Day By Day

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Will Scientific Authority Jump the Shark?

Apparently it already has.

At least Iain Murray, writing in NRO's "Corner" seems to think so.

Welcome to the world of climate change “science,” Jason, which is hopelessly politicized. There’s a great example today, as protestors are demanding the resignation of the Director of the National Hurricane Center for not accepting their version of reality. They are saying that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration “is actively covering up the strong and growing scientific link between more powerful hurricanes and global warming." That is codswallop, to use an old English expression. Kevin Vranes, a colleague of Roger Pielke Jr, and certainly no climate skeptic, has the following verdict:

I am arguing that despite strong words from the various scientific camps, no scientific consensus has yet become apparent (and won't for a few years). To protest stating otherwise is a gross misunderstanding of how science works and, worse, is stretching science toward a political goal. If there is a Republican War on Science, this must be the Democrats getting revenge.

This is the level to which we have descended, and scientific activists who want their preferred policy solution imposed without further debate are directly to blame.

Read the whole thing here.

Sigh!


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