Climate Policy

[kandrathe]

Okay. And if Hansen's results were some weird outlier, and he was wandering around hawking a ridiculous theory with paper-thin evidence, I'd say that'd be a perfectly good deduction: his idealism has tainted his reasoning.

Except, what he's saying is not unusual. It's dead in the mainstream of his discipline. It's what pretty much every major scientific organization and journal has supported. It's what the overwhelming majority of scientists, both inside and outside of his field, agree with.

This does not make him automatically right. But it does mean it's not possible to just toss him in with the crazies and cranks. What he is saying is backed up not only by his research, but the research of the whole climate field. Maybe he's too loud about it, and exudes too much certainty to accurately reflect the persistent difficulties in climate modelling. But the gist of what he's saying is scientific consensus. Are you really okay with calling that "politics", but then throwing " attack the argument not the person" in my face when you throw Steven Milloy into the mix?

Actually, what I object to, particularly with Hansen is that in his scientific writings he is quick to point out the uncertainty of the models, and the limitations of his findings. Yet, in his odd 1500 or so public speaking engagements per year, he voices a political certitude not backed up by his own science. GISS has published and had to back track on numerous climate statements, mostly I would surmise due to the bias of scientists such as Dr. Hansen. His political opinions and positions have garnered him some vast sums of money from people who are interested in one side of the GW debate, not that some scientists we've spoken of haven't garnered sums of money from the other side of the debate. But, this is where science stops, and ideology begins. I doubt Dr. Dyson or most scientists would ever rub shoulders with Daryl Hannah in a county lock up. Which makes Dr. Hansen particularly unique, especially since his salary is furnished by the US taxpayers. Then again, I'm from MN where a comedian, a wrestler, or a guy driving a hippie bus to Washington seem like politics as normal.

You can attack Milloy if you like. You will further the argument by disproving what he says. I admire Dr. Hansen for some of his scientific work, particularly on black carbon. But, his politics and activism strain his reputation as an objective scientific opinion.