Climate debate 'almost infantile'

[Ed Barrow]

A science adviser to the federal government has described the debate in the media over the basics of climate change science as ''almost infantile'', equating it to an argument about the existence of gravity.

Speaking at a Melbourne summit on the green economy, Professor Will Steffen criticised the media for treating climate change science as a political issue in which two sides should be given a voice.

While there were uncertainties about the pace and impact of change, he said, the core of climate science - that the world was warming and the primary cause since the middle of the last century had been industrial greenhouse gas emissions - should be accepted with the same confidence as the laws of gravity and relativity.

''It's a no-brainer. If you go over the last couple of decades you see tens of thousands of papers in the peer-reviewed literature, and you have less than 10 that challenge the fundamentals - and they have been disproved,'' Professor Steffen said after an address at the Australian Davos Connection's Future Summit.

''Right now, this almost infantile debate about whether 'is it real or isn't it real?', it's like saying, 'Is the Earth round or is it flat?' is a hugely important question and yet we are not having a rational discourse in the media in Australia on this question. That is my biggest frustration.'' He called on the media to focus on areas where there was not a consensus, including the link between climate change and the south-east Australian drought and how rapidly sea levels would rise.




http://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-debate-almost-infantile-20100524-w81e.html

[renate]

1. Prof. Steffen clearly doesn't understand how scientific debate works

You present one view and back it up with cold hard data and then someone else presents the opposing view with anecdotes about cold weather in May. Both views must be given equal time and respect even though one is clearly whackadoo. That's how fair and balanced reporting works.

[applegrove]

5. Exactly. Love your sarcasm

[Subdivisions]

2. Off to the Greatest Page with ye... K&R. n/t

[bergie321]

3. Do we really know?

If the Earth is round? The corporate media needs to give flat-earthers equal time in the debate.

[neverforget]

4. But it snowed a lot in winter!! Al Gore bought a big house! and all of this

proves climate change is nothing but a gigantic conspiracy with thousands of scientists throughout the world! :sarcasm:

[Odin2005]

6. This is a good example of the incestuous relationship between the Corporatists and Postmodernists.

This "all opinions are equally valid" BS has to stop.