The New York Times profile of Physicist Freeman Dyson and his belief that climate change is not a problem appeals to the plausible alternative reality I consider journalists must recognize, understand and include in their reporting.
What I mean by this is as a journalist I try to accurately portray what I thinking is happening and what is true and plausible alternatives to the reality I present.
Reporter Nicholas Dawidoff examines to remarkable liberal scientist who has often taken on the status quo view of the powers that be.
He lays out the moderate scientific consensus as stated by William Chameides, dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences at Duke University:
“I don’t think it’s time to panic,” Dawidoff quotes him. “More sea-level rise is inevitable and will displace millions; melting high-altitude glaciers will threaten the food supplies for perhaps a billion or more; and ocean acidification could undermine the food supply of another billion or so.”
Dyson disagrees with all of these points but most all see the debate no so much as a scientific debate but instead as one of values, Dawidoff reports, as between those who think ‘“nature knows best,” and that “any gross human disruption of the natural environment is evil,” and “humanists,” like himself, who contend that protecting the existing biosphere is not as important as fighting more repugnant evils like war, poverty and unemployment.”’
The piece is good reading and forces people with views on both sides of the issues to examine what they believe, why and how they come to their choices.
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What are you talking about, Rocky?
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Granola whimpers upon spying my countenance
I thought dissenters were all quacks paid off by big oil
Freeman Dyson has held these views for a long time. He is no quack, and would likely spit on anyone from big oil who would offer him a check.
I know that you (Rocky) have never made the statement in my headline, but it's a common assertion.
Truth is hard to come by
Well then, its TOO LATE!
Even as you decompose you are mucking things up.
Time to get a forthright view of this temporal whatever and where's the waitress stuff.
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Granola whimpers upon spying my countenance. I've almost made mine extinct!
Great advice, Rocky! (Are you following it?)
Rocky:
I like the even-handeness of this post. I particularly like the part where you conclude:
"The piece is good reading and forces people with views on both sides of the issues to examine what they believe, why and how they come to their choices."
At some point I'd like to read what you (currently) believe about Global Warming, why the IPCC report and Al Gore seem(ed?) like such credible sources to you, and how you came to your (current) choices.
Please remember that you have written some pretty blatant stuff about species extinctions and other "pressing and important" claims regarding the Global Warming Apocalypse (some say Apocrypha).
I will do it again
I have written extensively how I came to my current conclusions and will do it again. Dyson's position as expressed in this story doesn't change my mind but gives me the pause to continually challenge my beliefs. At the core of my view is if the IPCC is wrong and we do the things people say we should to reduce greenhouse gases, the down side is far less than the downside if they are right and we continue to wait for action. Add that the evidence shows it might even be worse and I choose to pick the side of caution, at least for now. That requires a major shift from the status quo, which coincidentally benefits Venezuela, Russia, Iran and other nations that sell oil.
Could you dig up some of those old posts and repost them here?
You seem a thoughtful person, and I am interested in seeing some more of the thought processes that led you where you are now. I believe that the downside of destroying our energy infrastructure is greater than the downside of any possible global warming effects. This is based on the fact that the hysterical predictions that I keep on hearing, just simply aren't happening. Also, global temperature variations seem to track very well with sn activity, and very poorly with CO2 concentrations, which isn't predicited by the models. Thirdly, people like Freeman Dyson don't like the climate modeling programs, and he knows as much about probability as anyone. So, without climate modeling programs, do you have any base at all to your belief system?
Truth is hard to come by
Let's start creating a new
Let's start creating a new energy infrastructure that will serve our needs when the oil runs out.
I agree Lost River
Just because I think that AGW is a crock, doesn't mean that I don't understand energy security or pollution issues.
Truth is hard to come by
Exactly
I agree. Reducing our need for fossil fuel and the resulting carbon emissions has huge benefits for the country as a whole regardless of whether CO2 emissions are causing warming of the climate (the best evidence indicates they are). Like cleaner air, healthier people, and independence from a complete dependence on oil imports from countries that don't like us. Sooner or later the oil tap will run dry and we better start preparing for it now.
Or we can stick our heads in the sand and let the next generation deal with it.
They will anyway? We'll all be deceased. (oh no, LOGIC)
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There are idiots in all manner of ways, ask me and I'll demo them. It won't be too hard.
I have yet to see any evidence what-so-ever for AGW
All I have seen so far is projections and anecdotal evidence. In case you haven't noticed, the planet it COOLING.
Truth is hard to come by
I see evidence for AWG though when I connect my speakers...
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There are idiots in all manner of ways, ask me and I'll demo them. It won't be too hard.
It's tough to get advice since we lost the grey alien diplomat
from the now-defunct Weekly World News.
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There are idiots in all manner of ways, ask me and I'll demo them. It won't be too hard.
Their "meddle"?
Rocky don't need no stinkin' editors.
You never get MY puns, don't start now...
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There are idiots in all manner of ways, ask me and I'll demo them. It won't be too hard.
"Get me a picture of Spiderman on the front page"
If your going to sell copy you splash it with your fear and loathing.
Meddle and Ummagumma plus Obscured by Clouds--FLOYD...
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There are idiots in all manner of ways, ask me and I'll demo them. It won't be too hard.
Spidey deserved to marry MJ, dammit.
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There are idiots in all manner of ways, ask me and I'll demo them. It won't be too hard.
Priority
Interesting read. Dyson is a complicated thinker but his values and sensibilities inform his climate change view. He's more concerned about the negative effects on the emerging third world poor if they are denied cheap coal. His liberal, anti-class advantage views are much to be admired IMO, but I must say that hearing an eight five year old say he isn't afraid of global warming doesn't make me feel much better about the possible harmful changes in our evironment.
Other than the fact that, you know he has a Nobel Prize
Other than that little thing, I guess I will believe that lying, self promoting gas bag Al Gore.
Truth is hard to come by
Adding a gas bag and a Dynamite award is Whiz Bang, Mack!
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There are idiots in all manner of ways, ask me and I'll demo them. It won't be too hard.
Nobel Prize ?
By that criteria I gather you must be a Jimmy Carter fan. My point about Dyson isn't that he's not brilliant. He admits that CO2 is rising due to mankind's activities. He just doesn't think it is such a bad idea, and if it gets too bad we can plant CO2 eating trees. WTF? At least he gives tacit acceptance that it could be a serious problem. He just doesn't want to do something that will impede the poor from raising their standard of living. Admirable, but misguided in the long run IMO.
Oh, by the way, Dyson never won a Nobel prize.
Al Gore did.
Nobel invented DYNAMITE, now blow it up.
You mean having lust in my heart or the Rabbit that bit my dad by having electrical problems most of the time we had it or else I had to lay down in the cargo area (family of SIX)?
Just how did you think the Nobel Prize came to be?
Or J. J. Walker's acting career?
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There are idiots in all manner of ways, ask me and I'll demo them. It won't be too hard.
NTG
I know how the Nobel prize came to be. And I know how it came to be that millions of people carry little tiny pills that dilate their coronary arteries thanks to Nobel's noticing his chest pain went away when he worked with nitroglycerine.
Your right
Dyson didn't win a Nobel. I always assumed he did. Major parts of modern physics are based on his theories. You see, he actually knows science. Gore won the same Nobel that Arafat did, so that's about what it's worth as far as I am concerned.
Truth is hard to come by
Your spelling like Rocky!
Your spelling is you're business, though, and I shouldn't really medal I guess.
(Actually, Arafat and Gore won separate Nobels. Leon Spinks won the heavyweight boxing championship once. Gore nearly became President of the US. Now he prophesies apocalypse for everyone as a result. The world is a crazy place!)
Nice catch Bob
I hate it when I do that.
Truth is hard to come by
Meddling with spelling
Rocky:
Even us Global Warming doubters (Gore-speak = "deniers")are having our metals checked because of Dyson's comments.
Try Old English (not the the wood polish or the beer though)
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There are idiots in all manner of ways, ask me and I'll demo them. It won't be too hard.
Dyson is a vacuum cleaner but I've no bread to meddle.
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There are idiots in all manner of ways, ask me and I'll demo them. It won't be too hard.