This is a response to: http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/?EntryID=780
1. It is hard to quantify the statement “Climate change is real because scientists say so” due to the pure ambiguity of the statement. For example, I do believe that the climate is changing but I cannot identify with the statement because I do not know which climate change the scientists are referring to, nor which way they are claiming it is changing (which seems to change as often as the weather).
2. Scientists are proven wrong on a daily basis. It is part of the definition of science. All science is based on observations of the world around it, or assumptions based on said observations.
3. There are two simplistic ways to look at the likely hood of “climate change” being accurate as predicted.
3a. It is impossible due to the sheer immensity of the question (with anywhere between 7000 and 70,000,000,000,000 years of weather history to account for).
3b. It is easy due to the sheer immensity of the question (al la. game theory).
4. My biggest personal issue with the science behind climate change is centered on how few scientists are truly cross-disciplinary. There are so many different contributing factors that I find it hard to believe that all contributing factors can be accurately represented.
5. Another issue I have is that correlation is not equal to causation. There simply is not enough global weather history recorded to provide an accurate picture of the Earth’s natural climate change. We can measure the impact of humans and their emissions till the cows come home (more on those in a minute) but I fail to see how any current measurements tell us what would be happening to the climate right now if we weren’t here. If the Earth’s nature climate patterns are cycles based in hundreds of thousands of years then how do we know what point of the cycle we are in?
6. Conflicting data leads to even further issues. I have seen peer reviewed articles about how cows produce more greenhouse gases than all the cars in the USA. I’ve seen articles on cars being the highest producers of greenhouse gases. I’ve seen articles stating that a certain tree on the East coast emits more than all the cows and cars combined. Granted there are people spouting off that don’t know what they are talking about, but when the highly regarded experts can’t agree, then what do we believe.
7. Money. Need I say more? Ok, just a little. I do not trust the word of any scientist re: any sensational topic if there was money involved in any way shape or form.
To Sum up my thoughts: Climate change is real. Scientists have nothing to do with it. Experts have predicted similarly complex systems. They have only done so with true empirical data.
