Re: [asa] Sir John Houghton on the Recent Controversy and the IPCC

"John Houghton, chair of the science panel for the first IPCC report, says the current process could be improved, but should certainly not be scrapped in favour of something else.
"The IPCC has involved large numbers of scientists from many countries and disciplines. As a result, the world climate science community can to a substantial extent speak with one voice about the most important elements of the story.

"In other areas of science that are as diverse and uncertain as the climate, this convergence of informed opinion has not occurred."

I read this as an acknowledgement that the consensus in climate science is atypical for science in similar areas. So does anyone know the method that is used to generate this "one voice"?

Mike

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Rich Blinne
  To: asa ; Randy Isaac
  Sent: Monday, November 30, 2009 8:39 PM
  Subject: [asa] Sir John Houghton on the Recent Controversy and the IPCC

  Some of you may recall Sir John Houghton from our 2007 annual meeting on the other side of the Pond. Sir John was instrumental in getting the NAE on board on the issue of climate change. The BBC quoted him as follows:

  John Houghton, chair of the science panel for the first IPCC report, says the current process could be improved, but should certainly not be scrapped in favour of something else.

  "The IPCC has involved large numbers of scientists from many countries and disciplines. As a result, the world climate science community can to a substantial extent speak with one voice about the most important elements of the story.

  "In other areas of science that are as diverse and uncertain as the climate, this convergence of informed opinion has not occurred.

  "The IPCC has (also) brought about ownership of its conclusions by governments. Without this, governments' policies (with regards to) climate change would have been much more diverse and contradictory.

  "I deny that this ownership has 'politicised' science. In fact, I believe that without it the science would have been much more politicised - by different groups of scientists serving groups with different and incompatible political agendas."

  Professor Houghton said that in future it would be wise to offer the IPCC protection from harassment in its work. "IPCC meetings were open to all - including (representatives) from organisations such as the Global Climate Coalition whose clear agenda was to weaken our work and our conclusions.

  "A particular way they continually did this was to publish selected provisional material from the IPCC process, for example draft chapters or contributions not meant for publication, and used this to discredit the IPCC and the process.

  "For people being targeted, it is very difficult to be completely open when provisional material emerging during the process is being used as stick to beat the scientists with."

  Rich Blinne

  Member ASA

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  No virus found in this incoming message.
  Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
  Version: 8.5.426 / Virus Database: 270.14.88/2537 - Release Date: 11/30/09 21:05:00

To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
"unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.
Received on Mon Nov 30 21:22:19 2009