Comment Re:Wrong Way (Score 1) 926
"They expect the average citizen (the proverbial stupid Joe Sixpack) to make the distinction between incorrect scientific consensus popularized by mass media in the '70s and supposedly correct scientific consensus popularized by mass media in the '00s. Fool him once, shame on you. What makes you think he'll let himself be convinced twice, even if it's legitimate this time?"
Since mass media is espousing both sides of a nonexistent debate it is not surprising that, as in the 1970s, the public is believes there is controversy. Like belief in global cooling, the public belief in the Debate over Global Warming has its entire basis in advocacy groups and not scientific evidence. This goes on all the time, "first they said eat margarine, not butter, now they say it's bad for me too." But like nutritionists never recommended butter or margarine in any but the smallest quantities meteorologists never predicted an ice age-it was just a theory, one possible explanation for a cooling trend that made a lot great press. Science teachers love teaching whats in the press. News editors love catchy stories (which would you pick, "Part of a Larger trend to the opposite" or "New Ice Age Dawns!") That doesn't make them the voice of science, and that certainly doesn't disprove any theories that might be developed three decades later.
Right now we are in the same situation as we were in the 1970s. Prevailing wisdom says that there is a Debate over Global Warming and its cause among scientists where there is none. People are advocating it all over this discussion. This is caused by ignorance of the field of climate research, reliance on too little media exposure, and not enough study. People who were duped in the 1970s are being duped again by a false perception brought about by not allowing the people who have the facts about global warming (climatologists) to control the discussion.
No one wants to get fooled again, but burying your head in the sand is not the solution to this problem. Global warming is very real. It is being caused by human activity according to Every scientist working on the issue with even a modicum of credibility. There is no debate among scientists.
Since mass media is espousing both sides of a nonexistent debate it is not surprising that, as in the 1970s, the public is believes there is controversy. Like belief in global cooling, the public belief in the Debate over Global Warming has its entire basis in advocacy groups and not scientific evidence. This goes on all the time, "first they said eat margarine, not butter, now they say it's bad for me too." But like nutritionists never recommended butter or margarine in any but the smallest quantities meteorologists never predicted an ice age-it was just a theory, one possible explanation for a cooling trend that made a lot great press. Science teachers love teaching whats in the press. News editors love catchy stories (which would you pick, "Part of a Larger trend to the opposite" or "New Ice Age Dawns!") That doesn't make them the voice of science, and that certainly doesn't disprove any theories that might be developed three decades later.
Right now we are in the same situation as we were in the 1970s. Prevailing wisdom says that there is a Debate over Global Warming and its cause among scientists where there is none. People are advocating it all over this discussion. This is caused by ignorance of the field of climate research, reliance on too little media exposure, and not enough study. People who were duped in the 1970s are being duped again by a false perception brought about by not allowing the people who have the facts about global warming (climatologists) to control the discussion.
No one wants to get fooled again, but burying your head in the sand is not the solution to this problem. Global warming is very real. It is being caused by human activity according to Every scientist working on the issue with even a modicum of credibility. There is no debate among scientists.
