Where are the books explaining Climate Change?
Another ABC Radio National podcast on August 14th, The Philosopher's Zone, had guest Guy Rundle from Crikey on the show talking about 'Philosophy on the Campaign Trail.'
It was an entertaining and informative show and I did appreciate the question posed during the show asking why the scientific community had not published easy-to-read books supporting their claims of human-induced climate change.
After all, climate change skeptics like Adelaide University's Ian Plimer and UK 'eccentric climate skeptic'(1) Lord Monckton loudly promote their views that climate change is naturally occurring and not the result of human activity, despite the overwhelming consensus in the scientific community to the contrary. And Plimer and Monckton are probably making a good living from their efforts.
Either Rundle, or Philosopher's Zone host Alan Saunders, raised a point in the radio show that the lack of books explaining the causes of climate change could be as a result of many scientists not feeling a need to waste time debating people like Plimer or Monckton because to the scientists the facts are clear and support their observations. What's the old advice, 'never argue with an idiot' for fear of being mistaken for one?
But it is important to promote the fact-based evidence despite the mud-fight that it will start. (For an example, see the comments on the ABC RN The Science Show website following the 3 July 2010 interview with now deceased eminent climate scientist Stephen Schneider. The skeptics were quick and loud in their attack on Schneider's summary of 'Scientists respond to climate change'. Just as Schneider said they would!)
Some skeptics are making good money from their books, so why aren't the scientists also doing so? I'd certainly buy a clearly written, fact-based book written by someone representing the consensus of what the climate scientists have discovered.
(1) Sydney Morning Herald, 'Lord Monckton is on the fringe: Barnaby Joyce'
January 20, 2010
It was an entertaining and informative show and I did appreciate the question posed during the show asking why the scientific community had not published easy-to-read books supporting their claims of human-induced climate change.
After all, climate change skeptics like Adelaide University's Ian Plimer and UK 'eccentric climate skeptic'(1) Lord Monckton loudly promote their views that climate change is naturally occurring and not the result of human activity, despite the overwhelming consensus in the scientific community to the contrary. And Plimer and Monckton are probably making a good living from their efforts.
Either Rundle, or Philosopher's Zone host Alan Saunders, raised a point in the radio show that the lack of books explaining the causes of climate change could be as a result of many scientists not feeling a need to waste time debating people like Plimer or Monckton because to the scientists the facts are clear and support their observations. What's the old advice, 'never argue with an idiot' for fear of being mistaken for one?
But it is important to promote the fact-based evidence despite the mud-fight that it will start. (For an example, see the comments on the ABC RN The Science Show website following the 3 July 2010 interview with now deceased eminent climate scientist Stephen Schneider. The skeptics were quick and loud in their attack on Schneider's summary of 'Scientists respond to climate change'. Just as Schneider said they would!)
Some skeptics are making good money from their books, so why aren't the scientists also doing so? I'd certainly buy a clearly written, fact-based book written by someone representing the consensus of what the climate scientists have discovered.
(1) Sydney Morning Herald, 'Lord Monckton is on the fringe: Barnaby Joyce'
January 20, 2010
posted by Rick's Rambles at 9:36 PM
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