I don't remember where this originated but its my favorite quote (note that is unnecessary and annoying to add "best ever all-time greatest..." to get the idea across.)
"If the only tool you have is a Hammer, then everything starts to look like a nail."
Probably some Chinese Zu or Xu or tao or whatever; but I will take credit unless you come up with the source.
This seems (I will not add "to me" because who else would it "seem to". I haven't a clue what it seems like to you so you should know that its my opinion that I express. Jeez.") to have Universal application in my experience. Generals see strategy and tactics; pimps see t&a; bankers see rates and terms, etc. Now lets apply this to the players in the "Global Warming" situation. The unknowing, ill-informed, irrational masses tend to see terrible uncertain disasters. The climatologists and meteorologists tend to see evidence of events peculiar to their area of expertise, thus underlining their professional interest and importance; the deciders (politicians) see the opportunities to cater to the masses irrational fears and compulsions to enable their own maintenance or gain of power and wealth.
I am not a global warming denier. I am instead a global warming "agnostic".
And a skeptic that we know enough to be able to make necessary changes, let alone to make decisions about what changes will be beneficial. What I fear most is not the global warming but the political pressures to do something even though we have little idea how to fix what we're are somewhat uncertain is the problem. The politicians will act in a way that maintains or enhances their status. This will certainly be either useless and costly or disastrous and costly. Reason and truth is a minor element in policy. For e.g. What is the single greatest source of greenhouse gases - Beef Production. Have you seen any calls for cutting beef consumption and production? No! It would be political suicide for a politician. Don't trust them to do what's best for us. It is much safer politically to target Coal Production which has less political and economic influence
So my corollary - If you only look for signs of dramatic, disastrous, inevitable global climate change for the worst, that's what you'll see. I happen to think that this planet has been around a long time and its got many surprises for us yet.
"If the only tool you have is a Hammer, then everything starts to look like a nail."
Probably some Chinese Zu or Xu or tao or whatever; but I will take credit unless you come up with the source.
This seems (I will not add "to me" because who else would it "seem to". I haven't a clue what it seems like to you so you should know that its my opinion that I express. Jeez.") to have Universal application in my experience. Generals see strategy and tactics; pimps see t&a; bankers see rates and terms, etc. Now lets apply this to the players in the "Global Warming" situation. The unknowing, ill-informed, irrational masses tend to see terrible uncertain disasters. The climatologists and meteorologists tend to see evidence of events peculiar to their area of expertise, thus underlining their professional interest and importance; the deciders (politicians) see the opportunities to cater to the masses irrational fears and compulsions to enable their own maintenance or gain of power and wealth.
I am not a global warming denier. I am instead a global warming "agnostic".
And a skeptic that we know enough to be able to make necessary changes, let alone to make decisions about what changes will be beneficial. What I fear most is not the global warming but the political pressures to do something even though we have little idea how to fix what we're are somewhat uncertain is the problem. The politicians will act in a way that maintains or enhances their status. This will certainly be either useless and costly or disastrous and costly. Reason and truth is a minor element in policy. For e.g. What is the single greatest source of greenhouse gases - Beef Production. Have you seen any calls for cutting beef consumption and production? No! It would be political suicide for a politician. Don't trust them to do what's best for us. It is much safer politically to target Coal Production which has less political and economic influence
So my corollary - If you only look for signs of dramatic, disastrous, inevitable global climate change for the worst, that's what you'll see. I happen to think that this planet has been around a long time and its got many surprises for us yet.
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