Comments on: Glaciers and Electrons http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/ Mon, 04 Feb 2013 17:13:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: George Will’s Crack Fact-Checkers Continue Their Nap | The Loom | Discover Magazine http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10518 George Will’s Crack Fact-Checkers Continue Their Nap | The Loom | Discover Magazine Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:24:43 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10518 [...] the secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization made it easy for them, by writing a column and a letter respectively, to set things straight. The Post even saw fit to run [...] [...] the secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization made it easy for them, by writing a column and a letter respectively, to set things straight. The Post even saw fit to run [...]

]]> By: George F. Will goes platinum « Greenfyre’s http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10517 George F. Will goes platinum « Greenfyre’s Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:36:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10517 [...] Glaciers and Electrons [...] [...] Glaciers and Electrons [...]

]]> By: Please Welcome Our New Bloggers | The Loom | Discover Magazine http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10516 Please Welcome Our New Bloggers | The Loom | Discover Magazine Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:14:19 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10516 [...] Mooney (the subject of a Loom post over the weekend) and Sheril Kirshenbaum have brought their blog, The Intersection, [...] [...] Mooney (the subject of a Loom post over the weekend) and Sheril Kirshenbaum have brought their blog, The Intersection, [...]

]]> By: David B. Benson http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10515 David B. Benson Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:27:53 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10515 Uncle Al --- From solar minimum to solar maximum, the global temperature goes up about 0.17 K. And then back down. Add to that the effects of ABC from Asia. Actually, global warming brings warmer nights and, on average, warmer winters. Uncle Al — From solar minimum to solar maximum, the global temperature goes up about 0.17 K. And then back down. Add to that the effects of ABC from Asia.

Actually, global warming brings warmer nights and, on average, warmer winters.

]]> By: james wheaton http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10514 james wheaton Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:10:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10514 I predict Will will respond. Based on the comments I saw in the WaPo from Chris's article, he has a huge throng of angry unconvince-able deniers who will gobble up any response regardless of its accuracy. WaPo will think it helps sell newspapers which is all they care about. And I agree Chris is too kind to WaPo. What should be coming to a head now is science's inability to stem this huge wave of denial and mistruth. It is so strong in this country (and others apparently) that it threatens to doom us all. I believe the climate science community has an obligation to do everything it can to set the record straight and debunk these all-too-believable opponents. To an uneducated populace this is a confusing issue - the denial machine has done its job very well indeed. I predict Will will respond. Based on the comments I saw in the WaPo from Chris’s article, he has a huge throng of angry unconvince-able deniers who will gobble up any response regardless of its accuracy. WaPo will think it helps sell newspapers which is all they care about. And I agree Chris is too kind to WaPo.

What should be coming to a head now is science’s inability to stem this huge wave of denial and mistruth. It is so strong in this country (and others apparently) that it threatens to doom us all. I believe the climate science community has an obligation to do everything it can to set the record straight and debunk these all-too-believable opponents. To an uneducated populace this is a confusing issue – the denial machine has done its job very well indeed.

]]> By: johnk http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10513 johnk Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:36:53 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10513 A bit off topic. The Washington Post has a nice article today on left handedness. The lead-in is that, although only about 10% of the population is left handed, 5 of the last 7 presidents have been left handed (Obama, Clinton, Bush elder, Reagan and Ford - quick quiz: what is the likelihood of this by chance?) David Brown creates an excellent piece of science journalism. Lots of cool questions and some cool answers. Even talked to scientists. By appearances, there was actual fact checking. But I guess handedness is not a political hot-button issue. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/22/AR2009032201663.html?hpid=topnews A bit off topic.

The Washington Post has a nice article today on left handedness. The lead-in is that, although only about 10% of the population is left handed, 5 of the last 7 presidents have been left handed (Obama, Clinton, Bush elder, Reagan and Ford – quick quiz: what is the likelihood of this by chance?)

David Brown creates an excellent piece of science journalism. Lots of cool questions and some cool answers. Even talked to scientists. By appearances, there was actual fact checking.

But I guess handedness is not a political hot-button issue.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/22/AR2009032201663.html?hpid=topnews

]]> By: Uncle Al http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10512 Uncle Al Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:57:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10512 We are enjoying the deepest solar minimum since 1913. Might you suspect trumpeting empirically weak, politically convenient facts (the Carbon Tax on Everything!) increasingly contradicted by common observation worldwide is not the most clever path to pursue? One eagerly anticipates a "fact-finding mission" to the Officially defrosted North Pole freezing to death. Political response will sum to "those who criticize are thereby proven unfit to jduge." Besides, that's weather not climate - and we all know Global Warming causes colder winters. We are enjoying the deepest solar minimum since 1913. Might you suspect trumpeting empirically weak, politically convenient facts (the Carbon Tax on Everything!) increasingly contradicted by common observation worldwide is not the most clever path to pursue? One eagerly anticipates a “fact-finding mission” to the Officially defrosted North Pole freezing to death. Political response will sum to “those who criticize are thereby proven unfit to jduge.” Besides, that’s weather not climate – and we all know Global Warming causes colder winters.

]]> By: Don http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10511 Don Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:35:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10511 The key here is that the WaPo and many other newspapers are fearing for their fiscal lives, severely injured by the internet. Their strategy is to publish what readers want to hear, and the WaPo has a large contingent of reactionary readers. By giving Will two shots, then stalling the reply, the readers pleased by Will did not have their satisfaction challenged before they had largely forgotten the episode. The paper also can now say that they are airing both sides of the issue by publishing Mooney and Jarraud. Carl is on target pointing out that this is not actually an op ed issue but one of fact against ideological and partisan misrepresentation of fact. The Wall Street Journal follows a similar strategy. One of the insights that I took away from Mooney's first book is that the Bush administration was adroit at passing off matters of science as matters of opinion, simply a point of view. The key here is that the WaPo and many other newspapers are fearing for their fiscal lives, severely injured by the internet. Their strategy is to publish what readers want to hear, and the WaPo has a large contingent of reactionary readers. By giving Will two shots, then stalling the reply, the readers pleased by Will did not have their satisfaction challenged before they had largely forgotten the episode. The paper also can now say that they are airing both sides of the issue by publishing Mooney and Jarraud. Carl is on target pointing out that this is not actually an op ed issue but one of fact against ideological and partisan misrepresentation of fact. The Wall Street Journal follows a similar strategy.
One of the insights that I took away from Mooney’s first book is that the Bush administration was adroit at passing off matters of science as matters of opinion, simply a point of view.

]]> By: A Siegel http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10510 A Siegel Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:00:05 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10510 I'm in agreement, Chris is too generous to the Post. Now, the important element is the publication of the WMO (Jarraud) letter on the facing page. My take: http://getenergysmartnow.com/2009/03/21/post-editorial-board-admits-error-in-the-will-affair-implicitly/ I’m in agreement, Chris is too generous to the Post.

Now, the important element is the publication of the WMO (Jarraud) letter on the facing page. My take: http://getenergysmartnow.com/2009/03/21/post-editorial-board-admits-error-in-the-will-affair-implicitly/

]]> By: Charles Schmidt http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10509 Charles Schmidt Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:46:06 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/03/21/glaciers-and-electrons/#comment-10509 His points on Mr. Will's errors were good but a reader most often does not have time to see if what is said is close to right. That should be done by the paper but most often the have another agenda and it is not getting the facts right but pushing the point of view they want people to believe and that is the real problem. Those that know must come forward with the real facts to the people. His points on Mr. Will’s errors were good but a reader most often does not have time to see if what is said is close to right. That should be done by the paper but most often the have another agenda and it is not getting the facts right but pushing the point of view they want people to believe and that is the real problem. Those that know must come forward with the real facts to the people.

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