I have been (loosely) associated with the “climate change” sciences for a very long time. I am as confused and disinclined to form a public opinion today as i was when i started. I do have personal opinion [not always backed up by readily understood or easily accessible facts]. What i don’t get is that if i have so much trouble how come everybody else doesn’t? When i talk about “everybody” i mean people who write journalistic articles, politicians, my dad. Well to be frank here everybody is anyone who cares in the slightest [Not my mum in any way. She doesn’t give a rats]
I am not bashing people having an opinion. I really appreciate and am thankful for the freedoms we have to challenge scientific theory and also that everyone is included in discussions on every topic. What i would like is for people to stop hassling me! I have no answers for you. I am working on things. One of many people working on things. Not all of us have finished yet!
To be in the public arena these days a scientist has to be like a politician. You have to talk well, look the part and have a glib (but intelligent and slightly condescending) answer always at hand. I have met a lot of people like this. I am always slightly jealous and in awe. I have not got the skill at all. I am too plain talkin’ and inclined to call someone a “moron” as my closing argument. Plus i like to change what i think of as “answers” as the available data changes. I don’t want to get locked into any solution too soon. I like being able to change my opinion as new data becomes available.
This comes up for the simple reason that I was reading an article about climate change. The article was fine. Nothing terribly new or interesting, really. It was the comments left by other people that were intriguing. How everyone has an opinion (and they all sound a bit like those people who write letters to the editor in the paper). It always degenerates into “everyone knows” and lots of “the fact is that”. After that comes the name calling...nasty names too.
[Does anyone else get frustrated journalists do not have to supply a bibliography? I only complain because i have to (all the time) and it is really difficult. It is especially annoying when some knob-end asks my for “facts and figures” when i am at a cafe, enjoying some down time.....like i memorise that stuff or something! OK. I know a guy or two who actually DO memorise this stuff...have a handy reference or two about their person at all times]
Let me say this. The climate is always changing. It is what it does. I find it fascinating. To be fare the list of things i find fascinating is quite extensive. I one day hope to learn a little about everything on that list
I also try to stay away from people who want to “have an argument” rather than discuss. I like to discuss. Always fun at exam time. Always had trouble knowing when to stop though.
Sometimes i wonder if some of those journalists are like a friend of mine who we shall call “M”. He use to create online personalities so he could have arguments with himself in internet chat rooms. The ultimate aim was to set up massive flame wars and see how many people he could recruit to each side. Well, a man has got to have a hobby. You should see what he can do with a good climate change discussion *grin*
ANYWAY this is an excellent article about current sea ice trends (from my old department). The scientist mentioned is Dr Ian Allison who is the best of men. He was the voyager leader when when i went to Antarctica too. He is awesome.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25348657-401,00.html
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment