe.

      Same for climate science. We can calculate *very* easily that some CO2 loads would be a catastrophe. Let me pull am enormous number out of my ass - 5%. With 5% CO2 in the atmosphere, there would be a disaster, nobody can deny that. What about 2%? That too. 1%? Still yes. And below that the probability keeps decreasing. But how fast? Well it gets harder and harder to compute, just like when you try to compute the collapse limit for a bridge by 1 pound increments.

      But that bridge engineer will tell you it's a pointless exercise, almost as pointless as finding that family with 1.89 children. We can never be sure at what exact CO2 levels the climate will in actuality go haywire, but we know there is such a level. And in civil engineering we try to be almost an order of magnitude below the limit. Seems sensible for me to do the same with our climate.

    10. Re:The denialists are out in force today by tjstork · · Score: 1

      Just like demography will tell you that the average american family has 1.89 children, you won't find that one family with 1.89 children anywhere. And it doesn't fail for that -- that's simply an absurd request.

      It's not an absurd request because all I tried to do was apply classical mechanics to a single molecule. If I wanted to know the temperature of a single O2, I should theoretically be able to sense its velocity, convert that number to basically temperature, and that's that.

      The thing is, other people tried to do the same kinds of things, way back in the day, and they discovered that classical mechanics breaks down at the tiny levels, in other words, it FAILS. DOESN'T WORK. DOES NOT COMPUTE. YOU NEED A NEW SCIENCE.

      But that bridge engineer will tell you it's a pointless exercise, almost as pointless as finding that family with 1.89 children.

      Actually its an entirely different activity and back in the day they used to test ship stability by putting weight on it until started to behave badly. This test was done on the Vasa and it failed but they sailed anyway. It's sinking was predictable even then.

      We can never be sure at what exact CO2 levels the climate will in actuality go haywire, but we know there is such a level. And in civil engineering we try to be almost an order of magnitude below the limit. Seems sensible for me to do the same with our climate.

      And that is my point. We can predict well enough when the bridge will fail. We cannot predict when the climate will fail to any degree of utility.

      We need better science on climate because what we have is not good enough. It fails when you ask it the hard questions.

      --
      This is my sig.
  24. climate change groomer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    interesting that you use the term "deniers", so lumping those who disagree with you in with holocaust deniers. But be careful with these ad hominim attacks, they can rebound my climate change grooming friend.

  25. A dark day for science... by TapeCutter · · Score: 5, Interesting

    "We've arranged a global civilization in which most crucial elements profoundly depend on science and technology. We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster. We might get away with it for a while, but sooner or later this combustible mixture of ignorance and power is going to blow up in our faces... I worry that, especially as the Millennium edges nearer, pseudoscience and superstition will seem year by year more tempting, the siren song of unreason more sonorous and attractive. Where have we heard it before? Whenever our ethnic or national prejudices are aroused, in times of scarcity, during challenges to national self-esteem or nerve, when we agonize about our diminished cosmic place and purpose, or when fanaticism is bubbling up around us - then, habits of thought familiar from ages past reach for the controls. The candle flame gutters. Its little pool of light trembles. Darkness gathers. The demons begin to stir." - Carl Sagan, Demon Haunted World (Science as a candle in the dark).

    --
    And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    1. Re:A dark day for science... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ironic quote, considering that Carl Sagan laid the foundation for the global warming nuts with his politicization of nuclear winter.

    2. Re:A dark day for science... by TapeCutter · · Score: 0, Troll

      Mate, pull your head out of your asre and take a look around you, truthers, birthers, creationists, anti-vaccinationists, NWO conspiracy theorist, AGW deniers and greenpeace. All onboard the ship of fools.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    3. Re:A dark day for science... by BobMcD · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Right alongside the other fools that believe the opposite things without using an ounce of reason to come to their conclusions.

      Despite your world view, being ignorant is not limited to only those people with whom you disagree.

    4. Re:A dark day for science... by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      It's you perogative to make assumptions about my worldview and put your faith in the "fair and balanced" approach espoused in your post, I put mine in science.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    5. Re:A dark day for science... by DeVilla · · Score: 1

      Carl Sagan's right! Grab your torches and pitchforks! We've got to stop all those ignorant bastards before they destroy us all!

    6. Re:A dark day for science... by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      If Sagan's book was compulsory reading for high school students there would be less carnage.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    7. Re:A dark day for science... by turkeyfish · · Score: 1

      Well, Geroge Bernard Shaw wryly noted that

      A reasonable man adapts to his environment. An unreasonable man insists on having his environment adapt to him. Consequently, progress will depend entirely upon unreasonable men.

      Looks as if the rest of us are just caught in between Al Quieda and right-wing climate denying wackos.

    8. Re:A dark day for science... by BobMcD · · Score: 1

      You're full of crap, and you're wrong about me. You're also most likely wrong about the pejoratives you're slinging around.

      For example:

      truthers - I think we can all agree that our government should never perpetrate attacks of this nature on anyone, ever.

      birthers - I think we can all agree that anyone elected to the office of President should be qualified beyond any reasonable doubt for the office.

      creationists - I think we can all agree that all Americans are free to believe what they wish religiously, and to advocate their faith to others.

      anti-vaccinationists - I think we can all agree that vaccinations are subject to the hippocratic oath.

      NWO conspiracy theorist - I think we can all agree that an organization that circumvents our democracy is a bad thing.

      AGW deniers - I think we can all agree that appropriate actions need to be taken against measurable risks.

      greenpeace - I think we can all agree that corporations have an environmental responsibility just like the rest of us.

      The rest is just details, and though you may disagree with these people on principle, you could easily - if you gave a damn about being a decent person - at least find a way to tolerate them. But no, I guess name-calling just works better for you.

  26. Climate Hack by hackus · · Score: 0, Troll

    I really HOPE nobody is surprised about this.

    Anyone who is researching our planets climate record and current climate HONESTLY, knew this whole carbon tax thing was a money making scam.

    What does that tell you by the way how deep this corruption runs when Al Gore gets a NOBEL prize for the "research" these people did?

    Actually, if you follow the money, the people behind this could care less about our planet, or anyone on it. What they are more concerned about are:

    1) How can I make trillions of dollars a year?

    2) How can I control more people?

    The first step is to get a world body that taxes all nations and peoples on the earth as a precedent. Since these shadowy figures behind all of this know that they could never outright tax everyone without a huge political hurdle, they are using the guise of the environmental movement to facilitate this tax so people think it is saving trees, snails and whales.

    Yeah, sure it is.

    You people who believe in this stuff reading this post are stupid sheepeople.

    Once the system is setup, more taxes can then easily be added and now you have a government fully sustained by taxes that reaches world wide.

    That is the real goal.

    If they succeed, they will begin with the next part of their agenda's, which I won't get into right here because nobody would believe me....yet....so I will wait till its about to happen.

    But if just 10 years ago, I was saying to you that a government body is going to be created that would tax all nations, you would have claimed I had a screw loose.

    Well, its on the verge of happening, and once it does happen these very evil people will have the resources of an entire planet to accomplish even more evil.

    -Hack

    --
    Got Geometrodynamics? Awe, too hard to figure out? Too bad.
    1. Re:Climate Hack by the_one(2) · · Score: 1

      Carbon credits as a general idea is a pretty neat way of paying for externalities. Making the system global gives a larger market with presumably more competition. Of course how well the system would work would depends on the implementation.

    2. Re:Climate Hack by evilviper · · Score: 1

      But if just 10 years ago, I was saying to you that a government body is going to be created that would tax all nations, you would have claimed I had a screw loose.

      I'll tell you, TODAY, you have a frickin' screw loose. Probably several, in fact.

      Anyone who is researching our planets climate record and current climate HONESTLY, knew this whole carbon tax thing was a money making scam.

      Money-making for who?

      the people behind this could care less about our planet

      Impossible to know someone's motives, and irrelevant to what they're actually doing, so you've said nothing at all of value here.

      You people who believe in this stuff reading this post are stupid sheepeople.

      Either that, or the people complaining about it are insane conspiracy theorists... Could be either one....

      Once the system is setup, more taxes can then easily be added and now you have a government fully sustained by taxes that reaches world wide.

      International treaties have existed forever, and they all carry the same lack of power... Any country can opt out at any time they want, and chose whether to admit it or not. You're no worse off than if you never signed-up to being with.

      I won't get into right here because nobody would believe me....

      Good to see we agree on something!

      -Hack

      Yes, you certainly are...

      --
      Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
    3. Re:Climate Hack by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're wrong, and everyone still thinks you have several screws loose.

    4. Re:Climate Hack by arminw · · Score: 1

      .... these very evil people will have the resources of an entire planet to accomplish even more evil....

      It is interesting that both Daniel of the Old Testament and the apostle John and Paul in the New Testament of the Bible, prophesy of a world government with an evil ruler called the antichrist. It also foretells that this evil ruler will institute an identifier placed physically on each person, without which nobody will be allowed to buy or sell. Is your Social Security number, debit card and credit card a precursor to such a system?

      Jesus prophesied of a time so terrible, the likes of which has never been on earth before and never will be again. He adds that if this time were not cut short (by God's intervention), no human being would live through it.

      Just think what a modern-day Hitler could do with computers, weapons of mass destruction and other modern-day technology that was not yet available to that madman.

      It looks to me like the world is lurching toward the fulfillment of these prophecies.

      --
      All theory is gray
    5. Re:Climate Hack by hackus · · Score: 1

      Yeah, go ahead and mod me down and call me a troll I do not care.

      Fact of the matter is, the media isn't even reporting on this because they won't touch it. Seems this "momentous and serious" challenge issue facing humanity is not as important as what Obama and his cronies had for dinner last night.

      Why? Most of the media is about control, and this control doesn't want people to know the science of carbon credits and its ilk called "Global Warming" or now, since they subtly changed the name to "Cimate Change" because even the stupidest person sees there is not evidence for man induced warming.

      So they changed the name of this ridiculous power grab to Climate Change because climate does change, and always has so you cannot argue against it.

      Oh, didn't snow last year? That is due to climate change and we have to have a special tax for that.

      --
      Got Geometrodynamics? Awe, too hard to figure out? Too bad.
  27. Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So the perpetrators of the fraud assure us there is no fraud? That's a relief!

    who do you think controls realclimate.org?

    stay in school kids!

  28. Remember Ike's Warning? by whatthef*ck · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Remember Ike's warning about the Military-Industrial Complex? In that same speech, he also said:

    the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers.

    The prospect of domination of the nation’s scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present and is gravely to be regarded.

    Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.

    (http://www.h-net.org/~hst306/documents/indust.html)

    Think about that the next time someone tries to discredit research because it was funded by an oil company.

    Ike's warning has been borne out. Public policy has become the captive of a scientific-technological elite, who, unsurprisingly, are a bunch of dishonest frauds.

    1. Re:Remember Ike's Warning? by sweatyboatman · · Score: 1

      Public policy has become the captive of a scientific-technological elite

      whatthef*ck indeed!

      imagine, scientists and engineers being consulted when formulating public policy.

      things would be much better if we went back to praying to the heavens for answers.

      --
      It breaks my pluginses, my precious!
    2. Re:Remember Ike's Warning? by pwfffff · · Score: 1

      There's a difference between "Here's $10,000 to chop up some trees and tell us how cold it was back then," and "...by the way, we have $100,000 we'll fund you with to tell us the ramifications of this horrible global warming -- if you find evidence of it existing, that is."

      I'm not saying the latter is part of some conspiracy or overt bribery... having a confirmation bias doesn't mean you're dishonest. It just means that maybe these scientists all said, on their own, with complete earnest, "Only these 12 trees seem to indicate warming... perhaps these others were affected by humidity, which could be adjusted out by adding X and Y...".

      I've admittedly not read the papers, but from my understanding of the situation any scientists who then tried to say "Where is your reasoning for these adjustments? How many trees from back then can you use as a control to ensure that you're adjusting to the actual temperatures?" were ignored.

      If anyone with more experience in the field can explain some of that I'd appreciate it. All discussions I've seen so far go something like, "They adjusted the data!" "They had to! Humidity! Errors!" and then... that's it.

    3. Re:Remember Ike's Warning? by jbeach · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Just because Federal-funded research **may** be influenced by Federal $, does NOT mean that corporate-funded research is clean. If anything, Federal-funded research is more likely to be clean IF ONLY because the Federal government is ultimately beholden to the voters, whereas companies are only beholden to their stockholders, if at all.

      --
      The Invisible Hand of the Free Market is what punches workers in the nuts.
    4. Re:Remember Ike's Warning? by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      by the way, we have $100,000 we'll fund you with to tell us the ramifications of this horrible global warming -- if you find evidence of it existing, that is."

      And as soon as you can show that more than a fraction of a percentage of grants are handed out on such a basis, you might have a point there.

  29. OMG! Climate scientists are people by sweatyboatman · · Score: 0, Troll

    They hold grudges! They take personal stake in their projects! They make up data!

    Say it aint so!

    I always assumed that these men who study the long-term variations of the planet's climate were appointed by an infallible creator as impartial arbiters of truth!

    But now I find out that they are just regular people! Their only qualifications are going to grad school, getting PhDs, and publishing papers that impressed their peers!

    And to top it all off, they don't have respect for other scientists whose theories contradict their own! They complain that these conflicting theories are poorly constructed, easily refuted, and written explicitly for shock value. As though it matters.

    I know that in America, every piece of information should be treated equally! Whether it's backed up by actual evidence, or not. It's not up to "experts" who have spent their lives studying these things to decide what's the truth. It's up to each and every person's gut!

    Preponderance of evidence? I don't even know what that word means. But I do know that my momma didn't raise no fool. Going forwards, I am not going to trust any scientists ever again!

    --
    It breaks my pluginses, my precious!
    1. Re:OMG! Climate scientists are people by corbettw · · Score: 1

      They make up data!

      And you think this is OK? That's it OK to lie and manipulate to get the results you want?

      That's not just being human, it's being a lying douchebag.

      --
      God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
    2. Re:OMG! Climate scientists are people by sweatyboatman · · Score: 1

      Actually, yes, I think it's ok. I am willing to accept that science is performed by fallible human beings.

      Like you. Like me.

      Have you ever put together a jigsaw puzzle? Now imagine if the puzzle was split into a billion pieces. Some of which are mangled. Some of which are missing altogether. But if you can put it together, you'll gain valuable insight into how our world works. Your attitude would never allow us to even start, because we wouldn't be able to fill in the gaps.

      At some point you have to acknowledge that we, humans, are in a state of limited knowledge. In order to find patterns and understand our world, we make huge assumptions. And our science works like that too.

      Attacking scientists for making assumptions and "massaging" data is to attack the very core of what they do. They're trying to explain what is unknown and what they don't understand or can't explain they guess at.

      And while the newspapers and television (and, yes, Al Gore) tend to gloss over it, they tend to be pretty explicit in the assumptions they are making.

      --
      It breaks my pluginses, my precious!
  30. Chuck Norris says... by DarthVain · · Score: 1, Interesting

    http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2009/12/chuck-norris-takes-obamas-climate-one-world-order

    "My big worry, is that we as a nation, if we start having to be obligated to other countries ... Like, in this conference they're going to try to take our money and send it to third world countries, because of since we spend so much oil, and these other countries have suffered, then we're going to give our money to these third world countries."

    I don't know about you, but I found this comment to be hilarious in its absurdity!

    1) Biggest objector to a Climate Change accord: USA.
    2) The reason? Because the big polluters out there like China and India will not contribute.
    3) The reason? Because the USA et al. have been doing it for decades and as a result are very developed (wealthy). China and India figure it is their turn, why should their development be held back, its not fair.
    4) The impasse?: Every accord that has been done basically severally cuts emissions in developed countries, while barely touching those of 3rd world or developing countries.
    5) The result?: Developed countries will have tighter restrictions likely leading in a decline of their economy, while developing countries will continue to grow and will have boom economies.

    So in one sense Chuck Norris is correct, on some level there will be a redistribution of wealth from rich developed countries to poor developing countries. However in another sense he is an idiot, as the USA currently OWES China something in the tune of 800 Billion dollars and growing anyway.

    1. Re:Chuck Norris says... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      3) The reason? Because the USA et al. have been doing it for decades and as a result are very developed (wealthy). China and India figure it is their turn, why should their development be held back, its not fair.

      Yep. You know what the two 'fair' solutions to that are?

      1: Fuck the Americans, but let the Chinese pollute all they want. End result: Americans send their polluting that needs to be done over to China (And India), nobody benefits but the Chinese (And Indians).
      2: Let everybody pollute all they want. Everybody wins (China and India still gets American investment, but America isn't forced to send it over). Either way, the environment clearly isn't getting the best end of the stick...

    2. Re:Chuck Norris says... by the_one(2) · · Score: 1

      2) The reason? Because the big polluters out there like China and India will not contribute.

      Dunno about India but China has pledged to lower emissions by an absurd* 45% by 2020.
      *China's emissions / person is already quite low.

    3. Re:Chuck Norris says... by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 1

      Dunno about India but China has pledged to lower emissions by an absurd* 45% by 2020.

      That's odd. In the news this morning, I read that China has rejected Copenhagen's target of 50% reduction in CO2 output by 2050.

      What China said was that they'd reduce emissions per unit output by 45% (compared to 2005 levels) by 2020. Which will mean a net rise in emission from China, not a reduction, since their economy is growing rapidly.

      Also, pay close attention to that "compared to 2005 levels". Kyoto (and Copenhagen) used 1990 levels as a baseline, not 2005 levels. Since China almost tripled its CO2 emissions between 1990 and 2005, a "45% reduction from 2005 levels" would be about a 60% INCREASE from 1990 levels.

      Assuming we were talking about a real reduction, as opposed to what China actually said, of course....

      --

      "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
    4. Re:Chuck Norris says... by Idiomatick · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Warning: Rant ahead

      People keep saying China and India are big polluters but that is TOTAL BS.

      The metric we use is garbage. China has 1.3billion people, US - .3billion, India - 1.1billion. Why in the fuck are we comparing countries as equals for CO2 output? It makes no fucking sense at all. The average Chinese citizen emits less than one-sixth that of the average American. For Indians, the per capita amount is only six percent of the average American. SIX PERCENT and they are called big polluters, fucking ridiculous.

    5. Re:Chuck Norris says... by the_one(2) · · Score: 1

      Interesting.... I guess I should pay more attention to the fine print:)

    6. Re:Chuck Norris says... by DarthVain · · Score: 2, Informative

      I don't think anyone has EVER said that per captia China or India are big polluters (due to their massive populations and poverty).

      Per captia it IS the developed world that are big polluters.

      However China and India as whole contries DO pollute a lot and that the growth of pollution is increasing by several orders of magnitude higher than anyone else in the entire world.

      This is the whole rational of what I have written, and what the currently proposed accords agree on. That is the developed world already has high pollution, but for the most part has leveled off. That the developed world will be hit harder as the development and pollution in both China and India are in growth.

      What IS being said that given the amount of growth, the amount of pollution both will potentially emit will be astronomical (and thus what is the point in doing anything about it, let alone limiting our own economies). The ONLY reason why both are relatively low in comparison is that much of the population in both countries is rural, poor, and undeveloped, which is changing.

      I don't know about India, but China like the USA has VAST resources of coal, which is really what this is all about. It is cheap and fueling the energy driving development and pollution.

      Having said all that, the amount of "cheap" oil is in decline and likely over the next 40 years will only become more so. Not to mention China is a huge importer. Also on top of that China is already coming to grips with massive pollution due to coal usage and the inherent problems assoicated with that.

      So it may be that China will have to no choice but to come to grips with its own budding energy addiction on the way and perhaps make better choices than was made in the past by other developed nations. China's commitments modest as they might be may be higher than required by any accord for the reason.

      This is all acedemic though as the political situation is a mess both in the topic, as well as the closely linked economic one. If you are a diplomat, buisness is good!

      Science apparently is saying something much be done soon, however the political situation is such that makes that all but impossible from my perspective (at least in any meaningful timeframe).

    7. Re:Chuck Norris says... by jpmorgan · · Score: 1

      Look, China has a huge wealth disparity: 70% of its population are rural peasants. The 30% of the country that has industrialized is producing as much CO2 as any westerner.

    8. Re:Chuck Norris says... by Idiomatick · · Score: 1

      Maybe so but as that number shifts as they want it to and as any fair person would want it to then the amount of CO2 they will be producing will be going up. It is absolutely unfair to set their CO2 cap based on their current situation rather than a per capita type cap. Perhaps a percapita/perGDP type combination cap would be more accurate. The idea that we should measure all countries as equals regardless of size or population or growth or climate is just silly.

    9. Re:Chuck Norris says... by Idiomatick · · Score: 1

      Industrialized first world rich people pollute more. To set a cap that gives no credence to population is to ask Chinese citizens to not enter the 1st world. China and India are moving from 3rd to 1st world millions of people at a time, their GDP is rising at an incredible rate. With this money they are buying houses and TVs. Those bastards wishing to have a similar standard of living to one we are accustomed to.

      China WILL be held to a standard as they catch up to the rest of us. I think a CO2 standard system based on population/GDP could have been applied across the board without too much difficulty. But instead they broke things merely into countries which is as I said a meaningless measure.

      Yeah, what's new. Politics is always taking a shit on science. Maybe we should implement some sort of guild system for science. No access to inventions unless you can pass a handful of logic and science tests. I'm sure they'd all die off over a hundred years or so. Yeah evil and stupid I know, I'm just tired (IRL and of people shitting on science/technology this past few days)

  31. you can fix the world by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All these 'impartial gov sponsored' climate surveys ignore the top 4 worldwide reasons for global warming. Cooking, Washing, Home heating (wood/oil/coal burning #1 worldwide method), and Chemical refining/manufacturing.

    So to stop global warming. Stop cooking your food. Stop heating your bath water. Don't heat your house. Stop all manufacturing.
    In other words, "Take your stinky, wool sweater wearing butt outside."

  32. MODS by TapeCutter · · Score: 2, Informative

    A nature editorial is generally considered informative, unless of course it refutes your religion.

    --
    And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
  33. *NOT* "denialists by assertation · · Score: 1

    A number of people making comments on slashdot are under the mistaken impression that the denialists are denying climate change. They are not. Even they know they can't with what is being seen. Instead, they are denying that climate change is the result of human activity. Very
    convenient. It absolves them from changing their behavior and/or spending money to fix the issue.

  34. What is the motivation to fabricate AGW? by jayme0227 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Obviously there is plenty of monetary motivation to deny AGW, but what is the motivation to fabricate it? I just don't see it. At best you could say that these scientists were duped into believing that AGW was real and, now that they know the "truth," are trying to hide that they were wrong, but this is far from compelling considering the sheer number of scientists involved all trying to dupe each other.

    What am I missing?

    --
    But then I realized the cable was blue, so I only gave it one star. I hate blue.
    1. Re:What is the motivation to fabricate AGW? by tjstork · · Score: 1

      Obviously there is plenty of monetary motivation to deny AGW, but what is the motivation to fabricate it? I

      Governments eye energy as a lucrative tax. We're talking trillions of dolllars here. That's plenty of motivation.

      --
      This is my sig.
    2. Re:What is the motivation to fabricate AGW? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The motivations are plentiful, not always practiced in concert (until recently) but have found some common ground in some secret unspoken union of so called concerned citizens of the world

      1) it began as "scientific speculation"
      2) it was then borrowed for enviromental movement and raw political gain
      3) it found additional friends in those who seek to destroy successful economies and social
            systems which have won against the collectivist/totalitarianist interests who know you
            cannot conquer free men and the only way to get over them is to convince them to self
            impose their own decline and their rhetoric was spilled into the pond and used over and
            over
      4) the useful idiot was critical in aiding #3 and proved to be also useful to #1 and 2 and
            some of them occupy positions of power and academia as we now see and have known for
            some time
      5) so called practitioners of science were deluded by their delusions of granduer and self
            importance and of course funding streams, some of them present here
      6) the media, being the lemmings they are not only willingly promoted the psuedo science but
            colluded in the propagation of mis information and intimidation of skeptics

      They should all be publicly flogged

    3. Re:What is the motivation to fabricate AGW? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Power and money. There's big amounts of both at stake on both sides, although the power part accumulates more to the AGW side than the skeptic side. We're talking authority to control essentially the entire world's economy in big ways. Check out some of the connections Al Gore has, and how much money he and his associates stand to make from trading carbon certs if cap-and-trade goes into effect. And if you don't think governments aren't going to be able to dish out big favors in the granting of emissions certs, you haven't been paying attention to politics for the past couple thousand years.

      As far as the scientists go, these e-mails make it look like at least some of them have succumbed to hubris. They've got some True Believer syndrome stuff going on here. It looks like they've just become so emotionally invested in the AGW theories that they can't allow themselves to be wrong. Mann is particularly bad about this (even some of his fellows in the e-mails make note of this). Mostly this is just the standard confirmation bias type stuff that you have to watch out for in any field (Mann excepted). Not to mention the grant money. Academics live and breath publications and grant money.

      (CAPTCHA is rather amusingly 'parasite')

    4. Re:What is the motivation to fabricate AGW? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      For scientists it is about getting funding to keep up the research and world wide field trips to prove global warming. For all the Hollywood celebrities its the new hot cause to back since public interest in AIDS has subsided. They are flying their large private jets to Copenhagen right now.
      For politicians and economists it is about trying to create a new industry, taxation system, and bureaucracy. Al Gore himself has over 200 million invested in green ventures ("carbon credits"): http://newsbusters.org/node/11149
      If the global warming hype subsides a lot of government big shots will lose their investments. Their green industry companies currently depend on government subsidies to survive, and will only boom if the requirement for carbon credits becomes law.

    5. Re:What is the motivation to fabricate AGW? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They got biggish grants,research trips and better jobs, influential positions with regard to media/policy makers. Perhaps the knew the truth, perhaps they were blinded by their "legacy" to the extent they could not see the truth. Just because there is no obvious financial gain does not mean that there are not strong (possibly individual) incentives for either side of the debate.

    6. Re:What is the motivation to fabricate AGW? by argStyopa · · Score: 3, Interesting

      You're missing the simple human motivation of power.

      Why did Rachel Carson blame DDT when ALL the subsequent testing showed that it wasn't DDT that caused eggshell thinning, etc.?

      Why have enviromental alarmists previously cried that we're all going to die from:
      - too much cold
      - too much heat
      - running out of food
      - running out of oil
      - running out of clean water
      - all the wild animals going extinct
      - running out of landfill space
      - PCBs
      - mercury
      - lead
      - acid rain
      - nuclear power
      - coal power
      - overpopulation
      ?
      CONTROL.

      Of course, Gore himself WAS likely just in it for the money, he's well on the way to being the world's top magnate with his fingers in every carbon-trading scheme.

      --
      -Styopa
    7. Re:What is the motivation to fabricate AGW? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What kind of monetary motivation was involved in taking down the Twin Towers?

      Sometimes people do crazy shit for reasons other than money.

    8. Re:What is the motivation to fabricate AGW? by jpmorgan · · Score: 1

      Tenure.

    9. Re:What is the motivation to fabricate AGW? by RJBeery · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I find it delicious that you were modded funny when I suspect your post was sincere. How can you be so blind as to not see the motivation behind AGW proponents? Economically, the CRU itself has received tens of millions in grant money and I've read that the US Gov't has spent tens of BILLIONS over the decades in AGW inspired research, development, grants, etc. Politically, it's a tool to grant a moral high-ground to unproductive countries which is why it is so popular with anti-consumerists and Socialists. Have you never heard of the calls for exemptions on CO2 emissions for China, et al? What about some South American countries (recently and specifically the President of Brazil) proclaiming that "the Gringos should pay" for the deforestation occurring in their forests?

      After further thought I suspect you are willfully blind or simply a shill trying to paint the AGW movement as an altruistic and unpolitical one.

    10. Re:What is the motivation to fabricate AGW? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The motivation to fabricate AGW is the same motivation Obama used to cut executive pay at firms which DIDN'T accept bailout money along with some that did (after we were assured that Obama has no interest in running GM).
      It is the same motivation they've always had since Marx and beyond: they think you're stupid - too stupid, in fact, to run your own lives, so you must turn your lives over to the people who can't even keep party crashers out of the White House. The individual must never be allowed to win out over the interest of the L33T.

    11. Re:What is the motivation to fabricate AGW? by Andrew30 · · Score: 1

      RE: What am I missing.
      Phil got 22+ million over 10 years.

    12. Re:What is the motivation to fabricate AGW? by TheTurtlesMoves · · Score: 1

      Grants are in the millions. Subsidies for "green" energy and other green technology in the billions. Would you lie for your salary.

      Also oil company involvement is highly overrated. We are Dependant on them and they know it. Even the crazys that think that AGW will end the world and the human race, don't really do anything to use less energy. We rant and rave about AGW and oil, gas and electricity consumption is increasing. Fast. Why, cus we don't really care. AGW is something to talk about in the pub or on the net... but we don't really want petrol to cost 3x more. Or electcity bills to be higher.

      Its other people that need to cut back.

      --
      The Grey Goo disaster happened 3 billion years ago. This rock is covered in self replicating machines!
    13. Re:What is the motivation to fabricate AGW? by chord.wav · · Score: 1

      To find out, you have to think like a very cynic and evil person. Have complete apathy to other people's problems.

      If you are to develop and industry to fight some problem, you first have to create the problem. You know, the 4 steps to profit.

      A war against a country doesn't sell anymore in this new media-laden world.

      What if the enemy is a group of people instead of a nation? Well, that way war could last much more since they are harder to find. It's not about taking the capital of X nation anymore. Every knows where a capital is located. But nobody know where Osama is.

      Now how can we make the enemy/problem even more invisible so it's a never ending battle?

      Option A: A virus (think N1H1 paranoia) but it would require obviously a real virus to begin with, otherwise people will notice.

      Option B: Something about the weather! The earth is heating up! Yes, you just don't notice cause it's so slow, but it's surely getting warmer. We mash up a swimming polar ice bear footage with the frog in the pan theory and we are set!

      Not saying that's the real scenario, but it's a possible one.

  35. Feynman put it pretty well by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 4, Insightful

    In a commencement speech at Caltech he said:

    It is interesting, therefore, to bring it out now
    and speak of it explicitly. It's a kind of scientific integrity,
    a principle of scientific thought that corresponds to a kind of
    utter honesty--a kind of leaning over backwards. For example, if
    you're doing an experiment, you should report everything that you
    think might make it invalid--not only what you think is right about
    it: other causes that could possibly explain your results; and
    things you thought of that you've eliminated by some other
    experiment, and how they worked--to make sure the other fellow can
    tell they have been eliminated.

    Details that could throw doubt on your interpretation must be
    given, if you know them. You must do the best you can--if you know
    anything at all wrong, or possibly wrong--to explain it. If you
    make a theory, for example, and advertise it, or put it out, then
    you must also put down all the facts that disagree with it, as well
    as those that agree with it. There is also a more subtle problem.
    When you have put a lot of ideas together to make an elaborate
    theory, you want to make sure, when explaining what it fits, that
    those things it fits are not just the things that gave you the idea
    for the theory; but that the finished theory makes something else
    come out right, in addition.

    In summary, the idea is to try to give all of the information to
    help others to judge the value of your contribution; not just the
    information that leads to judgment in one particular direction or
    another.

    Unfortunately, many scientists in many disciplines do not follow this. They seek to prove their theories right, and ignore that which might cast doubt on it.

    1. Re:Feynman put it pretty well by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 1

      The reason for that is quite simple:science, just like everything else, is full of politics. Some people manage to do science in spite of it, others don't. Ultimately, the only thing that matters is the data.

      --
      Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
  36. Re:*NOT* "denialists by benjamindees · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's a complex issue and there are several opinions:

    1) The climate is warming and humans are responsible and the consequences are severe enough to require action.
    2) The climate is warming and humans are responsible but the consequences are not severe.
    3) The climate is warming and humans are not responsible.
    4) The climate is not warming.
    5) Whether the climate is warming or not, we should encourage a shift to more renewable energy sources.

    There are likely others, but I am sure you will find adherents to all of these at least.

    --
    "I assumed blithely that there were no elves out there in the darkness"
  37. Linking to Realclimate is not the best idea by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 4, Informative

    One thing you notice about the site is that the members include Micheal Mann, one of the scientists under fire here. Well, it is no surprise that he believes that he's right and says so. Ok but that doesn't prove anything. So if someone publishes a paper, someone else points out serious problems with said paper, well then I am not going to turn the person who wrote the first paper as one to refute the person who's criticizing him. Of COURSE he'll refute it, however that doesn't mean anything.

    So to see a site that is run by Mann and others he agrees with supporting him, well that doesn't really say much, does it?

    1. Re:Linking to Realclimate is not the best idea by Avumede · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I didn't point you to that site to show you that there's support out there for Mann, but to give info about the controversies in question.

      Your point about not listening to a person defending themselves is not logical. Of course you want to listen to the person defending themselves. How else would you discover the truth of any particular argument? But the fact that they attempt rebut an argument against them is not so surprising, as you point out. The interesting part is how they do it. Is it with facts? With threatening lawsuits? With wild allegations?

      I find the argument coherent and fact-based.

      Also, I find it not likely that Mann is alone defending himself here. RealClimate is more than just Mann, so you shouldn't be concerned that it's just Mann defending his reputation, without other scientists agreeing with him.

    2. Re:Linking to Realclimate is not the best idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Of course you'd want to see the response of the person who wrote the first paper. And then you would evaluate it. If serious problems are found in a paper, but that the author successfully argues that no real problems were found, I would go with his version. Wouldn't you? And who's in the best position to mount a defense if not the original author? You can only "refute" someone with good arguments after all. He certainly deserves a shot.

      It's like linking to a creationist site looking for evidence against evolution. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but if you aren't completely clueless you can readily see and verify that their arguments are absolutely dreadful. One should not link to them because they are terrible. Instead of saying we can't link to RealClimate, follow the link, read what's written, go read the original papers and think for yourself if it all makes sense.

    3. Re:Linking to Realclimate is not the best idea by macbutch · · Score: 1

      Thats insane - if someone publishes a paper and objections are raised then the *first* person you should look to for a response is the original author. Giving the right to reply is normal just about anywhere (e.g. http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/edguide/fairness/rightofreply.shtml*). It is completely nuts to say that because someone has been criticised they're then out of the discussion because they'll try to defend themselves.

      Beyond that:

      So to see a site that is run by Mann and others he agrees with supporting him, well that doesn't really say much, does it?

      It really depends on what they have to say doesn't it? If they're making poor arguments and fail to respond to criticism and just continue to restate the original argument then that would be bad. On the other hand what seems to be the case is that a group of scientists have grouped together to engage their critics and make clear responses and explanations where their original argument was unclear or misunderstood etc. Surely that is exactly what they should do?

      * right of reply in a journalistic sense is slightly different but the concept is the same/similar

    4. Re:Linking to Realclimate is not the best idea by Flaming+Foobar · · Score: 1

      So to see a site that is run by Mann and others he agrees with supporting him, well that doesn't really say much, does it?

      What you are suggesting is essentially the same as if someone were accused of a crime, he should not be heard. Innocent until proven guilty, anyone? Why not listen to what Mann has to say and then decide?

      It really seems to me that all that the denialists have one ten-year old email which uses the word "trick" and a handful of scientists, most of whom have proven links to oil, gas and coal industry. On the other side, there is almost 200 years' worth of science, and I believe even at this very moment over 10000 scientists who are basically saying "the evidence is clear, there is really not much debate left". I'd love to be wrong, but I'm afraid I'm not.

      --
      while true;do echo -e -n "\033[s\n\033[u\134_\033[B";done
  38. Google Censoring Climategate by sexconker · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Shortly after the story broke, "climategate" used to be one of the top autocomplete suggestions as you started typing it out.

    Now it's no where to be found.

    Even "climategat" won't give you the suggestion of "climategate".

    "Climategate" has over 20,000,000 hits.

    "Climate Guatamala City" has 840,000 hits.
    "Climate Guadalajara" has less that 800,000 hits.

    Obviously search suggestions are not driven by the number of hits, but the frequency of the search.
    But:

    - There is an order of magnitude difference in the hits for "Climategate" and other suggested search terms.

    - You get suggestions for things that don't match what you're typing, yet you don't get suggestions for spelling "climategat" or "climategate".

    - "Climategate" used to be a search suggestion. It appears as if the algorithms at Google picked up on it as they should, and it was MANUALLY REMOVED.

    You DO however still get the suggestion of "climate gate scandal" if you start typing in "climate g", though there are only 6,500,000 hits for "climate gate scandal" and the top few pages are filled mostly with the same Joseph Bast article talking mostly about economics.

    Bing has NO suggestions for "climategate" or "climate gate", though I do not know if it ever did.

    1. Re:Google Censoring Climategate by glennpratt · · Score: 1

      This might be interesting if you had some proof.

      Otherwise I'm inclined to believe you confused an auto-complete from your own history with a suggested term.

    2. Re:Google Censoring Climategate by dusanv · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Bing did have 'climategate' as the top suggestion until today. In fact, just typing 'cli' would have netted you climategate as the top suggestion on Bing until today. Yes, it's disappeared completely today. See here and here for more details.

      Do no evil, huh? At least MS isn't making any pretences...

    3. Re:Google Censoring Climategate by sexconker · · Score: 1

      I did no such thing.
      Other commenters have posted links to other sites describing the same thing, so I wasn't the only one who noticed.

    4. Re:Google Censoring Climategate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I noticed it as well. Had no idea people were writing about it, however.

  39. This whole thing is awful. by Tobor+the+Eighth+Man · · Score: 3, Insightful

    AGW isn't science, but neither is the competing movement of skeptics. This is all just politics, and the whole thing is awful, and everyone parading around with glee over this controversy is just as guilty of politicizing matters as the people they're lambasting. It's impossible to do proper science when both sides of the argument have become moralistic crusades, and the tainting influence of politics has basically made the entire subject a mish-mash of lies and nonsense on both sides of the equation.

    Neither pride nor gloating have any place in science. Global warming needs to be evaluated solely on the evidence. Skepticism should be applauded wherever it's found, but the entire global warming debate has devolved into nothing but gross factionalism.

    1. Re:This whole thing is awful. by dwguenther · · Score: 1

      AGW research has been going on for nearly 50 years, but the most heated controversy has only been the last decade. However you want to frame the debate at this moment in time, there has still been at least forty years of good, undisturbed research to build on. Hence AGW is science, whereas the opinionated skeptics are politicians at heart.

    2. Re:This whole thing is awful. by AB3A · · Score: 1

      The question I have is whether there can ever be conclusive data to prove one side or the other before it actually happens.

      I had hopes before that some very bright people might find a way to analyze data and simulate with it. However, given the dubious quality of the data collected thus far, I have to wonder if climate studies are going to produce anything useful.

      And then these CRU idiots got exposed. If there was any opportunity for real science to get done before, it's been blown away for a good many years.

      Thanks a lot guys. Your disservice to the community ought to win you an IgNobel --except that those usually have some humor in them. There is nothing funny about what CRU did.

      (spit)

      --
      Nearly fifty percent of all graduates come from the bottom half of the class!
  40. Re:Finally........Our industrial processes are mas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Bullshit, they are miniscule compared to nature and you fucking now it. Volcanism, Solar Activity, Oceanic and Atmospheric, nwo they are fucking massive.

    The only thing massive is the fucking stupidty of the willing and that would be you

  41. Was it just [re]discovered, that simulations... by recharged95 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    are just simulations? Sure we can simulate going to the moon, million miles away and get there in reality, but to simulate hundred of thousands of years to predict hundreds of years into the future? IMO, that's would be a bit more complex and take longer than 20yrs to figure out. Climate research is a scale issue and we already know one theory doesn't apply to all (Quantum Physics vs. Newtonian Physics).

    One renown scientist told me that simulations are just models that you tweak to get results you want.

    This [now political situation] appears to have followed that same principle.

    1. Re:Was it just [re]discovered, that simulations... by Shirloki · · Score: 1

      One renown scientist told me that simulations are just models that you tweak to get results you want.

      In a very narrow interpretation, this is correct. If you're playing the good scientist for the day, you tweak a model to get results which agree with known values, which are the results you want. Then, using the refined model, you simulate the situation you want to predict. When those numbers come out, you tweak your model to find out how sensitive the simulated results are to each of the simulation parameters to estimate error bounds. Lather, rinse, repeat, publish.

      Many scientists (I am among them) toss around glib quotes that serve more as cautionary tales, but the non-science public gets to hear these out of context and thinks of them as evidence of fraud. As an example which applies to simulation, in physics: "Theorists don't believe each other, experimentalists don't believe their results and computational physicists don't believe themselves." Which is really to say that computational physicists are always on the hunt for artifacts (read: wrong answers) due to the simulation process; these are distinct from incorrect theories.

      Before you conclude the innocence or guilt of the CRU folk from something you heard from some other person who wasn't even commenting on their situation, let the investigation look at all the data.

  42. Why not do it yourself? by marcus · · Score: 1

    You post with such an air of propriety and integrity.

    Show me.

    1) Go get yourself a copy of the emails. I'm sure you can find out which ones discuss this or if none of them do, post that or at least a summary. Make yourself a web page where you can post details: emails sent, from/to fields, a list of subjects, etc. Then paste in some ads and Profit! The traffic level will be enormous if you can do this.

    2) Same here

    3) Same here

    I could go further, but I think everyone gets the point.

    I'll give you a clue, you've got a long row to hoe if you want to convert quotes that say something like "Let's do this/OK, let's do it" into meaning "Let's do this/No, I will not do this" or as you say "No, they did not".

    One more clue, if "they" did not, why are "they" resigning?

    Good luck.

    --
    Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement.
    - W. Wriston, former Citibank CEO
  43. Inhofe, FOI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sen. Inhofe has put US climate research institutions on notice that material related to climate research may be subject to FOI and is not to be destroyed. Any Slashdot folks out there that are connected with this stuff better be on notice; deleting FOI subject material is a criminal offense. People are going to look hard at this, and then they're going to ruin some lives.

  44. Science should be testable. by Colin+Smith · · Score: 1

    But apparently on /. that view is a troll.

     

    --
    Deleted
  45. Proof by weston · · Score: 1

    Not only was it manipulated

    Of course it was manipulated. You don't do science without data manipulation.

    they threw out both the raw data and any audit trail.

    This constitutes proof of misrepresentation how?

    I'd agree with anyone who says that discarding raw data makes a given work based on it less scientifically credible. The more independent researchers can recreate/verify, the stronger the science is. But it isn't evidence of misrepresentation.

    Here's what proof of misrepresentation looks like a statement by one of the parties involved saying "I did to to produce " followed by either:

    1) a further statement something like "to make it look like is true even though we have no indication it might be."

    2) an examination of dataset Y0 before procedure X is applied to makes it clear that X(Y0) != Y and further evidence that this is intentional.

    3) a detailed explanation as to why not only would procedure X produce problematic results but also why it's probable that the only reason someone would use would be to misrepresent facts, preferably unrefuted by any reasonable argument as to why procedure X could be helpful.

    Maybe this is in the emails, but so far, I haven't seen anything like it.

    1. Re:Proof by Snocone · · Score: 1

      Here's what proof of misrepresentation looks like ... statement something like "to make it look like is true even though we have no indication it might be."

      That sounds like reasonable proof, yes. So you would be meaning, proof like

      "shouldn't usually plot past 1960 because these will be artificially adjusted to look closer to the real temperatures"?

      Or maybe proof like

      "Specify period over which to compute the regressions (stop in 1960 to avoid the decline that affects tree-ring density records)"?

      How about this apparently completely incontrevertible proof?

      "NOTE: recent decline in tree-ring density has been ARTIFICIALLY REMOVED to facilitate calibration. THEREFORE, post-1960 values will be much closer to observed temperatures then they should be, which will incorrectly imply the reconstruction is more skilful than it actually is"

      All quotes from source code.

      http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/11/25/climategate-hide-the-decline-codified/

  46. You forgot the degree sign ... it's important by Nicolas+MONNET · · Score: 1

    You know why it's DEGREE celsius and DEGREE fahrenheit, and it's kelvin without the degree sign? Because the formers are *not* absolute scales while the latter is. Therefore it makes no sense *whatsoever* to talk of a percentage of a temperature in those scales any more than it make sense to speak of a percentage of the time of day.

    It's amazing how much you deniers lack the most basic understanding of current scientific knowledge. I learned that shit in highschool. I learned something else, too. Temperature roughly decreases by 2 K every 300 m of altitude. This means that, on average, the altitude where you get to 0 celsius, the temperature at which water freezes rises by 75 m for that measly half Kelvin.

    I learned yet another thing in college. I learned that water has a huge thermal inertia and that therefore temperatures vary more slowly near the sea than far from it. I also know that moutains are more often than not far from the sea. Which means that if the average global temperature rises by .5 K, it will be less near the sea and more in the mountain; but let's keep that .5 K for the mountains and acknowledge that it's an underestimate.

    Look at a glacier. Let's say it's got a 10% slope, sounds like a good guesstimate but if you don't like it feel free to look that up if you want. .5 K increase in temp means that it will melt 75 m higher, and that translates in a 750 m horizontal loss.

    Yeah, that's so *nothing*. Hardly noticeable!

    1. Re:You forgot the degree sign ... it's important by Nutria · · Score: 2, Informative

      Therefore it makes no sense *whatsoever* to talk of a percentage of a temperature in those scales

      Well, umm, ok. But that makes my argument even stronger, since a 0.1 change from 295K is a miniscule 0.03%. Statisticians call that noise.

      any more than it make sense to speak of a percentage of the time of day.

      Ummm, 12PM is 50% of the day. 6PM is 75% of the day.

      you deniers

      I don't deny. However, I've become very jaded by 30 years of over-hyped "science" by Experts With PhDs which then turn out to be wrong.

      Yeah, that's so *nothing*. Hardly noticeable!

      And a +85K change means a 127,500 m horizontal loss. OMG!! The sky is falling!!!

      --
      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    2. Re:You forgot the degree sign ... it's important by Nicolas+MONNET · · Score: 1

      Well, umm, ok. But that makes my argument even stronger, since a 0.1 change from 295K is a miniscule 0.03%. Statisticians call that noise.

      Go ahead and melt a kilogram of water at 273.15 K. Clearly, raising its temperature by .1K is minuscule. Hey, I'll even give you .01K. It's NOISE, I tell you!

      Ummm, 12PM is 50% of the day. 6PM is 75% of the day.

      Yup. And "@" is ~50% of US-ASCII, being code 64 out of 127. And that's completely pointless.

      And a +85K change means a 127,500 m horizontal loss. OMG!! The sky is falling!!!

      So you pick an absurdly large input value (20C+85K=105C, which is over the boiling temp of water!) and you get ... an absurdly large output value.

      Great job at sarcasm. Yeah, that's sarcasm.

    3. Re:You forgot the degree sign ... it's important by Nutria · · Score: 1

      Go ahead and melt a kilogram of water at 273.15 K

      Would it actually melt? Or stay frozen?

      raising its temperature by .1K is minuscule. Hey, I'll even give you .01K. It's NOISE, I tell you!

      You are comparing precisely controlled laboratory conditions with HARRY_READ_ME.TXT's

      I am very sorry to report that the rest of the databases seem to be in nearly as poor a state as Australia was. There are hundreds if not thousands of pairs of dummy stations, one with no WMO and one with, usually overlapping and with the same station name and very similar coordinates. I know it could be old and new stations, but why such large overlaps if that's the case? Aarrggghhh!
      There truly is no end in sight.

      "Dirty" data shouldn't be used when 1/30th of a percentage is a Big Deal.

      Yup. And "@" is ~50% of US-ASCII, being code 64 out of 127. And that's completely pointless.

      But it' completely valid to say that "he spent half a day looking for that sock."

      --
      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    4. Re:You forgot the degree sign ... it's important by Nicolas+MONNET · · Score: 1

      You're using a day as a time interval. It's not the same as saying, I came in at 10AM this morning, he came at 11AM so he was 10% later than I am; that's just meaningless. If you say, however, we were supposed to be here at 9AM, I cam in at 10, he came at 11 so he was twice as late -- that is right.

      It's perfectly fine to compare a temperature interval by noting, for example, that warming liquid water at 1 atm by 1F takes that many BTU, and warming it by 10% more fahrenheits takes 10% more energy.

      "Dirty" data shouldn't be used when 1/30th of a percentage is a Big Deal.

      I forgot to tell you something else I learned in college. When you have a signal with lots of white noise ... the noise diminishes with the number of samples. It's easy to understand for a constant value v you want to measure, that's polluted by a bounded noise value e where -E < e < +E

        s1 = v + e1
        s2 = v + e2 ...
        sn = v + en

      or

        e1 = s1 - v
        e2 = s2 - v ...
        en = sn - v

      You can replace it with the inequality to get:

        |s1 - v| < E
        |s2 - v| < E
        |sn - v| < E

      Sum it up and divide by n:

      | (s1+s2+...sn)/n - v | < E/n

      Or in plain english, the difference between the average of all measures and the target value decreases linearly with the number of samples.

      Now the maths get more complicated when you're measuring something that's not a constant, but the principle is the same. And we have billions of data points. So even if we happened to have thermometers with a resolution of 1 degree ... with enough measurements we can easily get an accurancy 1/1000 of that. And the thing is, we've long had much, much better resolutions available.
        So even 1/30th of ONE degree is a significant amount.

  47. WHAT THE FUCK! You know what a grant is? by Nicolas+MONNET · · Score: 1

    Obviously, you don't. Grant money is used to pay rent, equipment, salaries, expenses and room cleaning, for fuck's sake, You can't pocket the damn money! Or well, yes, you could, and that would be called embezzlement and would land you in jail. So unless you can prove he's embezzled any of it, that figure just means that he's been managing a fucking budget. Guess what, I ordered 300k worth of servers for my employer, where's my Lamborghini?

    1. Re:WHAT THE FUCK! You know what a grant is? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You might want to actually reply to the post to which you're responding. Y'know, just a thought.

  48. Here's some data... by freejung · · Score: 1

    I agree that the data and code should be made public. Fortunately, NASA has been doing this for some time, as have many other researchers. Gavin Schmidt at NASA has put together a list of links to global warming data and code that is available online.

    If you are interested in the scientific context of this story and the emails, I would recommend reading Gavin's posts on context at Real Climate as well.

    There have also been interviews with Gerald North who led the NAS investigation into the hockey stick controversy a few years ago, and Peter Kelemen, prof at Columbia, explaining why this hack will not affect the science. Basically, global warming theory is supported by many lines of evidence from many different sources, and does not depend on the credibility of any one source. Furthermore, there is nothing in these emails or data that actually disproves any of the published research.

    If this is the best skeptics can do, I think they're in for a rough time. The skeptical argument has little scientific support, so they resort to a silly PR stunt like this hoping to get a draw in the public debate. It has been great to see prominent deniers like Inhofe in the senate going way out on a limb, claiming this proves global warming is a hoax and so forth. There will hopefully be full investigations, at which point they'll probably end up looking pretty foolish when the science is vindicated.

  49. Now put them on trial for crimes against humanity! by AlexLibman · · Score: 0

    How many lives will the socialist propaganda like "global warming" will end up costing the human civilization? The answer can never be known, but it is clear that strengthening and centralizing government power disempowers all individuals and decelerates the rate of economic and technological growth, which has a negative effect on the quality of life as well as life expectancy of everyone alive today!

  50. No. Not non-proof like that. by weston · · Score: 1

    So you would be meaning, proof like

    No. I don't mean non-proof like that. What you're talking about here doesn't meet the criteria I mentioned. It's "proof" that depends on lay interpolation of short, selected phrases. I mean proof that depends on an involved explanation of what the researchers were actually doing and why it was not only wrong but intentionally wrong.

    If phrases like "artificially adjusted" immediately imply fraud to you, you're approaching the problem incorrectly.

    1. Re:No. Not non-proof like that. by Snocone · · Score: 1

      "why it was not only wrong but intentionally wrong."

      Duuuuude ... You can't even read five paragraphs down? OK, let me repeat it.

      "post-1960 values will be much closer to observed temperatures then they should be, which will incorrectly imply the reconstruction is more skilful than it actually is""

      Can you understand the English language? There is a clear statement of why it is wrong, then a comma, then a clear statement of why it is intentionally wrong.

    2. Re:No. Not non-proof like that. by weston · · Score: 1

      Can you understand the English language?

      Since you've decided that we're going to have a conversation punctuated with insults, let me engage in the futility of explain to an obviously lobotomized moron as yourself why you're wrong, even though it's clear at this point that you don't have the cognitive capacity to understand it and the better option is to convince you or someone else to blow your worthless brains out before you contribute another bit of the hopelessly confused text-vomit that passes for commentary amongst you and your ilk.

      (Or perhaps you'd like to have a civilized conversation. Whatever. Either one could be entertaining for me.)

      I'm not sure if you're aware of what HARRY_READ_ME.txt is. It's actually an explanation of the problems encountered while in the process of constructing a database a bunch of disparate inconsistently formatted (and sometimes contradictory) datasets. If you digest the entire content at length, you'll realize that this isn't somebody cackling and waving their fingers Mr-Burns style while monologuing at length about how they've managed to commit fraud. It's someone complaining about how tedious and difficult putting together a database is and elaborating on the numerous problems they're encountering.

      Now, let's go back to this phrase that you want to discuss. In fact, let's look at a larger portion of it than you selected:

      NOTE: recent decline in tree-ring density has been ARTIFICIALLY REMOVED to facilitate calibration. THEREFORE, post-1960 values will be much closer to observed temperatures then they should be, which will incorrectly imply the reconstruction is more skilful than it actually is. See Osborn et al. (2004).

      Looks to me he's actually warning would-be users that this is less accurate than it looks and he's telling you why. What isn't apparent to a lay reader -- and I might go out on a limb in suggesting that you and many of the other critics here are in that camp -- is what his justification actually is. Perhaps you know what he meant by "facilitate calibration." If so, you're welcome to explain it, but I'm gonna bet that you don't have the first idea. In fact, I'll bet you don't even know what he meant by artificially removed. Which process did he use? Did he drop all the data, did he introduce a temporary constraint, did he selectively drop data? What's his rationale?

      I'll bet you don't know the answers to these questions. And I further bet that you don't care. Because that isn't how you form your opinions, is it? You don't actually dig until you understand the topic -- hell, you obviously don't even have the first idea of what HARRY_READ_ME.txt actually is, you just saw a few phrases that you could interpolate to support an idea that you already had and you ran with it. And I'm wasting my time because even though I'm right, rather than thinking about this, you're already getting angry over the topic because you've invested yourself in a position and you care far more about not having to feel wrong than you do about actually learning anything or contributing genuine knowledge to the world around you.

      But you know what? If you can explain the actual science here, and if you can put it up to real explanations of what Ian Harris was doing, and show how they're not compatible, I'll admit I'm wrong and listen to what you have to say.

      But you know what else? I'm pretty sure I'm safe on that front. I'm pretty sure selective interpretation of little phrases -- and interpretations that depend on the idea that there's a conspiracy that makes researches act in bad faith -- are all you've got.

    3. Re:No. Not non-proof like that. by Snocone · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure if you're aware of what HARRY_READ_ME.txt is

      I am indeed. It's something that is of no relevance to what I was saying, since not a single one of my quotes is from that document. The one I repeated is from "mxdgrid2ascii.pro".

      So, we've now established that you can't even match a quote to its source, when prompted twice; you go blathering off about some completely different document than what was actually being discussed. Whoo-hoo. There's certainly one of us here lacking in cognitive capacity, indeed.

      Perhaps you know what he meant by "facilitate calibration." If so, you're welcome to explain it, but I'm gonna bet that you don't have the first idea.

      What did you bet? Because I win it. What he meant is delineated in "maps12.pro":

      "these will be artificially adjusted to look closer to the real temperatures."

      In fact, I'll bet you don't even know what he meant by artificially removed. Which process did he use? Did he drop all the data, did he introduce a temporary constraint, did he selectively drop data?

      I'll take 'None of the Above', either because you're intentionally dissembling or you're too stupid to follow links. And given how you can't even figure out what document a quote is from, as shown above, I'll take it that the you are stupid option is correct. As here is the adjustment:

      ;
      ; APPLY ARTIFICIAL CORRECTION
      ;
      yearlyadj=interpol(valadj,yrloc,x)
      densall=densall+yearlyadj

      The sheer inadequacy of not being able to figure that out on your own pretty much proves the worthlessness of your alleged opinion.

      I'll bet you don't know the answers to these questions. And I further bet that you don't care. Because that isn't how you form your opinions, is it? You don't actually dig until you understand the topic -- hell, you obviously don't even have the first idea of what HARRY_READ_ME.txt actually is,

      Yes I do; it's something that I didn't quote, has no relevance, and you're either too incoherent to be worth bothering to read because you can't keep your head straight long enough to actually read my very short post; or you're a flat out liar hoping to deceive other people reading this in between your post and when I get back to call you on your lies. Either way, there's certainly no point wasting any further time on whatever flat out lies you post in alleged rebuttal to these facts.

    4. Re:No. Not non-proof like that. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you're either too incoherent to be worth bothering to read because you can't keep your head straight long enough to actually read my very short post; or you're a flat out liar

      Don't be so harsh - his UID is fairly low, so I'm thinking it's Alzheimer's.

  51. HARRY_READ_ME.txt by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You'd think that by now there would have been a submission focusing on HARRY_READ_ME.txt because it's wonderfully scary reading for programmers.

  52. Get this though your head by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    RealClimate.org is out. Mann is out. Jones is out. CRU is out.

    Nothing they say counts any longer. Their credibility is shot to hell.

    Please limit future arguments to credible sources. RealClimate is essentially Jones et al.'s blog for christ sake.

    1. Re:Get this though your head by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      And why should we trust you, anonymous coward? Are you hiding skeletons in your closet?

  53. Here's some food for thought for both sides .. by sureshgn · · Score: 1
    The fuel we burn is the result of a hundreds of thousands of years of natural processes working on plants and other bio matter. In the last 100 years, we've taken about 70% of that material and pushed it into the atmosphere as Carbon Dioxide. Think of it as a tin can of carbon dioxide. It took nature 40 million years to fill the can. We emptied it out into the atmosphere in a 100 years. Left to nature, it will take 40 million years to put all the carbon dioxide back into the can.

    However, taking the same analogy further, there are many other tin cans of carbon dioxide around. A good super volcano eruption can do the same thing as we've done with fossil fuels a heck of a lot faster. However, that's not something we can prevent. The question I would ask is ... what if the effect of us pushing all the Carbon Dioxide into the air does end up being catastrophic. There are, as I see it, two possibilities:

    1) things get so bad so quickly that we can't keep up - and we end up extinct

    2) we figure out a way to do what nature took millions of years to do - and lock up the Carbon Dioxide again

    The aggressiveness of the man-made climate change camp is going to help ensure that we do put money into having option 2 ready if it ever come to the point where we need it. So, keep your super cars and SUV's if you want them. However, ensure your insurance policy is fully paid up by funding alternate fuel and carbon sequestration research.

  54. Hockey Stick by rlp · · Score: 1

    How do you get a hockey stick graph from climate data. One way is to apply a hockey stick filter to the data! See ESR's blog for details.

    --
    [Insert pithy quote here]
  55. prosecute by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Great points. But point #2 appears to be the worst offense and should be prosecuted.

    Maybe I am being paranoid. But I always expect scientific reports to be skewed in alignment with the desired outcome. At least for corporate sponsored studies. I am less suspicious of government funded studies because there is no financial benefit to one result over the another. This is unethical but not illegal.

    So what if they twisted the numbers. Maybe they cherry-picked data to support their models. I don't care... this is just another study that will be revealed to be biased when examined/repeated by others.

    The real problem here is that they presented their results without releasing the data. Furthermore they actively engaged in avoiding an FOI request.

    If anything positive can come from this... it should be:
        - all government funded studies must release a complete set of source data and the mechanism for achieving a result AT THE SAME TIME as they are releasing any report.
        - persons who clearly disregard FOI requests should be prosecuted.

    Note: no need to cry for scientists who skew their results to match expectations tho. Because they have a bright and well paid future working privately under corporate backing to produce reports which assist our economic recovery.

  56. "Pol Pot?" Come the frak on. That's ridiculous. by jbeach · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Suggesting it might be better, based on scientific evidence, if industries didn't pollute in certain ways is NOT going "Pol Pot".

    Let me refresh your memory:

    Climate scientists suggest that if we reduce the amount of sulfates, we'll have less acid rain. Sulfates reduced; the amount of acid rain shrinks.

    Climate scientists suggest that aerosols are hurting the ozone layer, and point to an actual growing hole in the ozone layer. We reduce aerosols, the hole in the ozone layer shrinks.

    I'm not at all suggesting climate scientists are infallible - they should be questioned like anyone else.

    But to suggest that reasonable restrictions on companies that produce pollution is "going Pol Pot?" FFS.

    Maybe you're right, in a way - Midwesterners may tend not to believe pollution can damage the environment, if they live somewhere that's untouched by industrial waste. If that's the case, they should go live in New Jersey for a while.

    --
    The Invisible Hand of the Free Market is what punches workers in the nuts.
    1. Re:"Pol Pot?" Come the frak on. That's ridiculous. by ravenshrike · · Score: 1

      Of course, both those mechanisms were much more direct in how they worked, and so much easier to prove right. Whereas certain effects from CO2 we should be seeing, we aren't.

    2. Re:"Pol Pot?" Come the frak on. That's ridiculous. by waferhead · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Climate scientists suggest that aerosols are hurting the ozone layer, and point to an actual growing hole in the ozone layer. We reduce aerosols, the hole in the ozone layer shrinks. .

      IIRC a few Australian scientists reanalyzed the "ozone hole" data awhile back, and it correlated ~100% to the output of the VOLCANO near the south pole, and did not correlate to man-made "ozone depleting" gas output well at all, indicating that industry wasted billions of dollars converting to fix a problem that didn't really exist, and converted to replacement gasses that are actually excellent greenhouse gasses in the process.

      Or was this made up too?

    3. Re:"Pol Pot?" Come the frak on. That's ridiculous. by jbeach · · Score: 1

      Link to citation? 'Cause otherwise I might as well say some guy said the Ozone Layer shrank because I hit puberty and am so freaking awesome.

      --
      The Invisible Hand of the Free Market is what punches workers in the nuts.
    4. Re:"Pol Pot?" Come the frak on. That's ridiculous. by jbeach · · Score: 1

      And other effects we are apparently seeing faster. Still doesn't mean trying to restrict pollution makes Al Gore into Pollution Pot.

      --
      The Invisible Hand of the Free Market is what punches workers in the nuts.
    5. Re:"Pol Pot?" Come the frak on. That's ridiculous. by iron+spartan · · Score: 1

      Yep, we're untouched by pollution.

      And we've done such a good job of cleaning sulfur from emissions that fields in the upper Midwest are becoming sulfur deficient.

      http://www.calciumproducts.com/sawyer_sulfur_alfalfa.pdf

    6. Re:"Pol Pot?" Come the frak on. That's ridiculous. by samwichse · · Score: 1

      "replacement gasses that are actually excellent greenhouse gasses."

      Because releasing small quantities of greenhouse gases (r134a) is so much worse for the environment than releasing the same quantities of something that spends a nice, long life in the atmosphere catalytically breaking down ozone (r12)?

  57. Typo correction by bonch · · Score: 1

    Meant to say "emissions standards," of course.

  58. What is normal? by bonch · · Score: 1

    How do you know what is normal for our weather patterns? That's the debate.

  59. Oh really, what about the code then? by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    It is politics, though. People are interpreting emails in their preferred context.

    But there is a problem with your (endlessly echoed) assertion that somehow, these emails are all just part of the normal process of science and we need not worry.

    They didn't just released emails, they released code... code that other people get to examine now. You know, like how real science works.

    And lets look at just one of many juicy examples from The Code:

    ;mknormal,yyy,timey,refperiod=[1881,1940]
    ;
    ; Apply a VERY ARTIFICAL correction for decline!!
    ;
    yrloc=[1400,findgen(19)*5.+1904]
    valadj=[0.,0.,0.,0.,0.,-0.1,-0.25,-0.3,0.,-0.1,0.3,0.8,1.2,1.7,2.5,2.6,2.6,$
    2.6,2.6,2.6]*0.75 ; fudge factor
    (...)
    ;
    ; APPLY ARTIFICIAL CORRECTION
    ;
    yearlyadj=interpol(valadj,yrloc,x)
    densall=densall+yearlyadj

    You can't very well take that out of context. Code like that has no call directing people to make choices involving billions of dollars.

    Look through the code for other equally unbelievable issues with the process that produced the data we were assured was "irrefutable". I have been coding for decades now and magic constants like this warming fudge-factor are almost always a sign something is horribly, horribly broken and wrong.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Oh really, what about the code then? by SockPuppet_9_5 · · Score: 1

      I would have thought this would be modded up a bit, seeing as this was the code that made what they were doing fraudulent.

      Oh, wait. This is Slashdot. What was I thinking?

    2. Re:Oh really, what about the code then? by symbolset · · Score: 1

      If you look at these correction factors they're virtually identical to the one NOAA uses. These are the only two terrestrial datasets that link us back using proxies to times before reliable measurements. The other datasets calibrate on this adjusted data. In many cases the adjustments are more than five times as large as the observed change present in the raw data. Using these correction factors you can show a 1997 temperature spike using gaussian noise as your temperature input. If you invert the corrections you can almost visualize glaciation returning to Florida by the end of the millenium, which oddly enough was the big climatic change we were worried about when I was a kid - on just as sound evidence.

      --
      Help stamp out iliturcy.
    3. Re:Oh really, what about the code then? by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      That's just a graph. The science behind the graph is detailed here. Well, you'll probably have to dig into the references to understand all the science, but it's summarized nicely on that page.

      The data is corrected for time of day, urban heat island effects, and changes in measuring technique.

    4. Re:Oh really, what about the code then? by symbolset · · Score: 1

      The data is corrected for time of day, urban heat island effects, and changes in measuring technique.

      The corrections in temperature are more than the observed changes in temperature in many cases by more than five times. I'm sorry, but a field where analysis trumps observation by a factor of 5:1 is not a science.

      --
      Help stamp out iliturcy.
    5. Re:Oh really, what about the code then? by symbolset · · Score: 1

      Replying for a second time. Bad form, I know.

      You do know that that page is the origin of the graph image that I posted that drove you to post me a link to that page. Did you think I had not read it? Are you tired or something? You can see on the page the link to the graph I posted.

      It adds up to blah, blah, we found a way to find a curve that fits the corrections the other guys were using, and now we can adjust our raw data to fit their conclusions, even though our raw data says quite the opposite. We hope nobody notices that even random data could be tortured in this way.

      --
      Help stamp out iliturcy.
    6. Re:Oh really, what about the code then? by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      I'm sorry, your analysis is flawed.

    7. Re:Oh really, what about the code then? by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      You just posted a graph.One graph. And getting to the page that embedded that graph was circuitous-- it was not a matter of just chopping the url properly. No matter.

      This plot shows that most of the discrepancy comes from the Station History Adjustment Program detailed in Karl and Williams 1987. I don't have a subscription to the Journal of Climate and Applied Meteorology though.

      The problem is that stations were moved, often from city centers to airports. The corrections are an attempt to reconcile the microclimate of the first site with the microclimate of the second in order to produce a continuous climate record. This sort of datasplicing is what drove Ian Harris up the wall. Are you sure you want the raw data?

    8. Re:Oh really, what about the code then? by symbolset · · Score: 1

      Well what you and I think doesn't seem to matter, because vested interests trump observation and analysis both. link.

      --
      Help stamp out iliturcy.
  60. feed the troll by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1. put an ice cube in a microwave safe cup (preferably transparent)
    2. fill cup halfway with chilled water
    3. put cup in microwave for 1 minute
    4. ?????
    5. profit

  61. Re:*NOT* "denialists by bjourne · · Score: 1

    Which is not entirely unlike some "revisionists" who finally can admit that, yes, some people died in the Holocaust camps. But it was for natural causes, like fever, pneumonia and typhus. It had absolutely nothing to do with man-made Zyklon B, carbon monoxide or gun shots.

  62. The explain this ... by Doormouse · · Score: 1

    As referenced by climateadit.org

    Michael Mann, Dec 2004 (at realclimate and also one of the folks involved in the email scandel)

    No researchers in this field have ever, to our knowledge, “grafted the thermometer record onto” any reconstruction. It is somewhat disappointing to find this specious claim (which we usually find originating from industry-funded climate disinformation websites) appearing in this forum [realclimate].

    Phil Jones, Nov 1999 (the guy who is stepping down in one of the purloined emails)

    I’ve just completed Mike’s Nature trick of adding in the real temps to each series for the last 20 years (ie from 1981 onwards) and from 1961 for Keith’s to hide the decline.

    Gavin Schmidt, Nov 2009 realclimate spinmaster

    Scientists often use the term “trick” to refer to a “a good way to deal with a problem”, rather than something that is “secret”, and so there is nothing problematic in this at all.

    Now unless your incredibly thick or lost in the depths of some pseuedo-science/religious rapture, you are going to have a problem with this. After being accused by some of the folks at climateaudit of padding the proxy data with instrument data at the end of the record, Mann reacts angrily that only an oil industry funded shill would suggest such a thing. In the purloined email we find out not only is Mann doing the thing that he angrily denied, but others are doing the same thing. The current crew over at realclimate find nothing problematic with this. After all, I guess it's OK to "distort a bit" to get the correct message out. One have massive cognitive dissonance to not understand why there is so much distrust of such tactics. realclimate is ready to just plow under what amounts to a bald faced lie because it doesn't meet the party line. I know we want to concentrate on the word trick and explain it out of existance, but the adding real temps to each series for the last 20 years part is far more troubling especially since it highlights earlier cases of playing fast and loose with the facts

  63. Re:*NOT* "denialists by w0mprat · · Score: 1

    6) Climate change or unchange is moot, to the point it's a distraction. Our civilisation is founded on exhaustable fossil fuel reserves that we depend on to support given population and a particular standard of living. Its not about transport, we depend on petroleum for everything from shampoo, fertiliser, pesticides, all plastics, medicines, food additives, santisiers. We forget about all the other uses for petroleum that we depend on and fret about not getting our electric cars. Any significant change in fossil fuel supply at a global level, without time for civilisation to adapt will result in either depopulation due to famine and disease, or economic collapse and a crash in the standard of living and or a combination of both. The every increasingly interconnected nature of the global economy makes it more likely to fall down all at once. Finally to finish the job of civilisational collapse, our war like nature could mean we burn the last reserves ... fighting over the last reserves.

    Scarily, some of the experts think the cost of crude doesn't actually need to ramp up too fast over a few years to a decade in order to make things very painful.

    Further reading: Anything on Easter Island.

    --
    After logging in slashdot still does not take you back to the page you were on. It's been that way for 20 years.
  64. Re:Google Censoring Cl1mategate by w0mprat · · Score: 1

    I don't know about you, but I'm tired of hearing about 'Cl1mategate' as are many others who like me will not be Googling it in order to make it disappear. I'm waiting to be unenthused about Tigergate which will be hitting google in 3...2...1...

    (Do you see what 1 d1d there?)

    --
    After logging in slashdot still does not take you back to the page you were on. It's been that way for 20 years.
  65. See? by symbolset · · Score: 1

    The problem solves itself!

    --
    Help stamp out iliturcy.
  66. "or when fanaticism is bubbling up around us" by Quila · · Score: 1

    Sounds exactly like the AGW movement.

  67. In another story... by darkpixel2k · · Score: 1

    In an unrelated story, the former lead scientist at CRU has been offered a research job with Big Tobacco.

    --
    There's no place like ::1 (I've completed my transition to IPv6)
  68. So prove it scientifically by snowwrestler · · Score: 1

    Throughout this entire thread people are performing political analyses--who are all the players, and what do they have to gain? That's a political analysis.

    But none of that shit matters if we are talking about scientific conclusions. If people fudged data, it should not be hard to prove it scientifically, as CRU does not hold the only temperate data and model code in the world. Data tampering should be easy to spot. So where is the scientific proof? Conversely, if the data is accurate, Satan himself could publish it, and it would not make it any less accurate.

    Not that I'm asking you to prove tampering, of course. Like most posters to this thread, you are probably in the IT field and have never conducted publishable scientific research in your life.

    --
    Build a man a fire, he's warm for one night. Set him on fire, and he's warm for the rest of his life.
  69. Excellent Post! by Grog6 · · Score: 1

    Mars' polar ice caps have retreated significantly from the 70s.

    CFCs have really caused system-wide problems... Oh, wait; that was 20 years ago.

    Now it's CO2. ('')

    I recommend reading "Fallen Angel" by Larry Niven. Gore is mentioned...

    --
    Truth isn't Truth - Guliani
    1. Re:Excellent Post! by Chris+Tucker · · Score: 1

      "I recommend reading "Fallen Angel" by Larry Niven."

      Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle had very little to do with writing "Fallen Angels", other than the cocktail napkins they scrawled a few ideas and plot points upon.

      Michael Flynn did all the heavy lifting when it came to actually writing the book.

      --
      Guaranteed! This comment 100% Anthrax free!
    2. Re:Excellent Post! by rochrist · · Score: 1

      And it was a shitty book at that.

  70. Ponzi Scheme Ready to Explode by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When the Feds get access to the bank accounts and money transfers and start connecting the $$$, a global new years political firestorm conflagration will errupt the like perhaps never witnessed before.

    Climate science = astrology.

    Global warming (Al Gore style) = Ponzi scheme.

    Climate astrologier = swindler (Bernie Madoff is no comparison to this on any scale).

    1. Re:Ponzi Scheme Ready to Explode by Curmudgeonlyoldbloke · · Score: 1

      ... Climate astrologier ...

      What is it with the climate change deniers' inability to spell? At least the loonies on the other side of the debate (and there are loonies on both sides) seem to be able to spell.

  71. Look at the code by Andrew30 · · Score: 1

    It is understandable that many people have latched on to the emails, but in their defense the people at CRU indicate that the emails are ‘without context’ or somehow ‘normal banter’ in a scientific institution.

    The program code however is different.

    It is the actual program code, the modeling code that contains the most damaging evidence. I am not talking about the 'comments' in the code but rather the actual computer program source code itself.

    Unlike comments and emails the computer code can only be interpreted in one way. Unlike the comments and the emails the computer code is whole unto it self and requires no external context.

    So now everyone has the code.

    However now the CRU have somehow ‘lost’ the world’s raw climate data that they used in their modeling.

    It may have been necessary for them to have lost the raw temperature data. If the raw temperature data was available then they might be asked to reproduce Exactly The Same Results, in front of skeptical witnesses, as they had used in their peer-reviewed publications that were distributed to the world. This might have been impossible without using some infected modeling code, which an investigating scientist might discover.

    If the results can not be reproduced the paper that used the results should be withdrawn. Then every paper that cited that paper, and so on until the whole web of pseudo-science that can be traced back to the original fabrication has been purged from the libraries

    It is not scientific unless an independent body can reproduce the results.

    Please see also:

    http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/originals/climategate.html

    For a satirical look and the programming fraud:

    Anthropogenic Global Warming Virus Alert.

    http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s5i64103

  72. Meanwhile, back in reality... by freejung · · Score: 1

    You are quite right: this is pure politics, and has no impact on the actual science. People are making a big deal of this who do not understand that scientific theory rests on multiple, independent, reproducable lines of evidence and does not depend on the credibility of one particular institution. The laws of physics don't change because someone hacked someone's email.

    This "scandal" is a tempest in a teapot, with much political but little scientific significance.

    Meanwhile, back in reality, the ice caps are melting, the oceans are warming, the last decade was the hottest on record, and the current warming is unprecedented for at least 1300 years. I am a big fan of The Hitchhiker's Guide, so I don't think panic is ever an appropriate reaction, but there is plenty of cause for strong action to reduce the risk of catastrophic climate change.

    1. Re:Meanwhile, back in reality... by huckamania · · Score: 3, Insightful

      If it were only that simple. What the emails reveal, and what skeptics have been saying for a long time, is that the science is not independent, not reproducible and relies on the same flawed data sets and models used over and over, not multiple lines of evidence. In reality, the ice caps melt during summer and refreeze during winter and the arctic has increased in the last two years, in spite of the dire predictions of an ice free summer. The last 10 years is not the hottest on any records, not even the flawed ones, and is hardly unprecedented.

      The hacked emails/data/code reveal plenty of disturbing things and in reality there is much more that has already come out that points to an even wider and more egregious perversion of science. It takes some serious cojones to use a data set that is known to diverge from the only unequivocal temperature record. You can't just hand wave the skeptics away by saying that the authors gave you a note allowing you to drop the data points that don't match up with your hypothesis ,everything after 1960, and which go a long way in raising doubts about their significance prior to 1960.

      Your side is being routed at this point and it is only going to get worse. Wait until the public learns how the current temperature data sets are being massaged, using only a few stations, sometimes hundreds of miles apart, and averaging for the most increase. How the rise in temperature is predominantly in areas that have no thermometers. How one small part of Antarctica that is warming has been overlaid over all of Antarctica to present the worst possible scenario.

      You are right about the laws of physics, but you are sadly mistaken if you think this is a tempest in a teapot.

    2. Re:Meanwhile, back in reality... by freejung · · Score: 1

      I would recommend you check the evidence carefully before committing to that position. Stay tuned for Episode II, the Revenge of the Science.

    3. Re:Meanwhile, back in reality... by huckamania · · Score: 1

      I agree, we should all check the evidence. That's what this whole argument is about. The Sith masters of climate 'science' want to hide the data, hide their methods and silence the debate. They believe it is justified to hide any flaws in their results under the pretense that it would only serve to strengthen their critics.

      I do like your analogy, but you are wrong about the chronology. Episode I was the Phantom Menace of bad science infiltrating universities and labs. Episode II was the Attack of the Clones, when the bad science took hold and became settled science. Episode III is happening right now and you are right, it is the Revenge of the Science. Okay, maybe it's not such a great analogy.

      In the mean time, if you can point out something wrong in my statements above, feel free to do so.

    4. Re:Meanwhile, back in reality... by freejung · · Score: 1

      Well, one thing wrong with your statements is that you think climate scientists in general are hiding their models and data. Here, have some climate models and data.

      Another error in your statements: the last decade is the hottest on record, in any of the records. You can easily look this up for yourself, so there's no excuse for being wrong about it. The rest of what you said is similarly flawed and uninformed, as can easily be verified with minimal research.

    5. Re:Meanwhile, back in reality... by huckamania · · Score: 1

      In addition to the emails that were leaked, a lot of raw data was also leaked, thus it was hidden. If the data was available, why wouldn't the scientists in question not have posted the link to RealClimate, like you have, instead of trying to figure out how not to comply with a FOI request? Unfortunately, even the link you provide is a small subset of the data and only a small subset of that is raw data.

      Which leads directly to your second point. The only way to make the last century the hottest on record is to apply artificial adjustments. Without the artificial adjustments, the last century is not remarkable at all. Even with the artificial adjustments, previous IPCC reports showed the MWP as being hotter then today and it lasted longer then a century.

      It's funny, in a sad way, to see negative effects (with respect to temp) like the Urban Warming Bias applied uniformly over time, which makes no sense at all, while the positive effects (again, with respect to temp) of things like TOBS and SHAP appear to increase over time, to the point that they completely dominate the results. There is no way that TOBS and SHAP could only increase over time. TOBS especially should be able to produce both negative and positive effects on temp and yet you don't see that reflected in the adjusted data.

      Thankfully, the truth is coming out and the only ones complaining about it are on your side of the argument.

  73. AAAS, NAS, and AMS apparently disagree by freejung · · Score: 1

    Your point appears to be that there is a consensus that global warming is happening, but there is no consensus that it is a serious problem that we need to do something about.

    I think the most respected sicientific organizations in the world, the NAS and AAAS, would disagree on that. I don't know if you consider their view to represent a "consensus," but given their reputation, I think it can fairly be said to represent a thorough reading of the best scientific evidence.

    The NAS statement on climate change says, "climate change is happening even faster than previously estimated... Feedbacks in the climate system might lead to much more rapid climate changes. The need for urgent action to address climate change is now indisputable."

    The AAAS just sent a letter to the senate which says, "Observations throughout the world make it clear that climate change is occurring, and rigorous scientific research demonstrates that the greenhouse gases emitted by human activities are the primary driver. These conclusions are based on multiple independent lines of evidence, and contrary assertions are inconsistent with an objective assessment of the vast body of peer-reviewed science. Moreover, there is strong evidence that ongoing climate change will have broad impacts on society, including the global economy and on the environment."

    And if you think this CRU hack incident changes any of that, the American Meterological Society disagrees, saying "For climate change research, the body of research in the literature is very large and the dependence on any one set of research results to the comprehensive understanding of the climate system is very, very small. Even if some of the charges of improper behavior in this particular case turn out to be true — which is not yet clearly the case — the impact on the science of climate change would be very limited."

    1. Re:AAAS, NAS, and AMS apparently disagree by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      And if you think this CRU hack incident changes any of that, the American Meterological Society disagrees,

      The CRU hack changes things because now I don't trust any of those organizations based on their words alone. They can say things like that all they want, but lets look at the evidence. That's the only thing that matters.

      --
      Qxe4
    2. Re:AAAS, NAS, and AMS apparently disagree by freejung · · Score: 1

      How exactly does any of this call into question the credibilty of NAS? I agree with looking at the evidence, but most people are not qualified to do that, frankly, and need to trust somebody who understands the science to do it for them. Who would you trust to review the evidence and reach a conclusion? Have you reviewed the evidence yourself? I suspect that if you do, you'll find that it is quite sound.

    3. Re:AAAS, NAS, and AMS apparently disagree by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      Who would you trust to review the evidence and reach a conclusion?

      Nobody. If it's important enough, I do it myself.

      Have you reviewed the evidence yourself?

      Yes, a lot of it.

      I suspect that if you do, you'll find that it is quite sound.

      No, in fact, it is not.

      That is, of course greenhouse gases have an effect on temperatures. No one disputes that. The question is how much. I have seen no particular evidence showing that anthropogenic CO2 will have a dangerous effect on the environment.

      --
      Qxe4
  74. Someone is quoting me verbatim? by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

    "I've seen the GP's story copypasta-ed word for word several times in the last 4-5 threads on global warming."

    Imitation is the highest form of flattery, can you point to one of my imitators? I tried a search (with and without the Tasmania typo) but got only my post above. I did post a similar comment in the earlier CRU story but this one is not a c&p of that either. Of course, I'm giving you the benifit of doubt and am assuming you are not a Machevelian astroturfer, rather you read my earlier post and are simply mistaken.

    I second your call for more Aussies to chime in with an opinion or an observation.

    --
    And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
  75. Pol Pot Reference by turkeyfish · · Score: 0, Troll

    The Anti-Global Warming crowd especially likes the Pol-Pot analogy, because like Pol-Pot, they have no concern that hundreds of millions of people will die as a result of global warming that will take place in the next few centuries.

  76. Re:Politics vs Science by turkeyfish · · Score: 1

    Science is not based on consensus, it is based on factually correct interpretation. When Galileo noted the correctness of the Copernican theory, there was no consensus. When Newton discovered the laws of gravity there was no consensus. When Darwin produced his theory of evolution by means of natural selection, there was no consensus. When Einstein produced his theories of relativity, there was no consensus. ... and so it goes with nearly all important scientific breakthroughs and discoveries.

    Looking for consensus in science is a fool's errand. One must instead look at the data and what ideas best support explanations of the data. With climate change, if there is any consensus it is that most scientists are largely of the same opinion that the earth is about to experience a historically dramatic period of warming over the next few hundred years, sea levels will rise dramatically, oceans will increasingly acidify over this period of time, freshwater will become increasingly scarce, and continental aridity greater, many if not most species will disappear, and probably hundreds of millions will die, probably not from the direct effects of the heat, but because of indirect effects (collapse of agriculture, disappearance of forests, lack of water for irrigation, migrations of tens if not hundreds of millions from low-lying land, wars over remaining fertile areas, etc.)

  77. Politics and corruption by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The ippc reports of which I only posted the latest summary, is widely regarded by scientists as one of the most robust reviews of any scientific question in the history of mankind. Virtually every national scientific body on the planet is represented.

    It's one of the most robust pieces of corrupt science presented in the modern age, that's what it is.

    I had to spend a year in climatology to find out where the truth lies because it wasn't at all obvious from the outside. And what I discovered was that the M.O. of the scientific method simply is not being followed at all by GW advocates --- the only thing that care about is their personal interpretation of the data.

    Well the scientific method isn't about personal interpretion at all, it's about making theories / mathematical models, extrapolating testable hypotheses from those theories, and testing those hypotheses against the observed behaviour of reality. When the subject matter isn't amenable to direct testing, then the fallback device of simulation comes in, but you have to be enormously careful with the simulation to be confident that it truly stands in for reality.

    Well we don't have simulations that can deliver that at all yet. Even the most modern and powerful GCMs cannot predict the most basic features of the paleoclimate record like the the very prominent cycles, not even when primed with orbital forcings. We just cannot simulate cloud formation beyond toy level, and simulation of oceanic biota is so complex that we don't even try to build it into the GCMs other than as a fudge factor, despite this being utterly crucial since it dwarfs the effect that humans have on climate.

    When you put it all together, it's readily apparent that there is very little macroscale scientific progress being made on this question yet. There is plenty of micro-scale progress from gathering data, performing local analysis, and running non-global simulations of related effects, and of course there's tons of human interpretations of the results of that. But human interpretations aren't science, and the real science of the scientific method is still to come.

    None of that says that we should continue polluting our planet though --- that should stop NOW. But just because we know that we have to protect the Earth, this does not mean that we must lie about whether science supports our preference. It doesn't. It's not able to do that yet, so we're handwaving the important part.

    So yeah, the Panel is well and truly corrupt, no matter how many supporters sign up to it.

  78. That is no valid response by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That is no valid response. Phil Jones is a director at a science institute that provides an invaluable service to the entire world.

    Exxon provides oil, which we can manage without quite easily once we decide we will do so. Oil after all is just energy and there's plenty of that about.

    And that money to the CEO is HIS PERSONAL PAYMENT in *one year*. The 22 mil to Phil Jones pays for over a decade for the entire project: Phil has to pay his workers out of that. Does the Exxon CEO pay his workers out of his own pocket? No.

  79. Yes we are quite sure by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    This sort of datasplicing is what drove Ian Harris up the wall. Are you sure you want the raw data?

    Given that we have been shown we can't trust the scientists hoarding data to be responsible with interpretation or criticism of results, yes I am quite sure I'd like the other climatologists who have been requesting raw data for years to have it.

    Your "microclimate" story doesn't really add up when you consider that the code I posted was an overall correction, not an individual one - and on top of what was ALREADY supposedly adjusted data for the factors you state.

    As I said, magic constants (with a 0.75 global "fudge factor" slathered atop) have no place in real science. All your hand-waving does nothing to dismiss the many horrors (my post is but one example) found in the code, which again are supposed to be dealing with data that has already had corrections applied. If the code were running against the raw data, they'd be able to turn that over - but that is what has been lost.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  80. Mary Jo Kopechne by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In a 2005 email, Phil Jones, Director of the Climate Research Unit, had this to say regarding whether global warming was even happening at all:

    "The scientific community would come down on me in no uncertain terms if I said the world had cooled from 1998. OK it has but it is only 7 years of data and it isn't statistically significant."

    Surprise surprise! Further, at some point since 1998 the alarmists engaged in a massive campaign to "re-brand" the movement from global warming to climate change. Seems some people were in the know (wink wink)...

    It seems pretty simple - Jones et al knew there was no warming since 1998, and hid that fact from the (research funding) public. Since 1998 billions have been spent in research and public policy decisions (such as the US EPA declaring CO2 a 'pollutant' based on bogus IPCC and CRU representations).

    The alarmists, however, refuse to accept that they've been hoodwinked, even in the face of Jones himself admitting he was a part of the deception (above). And by not looking at the data that has been revealed, and instead having blind faith in their cause, the alarmists have revealed themselves to be part of a religion, not a science.

    Keep the faith, alarmists. Keep the faith.

  81. Re:Pol Pot-itics by Mr.+Firewall · · Score: 1

    So, you consider replacing fossil fuels with renewable and nuclear energy to be the moral equivalent of the Killing Fields

    Yes, he does. And he is exactly right too. There is simply NO WAY to achieve pre-Industrial-Age levels of carbon dioxide emissions without killing off somewhere around 90% of the Earth's population, mostly through starvation and disease.

    Sorry I don't have time to look it up right now, but if you'll do your research you'll find that the GP is dead-on.

    --
    In times of universal deceit, telling the truth gets you modded -1 Troll
  82. Well, yeah... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well, yeah. The real travesty is that the story managed to get tagged 'science'.

    This entire saga, from the very first day the emails leaked, has been completely devoid of science. There's no debate, there's no peer review, there's no citing of data, it doesn't even look like science! It's a straight-up political hatchet job. The folks on the left and the right have both shown up in droves, and they're merrily duking it out over phrases taken out of context from decade-old emails, and where's the actual science in all this?

    The science is nothing but collateral damage. To political types, science is an acceptable casualty, as long as they win the "debate" of the moment.

  83. Re:Pol Pot-itics by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

    There is simply NO WAY to achieve pre-Industrial-Age levels of carbon dioxide emissions without killing off somewhere around 90% of the Earth's population

    We don't have to "achieve pre-Industrial Age levels of CO2" to have an impact combating climate change. Nor is it necessary to kill off "around 90% of the Earth's population" to achieve levels that would improve our chances of avoiding catastrophe.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  84. Classical mechanics? by Nicolas+MONNET · · Score: 1

    Thermodynamics is not "classical mechanics", it's statistical mechanics. Also, conservation of energy and the entropy principle have been linked to much more fundamental laws, in that they can be derived from symmetry. That's definitely not "classical."

    The thing is, other people tried to do the same kinds of things, way back in the day, and they discovered that classical mechanics breaks down at the tiny levels, in other words, it FAILS. DOESN'T WORK. DOES NOT COMPUTE. YOU NEED A NEW SCIENCE.

    Climate is not operating at a tiny level.

    And that is my point. We can predict well enough when the bridge will fail. We cannot predict when the climate will fail to any degree of tility.

    Ok are you that retarded? I'm telling you we CANNOT predict exactly when the bridge will fail. We can predict it WOULD fail under some circumstances, and is unlikely to fail under some restricted circumstances, but we CAN NOT predict *when* the bridge will fail.

    Guess what: if a bridge is about to fail, a few degrees of temperature can make the difference, since dilation can differ enormously between the various materials used. This is accounted for in the design, but if you're nearing the tipping point, then yes, a minor change in temp can break the whole thing.

    And that should serve as a warning as far as climate is concerned.

  85. Obama to da ResQue ... Oh no ... not THAT! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Obama with 2008 SS in towe will mount the stage and say,

    Howdy der folksz, Izz beenzz on a loong flithtz from da DC to hear ... schuzzez me whilez Izzesz whoopz des out.

    Then a rendition of the Blue Danube will be farted-out, in key, by the UN deligates, followed by a large portrait of Adolf Hitler lowering in the background, where all on stage join hands and goose-steep to a lively rendition of "Spring Time for Hitler and Germany".

    On stage right will be a male dog mounting another male dog, with the dominant male dog wearing a sash with the words "Go Irish", and on stage left will be Al Gore pulling the legs off frogs and tossing the parts to audience members.

  86. Slashdot Shows Severe Misunderstanding of Science by nathanh · · Score: 1

    There's a severe misunderstanding of science being displayed by some of the comments. It's this "publish the raw data" meme that has recently taken hold in the collective mindset. That's not how science works.

    Here's a recent example. My friend works in the physics department (PhD) and was recently asked to reproduce a scramjet simulation. It's basically a shock tube aimed at a combustion chamber. The original paper contained the method, and the conclusion, but did not contain the raw data .

    There's a reason for that. If the measurements are incorrect then there's simply no point in reusing the flawed data. What matters is the result; basically can a person, who is skilled in the field, reproduce the experiment to obtain the same result. My friend did reproduce the result, but in the process he said he's found a mistake in the methodology, so he's now writing a paper about it. At no stage did he need the raw data. He never even requested it. The idea never even crossed his mind.

    The skeptics should be collecting their own data, not sitting on their lazy butts and demanding copies of the raw data. The skeptics who find mistakes in the methodology are doing the right thing. But they are the exception rather than the rule. The majority seem to think they'll find a "smoking gun" in the raw data. That's just nonsense.

    I think it shows a general laziness. It's the idea that you can sit on a PC with google, a browser pointed to wikipedia, and somehow topple 1000s of man-years of research "if only I had copies of that original data". No, that's not how it works. Go collect more data that shows a contrary result. That's hard work, but that's science.

  87. Moderation Abuse by crmarvin42 · · Score: 1

    Nothing in my post fits the definition of "Troll"

    Modding someone post as "Troll" is not a substitute for "I disagree!" If you think I'm wrong, then grow a pair and post WHY you think I'm wrong

    --
    Bureaucracy expands to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy.-Oscar Wilde
  88. US EPA Criminalizes ... Water! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The US EPA just figured out that water vapor, the deadlest greenhouse gas, comes from ... water.

    EPA now plans to criminal possession or discharge of water.

    Peeing is now a Fellony Offince punishable by execution, not to mention pre-crime perminent detention (Obama Executive Order).

    This goes with an earlier finding that soft drinks and alkaselzer contain carbon dioxide; another Fellony Offince if found in possession.

    When asked about the apparent contradiction with the previously enacted Clean Water Act, the EPA Administrator had a fit screaming, "Who did dat? ... I gona kee dat suckur."

  89. Who would care what a NOBODY like you thinks... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    SymbolNOBODY:

    You said what's quoted below from you, here -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1476008&cid=30428430

    "It's tolerated (perhaps encouraged) in part because these annoying actors are otherwised engaged in improving Linux. Major Debian and BSD contributors, for example, use slashdot as a workspace for their human-machine interaction side experiments, of which APK is probably one. In addition many of these trolls post links which, if you follow them, will completely hose a Windows machine. This is part of the game. - by symbolset (646467) on Monday December 14, @01:15AM (#30428430) Journal

    I took offense to the BOLDED part... so, my reply in the URL below was simple (and logical):

    http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1476008&threshold=-1&commentsort=0&mode=thread&pid=30428430#30430244

    Additionally, "symbolNOBODY"? Well - the day you can make something like this (& that got you PAID for it, & that has done as well for others online):

    http://www.tcmagazine.com/forums/index.php?s=b861a743aa23c4568b7d73e07ef7ecec&showtopic=2662

    That's also gone over 250.000 views worldwide in 1++ yrs.' time online, & across 15 forums where that guide for Windows Security has been made either an:

    1.) "Sticky/Pinned" thread
    2.) An "Essential Guide"
    3.) Rates 5/5 stars (etc.)

    AND, gets "feedback" like this from users that have applied it:

    ----

    http://www.xtremepccentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28430

    PERTINENT QUOTE/EXCERPT:

    "...recently, months ago when you finally got this guide done, had authorization to try this on simple work station for kids. My client, who paid me an ungodly amount of money to do this, has been PROBLEM FREE FOR MONTHS! I haven't even had a follow up call which is unusual. Now I don't recommend this for the average joe, but it if can work for a kids PC it can work for anything! Now, i substituted OpenDNS and activated the Adult Content filter with them for this kids computer. I know its not perfect, but will catch over 99.5% of said sites."

    and

    http://www.xtremepccentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=10f9ba9ad5ff990aaae1e7ec91f593a2&t=28430&page=3

    "Its 2009 - still trouble free! I was told last week by a co worker who does active directory administration, and he said I was doing overkill. I told him yes, but I just eliminated the half life in windows that you usually get. He said good point. So from 2008 till 2009. No speed decreases, its been to a lan party, moved around in a move, and it still NEVER has had the OS reinstalled besides the fact I imaged the drive over in 2008. Great stuff! My client STILL Hasn't called me back in regards to that one machine to get it locked down for the kid. I am glad it worked and I am sure her wallet is appreciated too now that it works. Speaking of which, I need to call her to see if I can get some leads. APK - I will say it again, the guide is FANTASTIC! Its made my PC experience much easier. Sandboxing was great. Getting my host file updated, setting services to system service, rather than system local. (except AVG updater, needed system local)"

    Thronka - forums member @ xtremepccentral.com

    ----

    THEN, when you have done so, on THAT account? THEN, you can talk!

    Also?

    When you have done all of this as I have over time in this Art & Science of computing:

    "My Name is Ozymandias: King of Kings - Look upon my works, ye mighty