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« With apologies to Joel Pett | Main | Pope Francis and Ben Tre »
Friday
May152015

Polling all scientists - Josh 327

Roddy Cambell says:

The decent mass of scientific society, in a quiet but significant majority, getting on with it in a civilised and peaceful fashion in the library/laboratory/Antarctica/satellites/rain forest/literature, no shouting please, debating what works and what is right.  The righteous Union of Concerned Climate Hawks with their megaphones, degrowth manifestos, 100-denier underwear, dinner inspections, LSE platforms and disinvestment petitions.  Who wouldn't be a bit shy?

Many thanks to Roddy for the idea of Shy Scientists being like Shy Tories - they won't offer their thoughts when there are so many vocal alarmists ready to shout them down. 

The background to the cartoon is the Lew paper which Richard Betts critiques here and which is being discussed over at Lew's blog here.

Cartoons by Josh

PS If you feel like donating then please do. I am trying to set aside time to put some of the cartoons into a book. Any support would be greatly appreciated!

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Reader Comments (31)

That horned figure is scary enough to cause a bit of pause seepage in the best of us. :-)

May 15, 2015 at 2:36 PM | Unregistered CommenterTinyCO2

Poor old Richard Betts was being given a hard time at attp for "asserting that there actually has been a pause or hiatus".

May 15, 2015 at 2:42 PM | Registered CommenterMartin A

Small donation made. I look forward to the book to go with my collection of calendars.

May 15, 2015 at 3:11 PM | Registered CommenterPhillip Bratby

Martin A , I looked at that discussion.
The comments could be divided into repetitions of three assertions:

1) The IPCC is wrong to admit there's a pause at all.
2) Anyone who disagrees with the commenter's view of climate science is clearly wilfully deceitful or just stupid.
3) Anyone who questions mainstream science is wasting everyone's time.

Points 1 and 3 were contradictory.
Points 2 and 3 showed a lack of understanding of the scientific method
But arguably Points 1 and 2 were not disproven - they were even found to be supported.

May 15, 2015 at 3:48 PM | Registered CommenterM Courtney

As far as climate scientists go, I think this is a misrepresentation. In the polls from several years ago, it wasn't intimidation rather it was overly broad questions coupled with a screening process that eliminated most of the dissenting opinions. Now the TV weathermen pols from Forecast the Facts, that is more likely intimidation.

May 15, 2015 at 4:37 PM | Unregistered CommenterSean

"seepage" for Lew basically means that you state that temps are flat-lining more or less at the moment. Admitting to a pause or hiatus is "seepage". How does that help anyone? For Lew and Oreskes, honesty is not as important as going around claiming that the sky is falling.

May 15, 2015 at 5:19 PM | Unregistered Commenterdiogenes

Yes, of course.

There are many precedents throughout history.

The wicked pick a minority dispossessed group that cannot defend itself (Jews, blacks, "climate deniers", etc), and then proceed to lynch, kill, exterminate them in order to put the fear of God in the heart of those people the wicked want to control.

May 15, 2015 at 9:36 PM | Unregistered CommenterBrute

* Event in Basingstoke on Monday night 18th May 7-9pm
The future of conventional power generation

with Budimir Rosic, Ass Prof Engineering, Oxford **
"Covers how the generation of electricity for the electricity power grid is likely to change over the next 20 years.
This will include the use of Coal, Oil, Gas, Solar, Wind, Tide and other newer technologies we may see in the near future.
It promises to be a fascinating talk that will be of interest to anyone wanting to know how we might address climate change by changing how we generate our electricity.
Please remember to RSVP for this event if you will be attending. This is so we can give the Tea Bar an indication of the numbers likely to be there on Monday.
Bob Clifford (Software developer and general science enthusiast is also the organiser of Basingstoke Transition Town)
A Basingstoke Cafe Scientifique event
TIME : 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM drinks before and in the middle
VENUE : The Tea Bar, 9-13 London Street, Basingstoke Postcode: RG21 7NT

** Real Scientist working in a close collaboration with major power generation and turbomachinery manufacturing companies.

Other event from associated group
June 1 : The Abandoned Severn Barrage project : “Tony Pryor CBE – ex CEO Hafren Energy (venueThe Winchester Discovery Centre)
June 29 : Energy saving lamps and LEDs

May 16, 2015 at 6:54 AM | Registered Commenterstewgreen

Another FREE Event
June 4 London 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
"Air pollution past, present and future
" @Royal Society of Chemistry:
The Chemistry Centre, Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, London W1J 0BA

with Professor Alastair Lewis
It's already full, but you might be lucky at the door.
"There will also be a live broadcast of the talk for those that can't attend."

May 16, 2015 at 7:09 AM | Registered Commenterstewgreen

My new paper about to come out sometime in the near future shows how climate scientists who want to speak out against alarmism are intimidated from doing so by "sackage".

May 16, 2015 at 9:11 AM | Unregistered Commentergeronimo

I'm proposing to host a seminar in the near future:

'Power generation for anyone with a brain'....

May 16, 2015 at 9:13 AM | Unregistered Commentersherlock1

The fear and panic now racing through the global warmist camp, is due to theit failure, to create a sustainable climate of fear and panic.

Take away irrational fear and panic, and thete is nothing there, but empty threats, and false prophesies.

It is all hot air, hiding at the bottom of the ocean, and this must be true, because climate scientists said so.

May 16, 2015 at 11:37 AM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

Too true Golf Charlie.

I wonder if the warmist motto is -

"You have nothing to fear but fear itself - we can work with that."

May 16, 2015 at 12:39 PM | Unregistered CommenterTinyCO2

TinyCO2, the fear of being found out, drives them to make claims that were worse than even they thought were plausible, just a few years ago.

The public are more likely to die laughing, than from global warming, and it's all the fault of climate alarmists, who thrive, by creating fear. Some of them thrive very nicely, and find a lot of pleasure in it.

May 16, 2015 at 1:31 PM | Unregistered CommenterGolf Charlie

"a live broadcast of the talk for those that can't attend."

Aka the sensible.

May 16, 2015 at 2:03 PM | Registered Commenterjamesp

The same day the remaining Boston Marathon Bomber gets the death penalty.

Check this out.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/may/14/michael-mccaul/does-homeland-security-put-climate-change-above-on/

May 16, 2015 at 4:34 PM | Unregistered Commenterjamspid

jamesp, even for those that can't attend, Lewandowsky is so confident, of what they would have thought, that he has already written their glowing reports, of how good it was, using his predictive skills in psychic psychology (no lie detectors permitted, as they emit harmful microwaves that disrupt his aura of phrenology)

When the science is so settled, why waste research funding on boring stuff like proper scientific research, that will only confuse people anyway? It is far easier to write your conclusions first, and not worry too much, especially if you have secured funding

May 16, 2015 at 7:21 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

There will be terrible arguments in Paris, if anyone dares to suggest that the caterers were a bit late serving the food. Real scientists would be able to point to watches to explain their reasons for suggesting there had been a delay, hiatus or pause in food service.

Lewandowsky will want their watches examined, and false memories erased, and that is before they talk about climate change at the Failed Politics Rally, with all the Celebrity Failed Politicians present.

May 16, 2015 at 7:53 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

We need Nasa to develop a new spy satellite to identify climate science hot air.

May 17, 2015 at 9:33 AM | Unregistered CommenterMartyn

Lets say you are a competent scientist working in some climate unrelated field
You have a vague idea that the claims of climate science seem exaggerated and after climategate, possibly fraudulent.

You have a family, a mortgage, a busy life.
Would you stick your neck out and take an active interest in something that could negatively your career?

On the other hand lets say you are a competent scientist working in a climate related field
You have a good idea that the claims of climate science are exaggerated and after climategate fraudulent.

You have a family, a mortgage, a busy life.
Would you stick your neck out and take a public stand on something that would end your career?

Better still if the general public start to question your livelyhood perhaps you would behave like ATTP and become an advocate false science.

Its really not so hard to understand the skewed answers of scientists on the climate isssue

May 17, 2015 at 2:45 PM | Unregistered CommenterBryan

Bryan, absolutely correct.

Plus, using the BBC etc to keep pumping out propaganda, blaming everything on global warming and getting schoolchildren to apply emotional blackmail on their parents, is all part of 'Public Information'.

Yet still, nothing has happened

May 17, 2015 at 3:35 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

"On the other hand lets say you are a competent scientist working in a climate related field
You have a good idea that the claims of climate science are exaggerated and after climategate fraudulent.
You have a family, a mortgage, a busy life.
Would you stick your neck out and take a public stand on something that would end your career"

Wouldn't a climate scientist knowing the claims were exaggerated and fraudulent get the hell out of climate science and take a up a worthwhile career?

May 17, 2015 at 3:47 PM | Unregistered CommenterMartyn

Martyn says

"Wouldn't a climate scientist knowing the claims were exaggerated and fraudulent get the hell out of climate science and take a up a worthwhile career?"

In an ideal world yes that would be the thing to do,
However research jobs in science are not that plentiful.
How many guys and galls work in the arms industry just to get a paycheck rather than an intense desire to destroy things.

May 17, 2015 at 4:22 PM | Unregistered CommenterBryan

Bryan it seems to me you are suggesting that swindling and cheating a Nation by appropriating funds with known exaggerated and fraudulent claims is ok as long as the pay cheque helps towards the mortgage payment. In my opinion its not quite the same as working in the arms industry. It seems to me if these lowly climate guys are aware of exaggerated and fraudulent claims and do nothing about it because they need to build a career a feed a family then they are as guilty as the original perpetraters and this climate debate will continue to infinity and beyond with the public paying the bill all the way.

May 17, 2015 at 6:56 PM | Unregistered CommenterMartyn

Josh, maybe Lew-Lew is on (to) something, first glance at the headline I got "Shysters"?

Matron says 'no more magic lantern'

May 17, 2015 at 7:15 PM | Registered CommenterGreen Sand

Martyn I think you are an idealist and bless you for that.

As I said before...

"In an ideal world" bad things would not happen.

You say " In my opinion its not quite the same as working in the arms industry" and its not quite the same, agreed.

However how many folk from within the arms industry complained about the price inflated, no effective scrutiny contracts that kept them in well paid jobs?

Not many I think.

Its down to idealists like yourself to speak up fearlessly irrespective of any personal loss that may occur.
Its just that all people are not like that.

My post is that there are so many scientists now employed by the climate alarm industry that financial pressures will distort any poll.

May 17, 2015 at 7:23 PM | Unregistered CommenterBryan

Bryan it's not as clear cut as that. The science isn't all wrong or all right. It's easy to err on the side you think the truth lies. I still can't say for sure whether we're in for no warming or loads of warming or any point in between.

But it is becoming increasingly hard for scientists to change direction, not because of the money as much as professional credibility. People also take a while to admit they're wrong (applies to sceptics too). The best I would expect from climate science right now is that they admit hey need longer to consider the issue without political pressure. This El Nino might be a turning point one way or the other.

May 17, 2015 at 8:04 PM | Unregistered CommenterTinyCO2

… the truth lies.
Are you sure you wanted to tie those two words together like that, TinyCO2?

May 17, 2015 at 9:19 PM | Registered CommenterRadical Rodent

Radical Rodent, TinyCO2 could have said something like " .... and therein lies the truth"

Truth and lies are both interchangeable, and indistinguishable, at the same time in climate science.

May 17, 2015 at 9:49 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

Who knows? It's Sunday. The brain is sitting in its pants eating popcorn :-D

May 17, 2015 at 9:58 PM | Unregistered CommenterTinyCO2

"professional credibility"

Good grief this aint a group of professionals with integrity and ethical principles.

May 17, 2015 at 11:04 PM | Unregistered CommenterMartyn

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