Monthly Archives: August 2014

Partisanship and silencing science

Posted on August 29, 2014 by | 461 comments

by Judith Curry

 The implications of dogmatic groupthink and intimidation for the pursuit of sound science — and sound policy — are chilling. – Christopher Snowden

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461 Comments

Posted in Ethics, Sociology of science

Atlantic vs Pacific vs AGW

Posted on August 28, 2014 by | 390 comments

by Judith Curry

I hope this will lead to a broader discussion about the contribution of natural variability to local climate trends and to the statistics of extreme events. – John Michael Wallace

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390 Comments

Posted in Attribution

The 50-50 argument

Posted on August 24, 2014 by | 832 comments

by Judith Curry

Pick one:

a)  Warming since 1950 is predominantly (more than 50%)  caused by humans.

b)  Warming since 1950 is predominantly caused by natural processes.

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832 Comments

Posted in Attribution, Uncategorized

JC interview with oilprice.com

Posted on August 22, 2014 by | 299 comments

by Judith Curry

As the global warming debate increases in its intensity we find both sides deeply entrenched, hurling accusations and lies at one another in an attempt to gain the upper hand. This divide within the scientific community has left the public wondering who can be trusted to provide them with accurate information and answers. – James Stafford

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299 Comments

Posted in Communication

Cause of hiatus found deep in the Atlantic Ocean

Posted on August 21, 2014 by | 421 comments

by Judith Curry

Rapid warming in the last three decades of the 20th century, they found, was roughly half due to global warming and half to the natural Atlantic Ocean cycle that kept more heat near the surface. When observations show the ocean cycle flipped, the current began to draw heat deeper into the ocean, working to counteract human-driven warming. – Chen and Tung

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421 Comments

Posted in Attribution

No bodies

Posted on August 20, 2014 by | 192 comments

by Rud Istvan

One of the firmer catastrophic anthropogenic global warming (CAGW) predictions made by IPCC AR4 WG2 was an alarming increase in species extinctions.

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192 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts

Institutionalizing Dissent

Posted on August 19, 2014 by | 225 comments

by Judith Curry

As many have argued, rigorous scientific research requires dissent, or what Robert Merton called “organized skepticism”. Yet it is increasingly the case that some forms of dissent in pharmaceutical research are either absent or unheard. – Justin Biddle

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225 Comments

Posted in Skeptics

Mann vs Steyn et al. discussion thread

Posted on August 14, 2014 by | 549 comments

by Judith Curry

Some interesting developments during the past week.

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549 Comments

Posted in Ethics

Appeals to the climate consensus can give the wrong impression

Posted on August 13, 2014 by | 456 comments

by Will Howard

“Consensus” means different things to different people — and herein lies the problem.

 

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456 Comments

Posted in Consensus

A precautionary tale: more sorry than safe(?)

Posted on August 10, 2014 by | 475 comments

by Judith Curry

The unfortunate reality is that efforts to regulate one risk can create other, often more dangerous risks. – Jonathan Adler

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475 Comments

Posted in Ethics, Policy

Engagement vs communication vs PR vs propaganda

Posted on August 8, 2014 by | 313 comments

by Judith Curry

So, exactly what are we trying to communicate, and how and why?

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313 Comments

Posted in Communication

Importance of intellectual and political diversity in science

Posted on August 6, 2014 by | 590 comments

by Judith Curry

“He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that.”  – John Stuart Mill

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590 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts, Sociology of science

Role of Atlantic warming(?) in recent climate shifts

Posted on August 5, 2014 by | 180 comments

by Judith Curry

Record breaking trade winds may have led to hiatus in global surface average temperatures.

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180 Comments

Posted in Attribution

Is the road to scientific hell paved with good moral intentions?

Posted on August 4, 2014 by | 656 comments

by Judith Curry

We find ourselves in scientific hell when we discover that our powers of persuasion are limited to those who were already predisposed to agree with us. – Philip Tetlock

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656 Comments

Posted in Sociology of science

Kardashian Index

Posted on August 3, 2014 by | 257 comments

by Judith Curry

I am concerned that phenomena similar to that of Kim Kardashian may also exist in the scientific community. I think it is possible that there are individuals who are famous for being famous.  – Neil Hall

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257 Comments

Posted in Communication, Sociology of science

Montgomery’s Senate testimony: economics of climate adaptation

Posted on August 1, 2014 by | 154 comments

by Judith Curry

If we really want to help globally, there is clear evidence that most can be accomplished through effective support at a community level for locally-designed and implemented adaptation measures in Africa and poor Asian countries where the real vulnerability exists, not nugatory mitigation that helps no one. – W. David Montgomery

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154 Comments

Posted in Adaptation