[MD] Global Warming: Science or Politics?

[pholden at davtv.com]

Quoting Squonkriff at aol.com:

> Mark 20-02-07b: Hi Platt,
> Platt: '...if predictions based on so-called science have been wrong about  
> changes in global climate in the recent past in the past, they can be wrong  
> now....'
>  
> The example you cite from the 70's isn't wrong; our generation cannot live  
> long enough to span the geological time necessary to observe the next ice age.  
> However, the history of past cycles are written in ice layers for us to 
> examine.  If the cycle continues then another ice age will occur.
>  
> This is how inductive inference works:
> "Inductive inferences start with observations of the machine and arrive at  
> general conclusions. For example, if the cycle goes over a bump and the engine  
> misfires, and then goes over another bump and the engine misfires, and then 
> goes  over another bump and the engine misfires, and then goes over a long 
> smooth  stretch of road and there is no misfiring, and then goes over a fourth 
> bump and  the engine misfires again, one can logically conclude that the 
> misfiring is  caused by the bumps. That is induction: reasoning from particular 
> experiences to  general truths." ZMM ch. 8
> All i am indicating here is that the 70's example you gave is flawed  with 
> respect to inductive reasoning.

Well, what's it going to be, global warming or global cooling?

> I agree with you when you suggest scientific method is fallible.
> It is then appropriate to be careful when considering global warming to  
> remove any shadow of political influence as social patterns of value and  
> concentrate instead on the intellectual patterns of value. If the intellectual  
> patterns of value help us to identify danger, then political patterns will have 
> to 
> do the donkey work of change under intellectual guidance. This seems in  
> accord with the moq i think you may agree Platt?
>  
> The question remains: Has scientific method identified a danger?

Yes. That's the question. And equally qualified scientists disagree about the
danger. Personally from what I see as a look around the state of the world,
there's much more danger to Western civilization from radical Islam. But, I
could be wrong.

Regards,
Platt
 




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