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Re: [Phys-l] Prof. Hal Lewis resigns from APS

There are several issues here and I am losing sight of them...

1. In his commentary on the APS release, Roger Cohen seems to point out
that the issue is *not* about the greenhouse effect (does that include
global warming? anthropogenic sources?). Instead, the issue is (1)
whether the science is settled, (2) whether the effects will be
catastrophic, (3) whether it requires draconian economic sacrifices to
avoid, and (4) whether mandates and subsidies for rent-seeking
corporations are justified.

I think (1) is vague. Which science is he referring to? That global
warming is occurring? That a significant amount of the warming is due
to anthropogenic sources? Or that the effects will be catastrophic?
What does it mean to be "settled"?

Regarding (2), I searched the APS statement for the word "catastrophic"
and found it used only once and combined with "possible" (as in
"possible catastrophic"; it is not used in the statement itself but
rather in the commentary that came out 2.5 years later). Is the issue
that there is no possibility for the results to be catastrophic? Most
of the APS statement seemed to use the word "significant" (as in
"significant disruptions"). Is that an issue?

As for (3) and (4), I see that the APS statement calls for "prudent
steps". Is that what is being interpreted as "draconian economic
sacrifices"?


2. The satellite data that is on Roy Spencer's site clearly shows, to
me, that the temperature is warming. Apparently, that is not the issue.
Rather, I'm guessing the issue is whether the warming is anthropogenic
in origin. Is the issue whether CO2 has also risen? Or is the issue
whether CO2 has shown the same year-to-year variability reflected in the
satellite temperature measurements?


I enjoy a good debate -- but first I need to know what issue is being
debated.



----------------------------------------------------------
Robert A. Cohen, Department of Physics, East Stroudsburg University
570.422.3428 rcohen@po-box.esu.edu http://www.esu.edu/~bbq

-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
[mailto:phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf
Of marx@phy.ilstu.edu
Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2010 1:20 PM
To: phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Prof. Hal Lewis resigns from APS


I'm not asking people to agree with everything Roy Sepncer
believes, but we can look at the satellite temperature data
set, which I think is the best available global temperature
data. Let's not engage in ad hominem attacks.



On 13 Oct 2010 at 12:14, brian whatcott wrote:

On 10/13/2010 11:56 AM, marx@phy.ilstu.edu wrote:
/snip/
Since the land and sea temperature data is very
inaccurate and the
historical measurement record is somewhat incomplete and
unreliable,
we are left with the satellite temperature measurements
since 1979.
These are updated monthly from UAH. Please see this website for
this data. Are you saying that the continuous increase
in CO2 correlates well with the observed global temperature
changes observed?

http://www.drroyspencer.com/latest-global-temperatures/



Ah yes; there's an academic name to conjure with: A
featured guest on
the Rush Limbaugh show.
Spencer is a proponent of intelligent design as the
mechanism for the
origin of species.^ He is an author of at least two scientific
textbooks which feature the word "politics" I believe.

Brian W
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