Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
fine. Therefore we must act. Her thinking is sometimes described as the 'precautionary
principle.' The precautionary principle originates from medicine, where it's more of a
do-no-harm kind of thing. Inaction, instead of action, is the prudent course there. The
climate version is upside down. So instead we'll call it the 'Wonderful World Method'
(WWM) for ditching science.
It takes talent to make the science in a scientific issue disappear, which WWM does.
But where did it go? If the WWM cases are put into a table, listing 'action' and 'inaction'
against 'bad' and 'fine', there are four possibilities, not three. In the WWM, the 'action
and bad' case is missing. The missing case seems like a stray thread, but if you pull on it
everything unravels. The scientific questions didn't disappear; they were just embroidered
over.
There are surely more methods to avoid learning the science needed. As any parent
knows, there are boundless excuses to avoid your vegetables, and there are also always
enablers who feel it's cruel to make the kiddies eat their vegetables. The climate policy
processisano-vegetable enabler'sparadise.Thatprocessenvisionspolicymakers standing
before the single closed door of an otherwise sealed room.
A note, written in mystic runes, is slipped under the door. Imagine visiting an oracle
in ancient Greece. Policymakers leave with the word of the gods. It's so simple: scientists
figureoutscience;policymakerslistentowhattheyhavetosay;policymakersmakepolicy
that doesn't contradict the laws of nature. Then we all ride off into the sunset basking in a
warm utopian glow. Problem solved. Vegetables successfully uneaten.
This process embraces all four methods for ducking science. The unseen within the
sealed room are the gods. The policymakers visiting the oracle are the shamen. Who is
selected to be in the sealed room? Well, only competent experts of unquestioned morality
(as long as they're in the room) are selected. Who selects them? Only the shamen know.
Butwhere'sWWMhere?Thisisthereallyinterestingpart.Nooneactuallycaresabout
what the oracle wrote, let alone why. In reality, of course, the note is not a piece of paper,
butratherahugetome:thescientificreportoftheUN'sclimatepanel.Notonlydofewever
readit,butpolicymakersactuallydoctoritaftertheyreceiveit.Thatis,asthepolicymakers
walkawayfromthedoorwiththenote,theyscratchoutsomelines,andrewordparts,while
insertinglittlesomethingshereandthere.Thatwaythenotewillagreewithwhattheythink
the oracle ought to have said.
What? You didn't know? It's no secret. It's standard operating procedure for the
UN panel. What difference does it make! WWM makes the scientific issues irrelevant
anyway.ThefrankpurposeoftheUNclimate process,according toitsfoundinghead,isto
'orchestrate' scientific opinion. The current head isless frank,uttering things like 'Climate
change is real' instead. I don't think he sings it to music though.
