Journal pudge's Journal: Stop Being Incorrect!, He Said, Incorrectly 5
A high school student complained about "incorrect" information in his high school textbook. You know, terrible statements that give "the mistaken impression that the scientific evidence of global warming is doubtful and uncertain," like "science doesn't know whether we are experiencing a dangerous level of global warming or how bad the greenhouse effect is."
The problem is that it is a fact that "scientific evidence of global warming is doubtful and uncertain." There's nothing mistaken about that. It is, further, a fact that "science doesn't know whether we are experiencing a dangerous level of global warming or how bad the greenhouse effect is."
An older edition of the textbook added, "if [the greenhouse effect] exists at all," which is incorrect. We know it exists. But we do not know if it has any significant effect on climate.
There are a few thing listed in the book that are incorrect, but the article gives this as the primary example, and it's wrong. Even the IPCC claimed that their evidence is uncertain, and that they do not know whether we have a dangerous level of global warming, or how bad the greenhouse effect is. Them's the facts.
The funniest/saddest part, when the student said, "All the statements for the most part were trying to lead the reader in one direction and not giving a fair account of everything." Except that from his own words it is quite obvious that if the statements were leading the readers in the direction he agreed with -- claiming global warming is fact, for example -- he'd not have had a problem with it.
He added, "I'm not looking to cause a huge controversy, but I want the students to be taught correct information." Agreed. So there should be no problem whatsoever with noting the unquestionable fact that science is uncertain about global warming existing, being dangerous, or being caused by man.
Some of the incorrect examples in the book have to do with religion, for example, the notion that all public prayer in public schools is outlawed. That's a false claim. Unfortunately, what was left out of the book is that doubting the religion of Global Warming in public schools is disallowed.
Cross-posted on <pudge/*>.
Have you seen (Score:2)
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The thesis seems to be that the academic culture has drunk too deeply of its kool-aid.
(I went to the Naval Academy, where our kool-aid was of a different flavor).
Will the auteur be the conservative Michael Moore? Perhaps.
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You have committed what is called an ad hominem attack, a form of the red herring fallacy. Not only have you offered a logical fallacy, but as this was the entirety of your post, you're also by definition off-topic, and have added absolutely nothing to the discussion.
Please do not err similarly again.