What do you think about the "climategate" scandal?
Your Comments, Thoughts, Questions, Ideas
Science Buzz is supported by the National Science Foundation.Copyright © Science Museum of Minnesota, 2004-2010, except where noted.
Science Buzz is supported by the National Science Foundation.
I think that the climategate thing is getting blown way out of porportion and that people just need to calm down. I think that people should stop making such a big deal about it. But by the way, I liked the Titanic exhibit. Good Job!!
Ok, just to make a point, when ppl say global warming isn't happening, that doesn't meant they're denying the existence of the greenhouse effect. That is an indisputable fact of science. We know that CO2 traps heat in the earth. If it didn't trap heat, the earth would have a avg. tempature of below freezing. In the past 100 years, there have been increases in the ppm of CO2 in our atmosphere. BUT, when you look at the GLOBAL tempature, (not the tempature over land), you find that the tempature has not decreased or increased by a margin of greater than 1 degree fahreinheit. So, when we compare data, we find that an increase of CO2 does not effect a change in the average global tempature.
Another well known global warming argument is that "the ice is melting" in the Artic and Antartic. That does not mean that the whole of the world's global tempature is increasing. Alarmists that claim this ignore that on the other side of the arctic/antartic ice mass, the ice table might be expanding. It all boils down to this: We have seen that an increase of CO2 in the atmosphere does not effect a definite change in the global tempature. We have also noted that a "if this, then that" argument is not credible in the global warming debate. E.g. If we find one area of the world that is warming, that is not proof for world-wide major warming.
People might ask then "Why are these 'scientists' making a big deal about it, then, if the theory isn't credible?" The answer is that it is a way to get money into their pockets. For God's sakes, even the people who first proposed it weren't "qualified" scientists (i.e. Al Gore). I AM NOT AGAINST CLEAN LIVING. I hate pollution, it is a horrible evil.
What i hate even more is being lied to...and that's exactly what is happening...
Sincerely
Nothing of what you send is accurate. Al Gore makes statements based on scientific fact and has done a good job of interpreting those facts to help average people understand them. Did you actually SEE "The Uncomfortable Truth? Next, CO2 levels have caused change and facts back up how human activity has facilitated this. Is it easier for you to sav Global Climate change? What is most likely to happen is more and significant swings in temperature and activity-severity of storms, etc. Co2 levels are rising-the point is at some point we will see more and more significant changes. How high will that be? You act like it cannot go any higher. Finally, the icecaps are shrinking-less and less ice means many issues and changes. Glaciers are receding changing many things including fresh water supply for many people. Look closer and realize human are so numerous we are seriouly and negtively impacting the planet.
climate gate exposed scientists behaving in a very unscientific manner, quashing the exchange of ideas on which scientific advancement depends. That's why it's significant.
I find it interesting that anything that can be colored with something that sounds a little scandalous can be given a name that ends with the same sound as a famous hotel, and it becomes scandalous by naming it as such. scandal=gate!
I agree with Anyonomous. We are over reacting and need to calm down.
Are you crazy?!?
You need to pay attention in school more.
Climategate is a serious problem impacting the future of our planet!
ok!
It is a hoax perpetrated by scientists who have an agenda to get thier grants funded and this Obama government is complisitein the hoax to forward thier radical progressive mission to radically tranform our great nation. read history to prevent a failed future. Darryl
What part of the lies and tampering with "scientific" data by "scientists" doesn't bother you? How do you see exposing these lies and making sure some level of voice be given the the fraud around global warming, as "blowing things out of proportion"? There has been a lot of things blown out of proportion in the "global warming" hoax. Does that bother you?
Professor Jones and all others involved in the "doctored" data as stated in their emails should be brought up on criminal charges. The same applies to all members at the East Anglican University and it's involvement. Jones has now admitted that there has been NO climate change in the last 15 years. This Hoax should stop being taught in our schools immediately. Cap and Trade is really Cap and Tax and the control of the American people by regulating what they can and can't do in their own homes and how much energy they are allowwed. This is not what our government was created todo.
What criminal charges, exactly? "Making us angry" still isn't a crime, so you'll need to come up with something more specific.
That's not correct. The BBC interviewed Phil Jones less than a week ago. Here's the relevant question and its answer:
And, you know, "regulating what [people] can and can't do in their own homes" really is what our government was created to do, isn't it? To some extent, at least. We make decisions based on the best information available (hopefully), and our politicians make rules based on this. Some of those rules regulate what we can and can't do inside our own homes, especially when these actions affect others. Lots of folks believe that the ways we produce the energy we use in our homes does affect others via pollution and global climate. And so they're suggesting that energy production be regulated.
And now that I'm typing this, I just realized something—how does Cap and Trade affect what you do in your own homes? I don't believe that it has much to do with personal energy use, does it? Energy might become more expensive, but if the production of energy does affect the environment, paying more for it would be an important part of taking personal responsibility for one's actions. No one wants personal responsibility mandated (actually, forget that—everybody wants personal responsibility mandate, just for something someone else does), but being a good citizen is all about responsibility.
I dunno. It's complicated.
To my knowledge, no actual criminal charges have yet been filed. Jones and Mann are being investigated for professional misconduct, which I believe would be a civil offense (unless it was found they took money under fraudulent pretenses, but I don’t believe anybody is looking into that just yet). There have been accusations of conflict of interest leveled at UN IPC chair Rajendra Pachauri, but again, no formal charges to my knowledge. The British Information Commissioner’s Office has found that Jones did violate their Freedom of Information Act, but since the statute of limitations has expired, no charges can be filed. NASA was threatened with a lawsuit – again, I believe, a civil rather than criminal case – for failure to comply with our FOIA, but the case was dropped when they complied with the request.
As for whether Jones has admitted there has been “no global warming,” there seems to have been a miscommunication. JGordon pulled up a quote related to climate change over the last 60 years; Anonymous was talking about warming over the last 15. In that case, Jones said:
He certainly hedged his bets, but acknowledged that the temperature trend in the most recent years is still within the range of normal variation.
As for JG’s statement that
a great many people would argue, adamantly and vociferously, no, that is exactly not what our government was created to do. The way they read the Constitution, the government is empowered to act in certain very limited areas – establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, that sort of thing. Otherwise, it is to butt out leave us the heck alone. Liberty, and all that. Now, the exact limits of liberty are a question of endless debate: indeed, it’s pretty much what our entire political process boils down to – where do we draw the line? And there are no small number of people who feel that, somewhere between the government declaring murder to be illegal, and the government declaring incandescent light bulbs to be illegal, the line was indeed crossed.
I am not familiar enough with the proposed legislation to know whether cap-and-trade contains any consumer mandates. However, in so far as it will make energy derived from fossil fuels more expensive (and that is its whole purpose), it will indirectly affect what Americans – particularly our poorer citizens – can and cannot afford to do.
i disagre.i think that people who are trying to control the climate change and helping stop global warming are being a good citizen of the earth,and care about earth.you should help it too.that isbeing a good citizen of the earth.i have 1 thing to agree with you is the titanic exhibit i loved it i also saw the omnitheatre on it too.
humans dont have more than 125 years worth of reliable climate data, so the sample size alone is not large enough to make any conclusions what so ever. 125yr / 6000000000yr is too small. earth will take care of us or git rid of us and we cant do anything about it
i think that everyone is being wayto over focused on climate change. maybe it is time for a new climate to take over the world.
I actually feel that something needs to be done about the climategate situation. People do need to calm down, but things need to change.
Climatology should not be a consensus. like all
science it should be based on empirical data and not subject to matter-of-fact conclusions.
i agree people do need to calm down. the climategate is getting blown away by porpotion.
I think it is important and should be investigated further. It is a big deal when billions of dollars and jobs are at stake over possible false data. Prove your theory don't falsify it to be right.
I have a serious issue believing any of the climate gobbledygook. One, the earth has a natural climate change path that it follows, and two, people seem to be under the impression that we can reverse it. No. We can't reverse it. We can slow it down, maybe even back to its natural rhythm, but we can't reverse it. I wish people would understand that.
Yeah, Al Gore, I'm talkin' to you. :P
Kudos to believing that the climate is always changing!
Monika,
The earth does have a natural climate cycle mostly based on changes in the earth's orbit, but that doesn't mean that it can't be changed. The climate is relatively stable within a certain range of parameters, the problem is we don't really know what those parameters are, or what will happen if we push the climate past these parameters.
The earth's climate system is a bit like the old story of the straw that broke the camel's back. We can keep adding CO2 and other greenhouse gases (straw) to the atmosphere (camel's back) and the climate will seem fine, but there is a tipping point. At some point, a small amount of CO2 is going to push us past the breaking point. The scary truth is that frankly, we really don't know what will happen once we pass that point. Scientists use climate models to simulate what might happen, but we really don't know how it will all play out.
I don't know what you mean about reversing, but we definitely have the power to drastically alter the climate in major ways.
Is global warming real? My mom says that it's not. She said that when she was young they had global freezing. Is that true?
yes i think global freezing is real. i think it is when a place freezes into ice.
Global warming is real and if you watch discovery channel you will see how the polar bears and penguins are having a hard time surviving plus the hurricanes and flooding!
It's all fake. trust me. Everything is all a lie. just like 2012. the world is not going to end just because it was written on a rock.
It was not written on rock. The Mayan calendar was just that a calendar for a certain time period. They would have made a new calendar not expect the work to end. It is not a lies-it is based on testable study.
Not unless she lived during the last ice-age. hehe. Tell her to look for facts and move beyond opinion. We have to acknowedge the impact humans do have.
There's a good article about it in this month's issue of Scientific American.
is there going to be global warming, or global freezing?
The public needs to make up thier mind!
tecinacal global warming is real, because there is a hole in the ozone layer. But it isnt something people should worry about, the hole is over antarcitaca and it is only there for about 3 months out of the year! also the chc bands arent stopping global warming and the wont make it worse if people were using them cause then sergical prosejures would be more starel and food wouldnt spoil as quickly!
I think global warming is not going to occur. The world warms and cools in cycles and it has been going on for millions of years. If we think as a race we can heat and cool the world we are very arrogant!
Science Buzz has a post on Climategate here, with updates about once a week.
I will believe in global warming (for sure) when it turns Minnesota into Florda.
Thanks for the above link, Gene!
I really don't think global warming is real. Al Gore is just putting on this hoax to make money.
Think real.
The climagegate is way out of proportion
Climate change is a huge problem. If we don't try to reduce the amount of carbon emissions we spew into the air, the natural resources around us will deteriorate. It is important we take proactive steps to stop climate change.
Buy less palm oil products!!!! Save Orangutans!!!!!
`global climate change is a big deal today. It is not being blown out of proportion. I think that it isn't getting enough attention. But the main focus isn't just on the arctic ant antarctic. It is happening all over the world. One of the biggest contributers it palm oil in Indonesia. Because of this industry palm oil, Indonesia has become the world's third largest emitter of carbon which is contributing to global climate change. But don't boycott palm oil. We need to go sustainable. SAVE THE ORANGUTANS!!!!!
Seriously we have to take action toward this climatic issue. Our lives and civilization are being threaten from global warming. Reading "The time is now" by Al gore is a good article. I recommend it to all.....
this is the real science it was really fun
Fifteen thousand years ago this spot where you are sitting and reading was covered with a sheet of ice over 1,000 feet thick. No scientists disagree with this. What happened? Did the cavemen(cavepeople?) drive too many SUVs?
Back in the 1960s my father would say the government would, if they could, pass a law against bad weather.
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