Fri, 19. August 2016
NASA Corrupted the Data
It is absolutely astonishing that the veracity of climate change science is being debated again on national television. I thought we were over that. I thought Australia had moved on.
Despite absolute consensus amongst Climate Scientists, Q&A this week gave air-time to an L-plate Senator, who is yet to take his seat in Parliament, who tells us that NASA and other meteorological bodies around the world have corruptly manipulated the data.
Deary oh me. I'm surprised he didn't tell us NASA faked the Apollo Moon landings while he was at it.
We must move on from this silly 'theologian style' denial mentality where the starting point is already the predetermined answer and the debate revolves around the nonsense which supports the denial.
It is all so shallow - and when painted into a corner, the supporters of this man accuse Cox of being political! I watched Q&A and detected no evidence of political bias in what Prof Cox said - but even if true, what would it matter? Scientists are people who are entitled to political views, the same as everyone else.
Yet here we are again, with the newly elected attention-seeking Senator Roberts pushing the coal lobby agenda and telling us that 'NASA had corrupted the data'.
Those who deny Climate Science are so inconsistent. Sometimes they say global warming:
- is not occurring.
- is occurring but has paused.
- is occurring but as a result of volcanoes and so called 'natural cycles'.
- is a fabrication of individual scientists.
- is a conspiracy of all the world's meteorological agencies who are corrupting the data.
They cannot make their minds up. Always they will say that that climate change is definitely not caused by human activity - despite the undeniable evidence:
- that carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are greenhouse gases;
- that all three have been increasing in the atmosphere since the start of the industrial revolution and;
- that this rise correlates with temperature rise.
The big issue now, as Prof Brian Cox put it, is seeking the political will to effectively deal with the predicted challenges which climate change present us with.
Sometimes they accuse the scientists of being political. Yet Climate Change science is not a political debate, it is a science debate. Politicians come into it - not to debate the science - but to determine the best course of action to address the problem identified by the scientists. Sadly, world governments are lagging behind in their duty.
Science follows the evidence. You cannot pick and choose which bits of science to "believe". Science is accepted and respected universally. It gathers data, analyses it and models predicted outcomes. However, for some odd reason Climate Change Scientists are exempt and can be be ridiculed at will without any valid reason. I find that behaviour inconsistent and bizarre. In twenty-one years of attending my local astronomical society, I have never observed any member with the bad manners to stand up in front of any of our distinguished visiting scientists and say "Bah! I don't believe in that rubbish!".
I made a decision many years ago that as the scientific consensus has warned us of the challenges of Climate Change, not only do I have the obligation to accept their findings but also that it is the duty of all governments to accept what they say and adopt a course which will steer us away from the global chaos which would otherwise ensue.
If the scientists change their minds on Climate Change, then I will change mine.