Slashdot Mirror
Australia Cuts 110 Climate Scientist Jobs: "The Science is Settled."
An anonymous reader writes: With an ax rather than a scalpel, Australia's federal science agency last week chopped off its climate research arm in a decision that has stunned scientists and left employees dispirited. Why? Because the science is settled, there is no need for more basic research, the government says. No doubt many will experience a case of schadenfreude as they see those who have long claimed "the science is settled" face the inevitable and logical consequence of that stance.
Most importantly:
Will the impact of whatever we do be more or less than the impact of doing nothing?
Because nobody's really accounted for that yet. Sure, if we cut power, move to renewables, make cars compliant, etc. then we will reduce emissions. But what effect could that have? And if the sea is still going to rise anyway, displacing pretty much the same people as it would have, was it worth doing all that?
I've said all along the answer to "Is it human-caused?" is just trivia. The answer to "Is it happening?" is easily measured. The answer to "What can we do about it that is less worse than the predicted effects anyway?" has never been properly found.
Honestly, if we have to cut all the coal-burning and move to renewables and live more efficient lives and whatever else... how many people is that going to kill, put out of work, push into poverty, etc.? And how certain are we that our fixes will do what we think, and that the effects won't hit us as bad if we do all this?
Because otherwise, it's like arguing about who's fault the car crash is going to be as you drive head-long into another car. And nobody has considered whether going round (left or right?!), or slamming the brakes on, or sounding the horn is actually going to work best. And nobody has considered that the accident might be unavoidable anyway, or that our actions might make it worse (e.g. skidding onto the pavement and taking out a few pedestrians AFTER hitting the other car anyway).
No, we're all too focused on "Who's fault is it?" and nobody has properly considered "What do we do about it?" Maybe because that's a difficult question without a simple answer, that requires lot of science and research and money to answer sensibly.
But, hey, at least our scientists LOOK busy and are on the news predicting doom every night...