In science, bad or failed ideas, practices, methods, and theories go to the bottom of the pile being deemed unworthy of trust, belief, or credibility. BUT - in politics just the opposite is true. The worst ideas and practices rise to the top and are defended at all costs. Amirite?

+15 In science, bad or failed ideas, practices, methods, and theories go to the bottom of the pile being deemed unworthy of trust, belief, or credibility. BUT - in politics just the opposite is true. The worst ideas and practices rise to the top and are defended at all costs. Amirite?

by Anonymous 9 years ago

regarding "making common sense and truth out to be questionable": I seem to recall you not accepting climate change as fact...

by Anonymous 9 years ago

I don't - there is plenty of science "experts" against it.

by Anonymous 9 years ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjuGCJJUGsg&feature=kp

by Anonymous 9 years ago

Ah yes, Mr. scientist himself - Barack Obama! I have many posts and comments about this topic, and there are plenty of "facts" that go contrary to those scientists who believe in climate change. There just so happens to be 2 schools of thought on every single issue. This guy can use all the exaggeration and sarcasm he wants to try and belittle the non believers, but Bill Nye is NOT the know it all in the science community. You might want to try getting some of your information from sources other than or only from CNN. This clip actually "proves" nothing.

by Anonymous 9 years ago

...But... Why not? It seriously damages your credibility (assuming you had any in the first place) if you don't accept climate change to be a fact. Let me ask you something: Do you think that the burning of fossil fuels (especially coal) is having any effect on average temperatures all over the world?

by Anonymous 9 years ago

Not enough to change or upset the entire history or existence of our globe. It has survived how many millions of years - but now humanity is all of a sudden responsible for its inability to survive! Check the record of facts, and you will find that cows are doing more harm than humans could think about. Is anyone considering removing all cows from the planet because of the methane in their farts? Climate change is about making a few elites and their companies filthy ass rich and imposing further restrictions and imitations on the progress of our kind. Once Obama has killed the coal industry for good, let's see if any scientists change their views.

by Anonymous 9 years ago

Are we really delving into conspiracy theories here? And why do you take absolutely every opportunity to take a shot at Obama? It is true that methane it around twelve times as effective as carbon dioxide at keeping heat in, but methane is only a problem because of our massive cattle farms. Still links back to humans. The coal industry IS a few elites and their companies, and (hopefully) those will get shut down or have restrictions imposed on them. You misunderstand what climate change is. If we continue on our present course, the earth will survive, life on this planet probably will too. But we will die, along with all the other species unable to adapt. The earth has been through 5 mass extinctions so far, and we are well on our way to the 6th.

by Anonymous 9 years ago

Thank you for enlightening me with your expertise. Please send me a copy of your book on climatology, and I will gladly read it to have more information to go along with what I have already read. Since neither of us is an actual scientist or expert, we both rely on the printed materials, studies, and conclusions of OTHERS - those who are. I have found plenty of scientific information to refute climate change. The data is changing by the day and moment, and is not hard irrefutable fact or conclusive. For some reason, you have chosen to believe that some group of some scientists have reached a definite conclusion about data that has been collected for a very short time period. I do not choose to live a life of fear or doom and gloom just because the "experts" interpret data in self serving and manipulative ways. You may think it is fine to be duped by the likes of Al Gore (not a scientist) and Barack Obama (not a scientist), but I have as much right to oppose them as you do to embrace them. I think their ideas and approaches to scamming the masses are appalling and horrific. It has nothing to do with conspiracy theory - they really are taking our country for a ride and milking it for all it's worth. We all have a destiny with death, and one tornado or hurricane could wipe us out over night. But please do not try to elevate your knowledge or superiority over my suggested ignorance or misunderstanding. I am not nearly as clueless as you would hope me to be.

by Anonymous 9 years ago

You're certainly making a good show of appearing clueless. Come on man, you can't debate this one. Why bother? The burning of fossil fuels, cattle farms, and a bunch of other things release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gasses trap heat in the atmosphere, which warms the planet. Without these gases, we would die. But, like all things in nature, too much of them is bad. Because we are releasing more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, we are warming our planet. THERE IS NO DEBATE ABOUT WHAT I JUST SAID. THERE IS NO ANALYSIS TO BE MADE. THOSE ARE SIMPLY THE IRREFUTABLE FACTS. There is no debate (among educated people) that the average temperatures around the planet have been going up over the last 50 years (short time period?). These rises are in direct correlation with the industrialization of our planet. Ice caps are shrinking, and therefore sea levels are rising. Please tell me: what debate is there? You measure unintelligence by the consumption of ear wax, but not by the repeated denial of proven facts?

by Anonymous 9 years ago

Keep dreaming my friend................when you said "irrefutable facts" in all caps, you clearly lost any attempt at debate, logic, or sound argument. Any scientist KNOWS there is no such thing as an irrefutable fact - especially in light of the FACT that we are learning new information and discovering new things every single day. For you to make such a claim would require that all data for all history was within our grasp, has been catalogued, has been studied thoroughly, and is never changing. I won't take the time to find all of my posts regarding this topic, but if you actually care to educate yourself further about this matter, look up my global warming posts and see the many links I have included by reputable scientific sources going completely against your erroneous conclusions and assumptions. And I am still waiting for that copy of your book on climatology.......................

by Anonymous 9 years ago

Are you actually denying that greenhouse gases trap heat and warm the planet? Also, I use caps simply for emphasis. You don't piss me off, you only amuse me.

by Anonymous 9 years ago

Ditto.............................................

by Anonymous 9 years ago

You didn't answer my question... (three dots are usually enough)

by Anonymous 9 years ago

See links below to perdix..........pay attention. And I put however many dots I choose......................................................................................................................................................................................................... I let those smarter than myself answer the questions of those who are certain they KNOW everything.

by Anonymous 9 years ago

Those links don't answer my question either. I'm asking what you think.

by Anonymous 9 years ago

Since I amuse and humor you, you truly don't give a damn about what I think. You have made it quite clear that you believe I am incapable of thinking - so I got the point. Relish your superiority.

by Anonymous 9 years ago

All I'm trying to do right now is see how much of the truth you deny; all, or just some. Still haven't answered my question... so before you waste more time asking me to repeat it, I'll save you the trouble. Are you actually denying that greenhouse gases trap heat and warm the planet?

by Anonymous 9 years ago

I think it is universal and not limited to politics, true in any endeavor that is not a hard science: economics, religion, jurisprudences, etc

by Anonymous 9 years ago

So you are saying the bad and failed ideas rise to the top in all intellectual endeavors?

by Anonymous 9 years ago

Except science, which rejects them by definition. All non-science holds them because of ego.

by Anonymous 9 years ago

It's not such a mirror opposite. Science has a great mechanism for rejecting crackpot ideas (like climate change denial), but the same mechanism in political thought works much more slowly and is often stymied by corruption.

by Anonymous 9 years ago

You, like many others on this site, refuse to do the research to discover and learn for yourself that there are in fact many scientists who reject man made global warming or man made climate change. So, based on your own comment, every scientist, study, or report produced by a group of scientists debunking global warming, are crackpots. And I am quite sure that you are a credentialed, esteemed, and prestigious scientist with many discoveries to your credit. Just for fun, Google "climate change debunked" and see if you can find anything that will show you there is no way there could possibly be a consensus on an issue that has not even been studied for a very long time period. The study of our climate is one of the most unreliable and inconsistent of ALL the sciences. Ever notice how many times a weather "forecast" is wrong? How could that be possible if scientists have perfected the study of our climate? Could it be that there are so many variables that it is not possible to construct reliabe models or data to determine the future or past of earth's weather? Just a thought.

by Anonymous 9 years ago

Actually, I did my own independent calculations. I found that the human race contributes 4 ppm (by volume) of CO2 per year, and that CO2 levels in the atmosphere have steadily been rising at a rate of 2 ppm per year. Subsequently, I've seen other sources that have confirmed that my calculations were reasonably accurate. It suggests that our carbon contribution is twice as high as the Earth's natural carbon cycle can deal with. Your premise that all of us who "believe in" climate change are mindless sheep is baseless. I've proven it to myself without any help from the "elites."

by Anonymous 9 years ago

Bravo! You get the gold star for the day! Here is just one of hundreds and thousands of articles that show there is no scientific consensus, and that the data has been skewed, manipulated, and misinterpreted. And it is you and others who are taking ME to task as being the mindless ignorant one. You can believe anything you want and I won't care. But you and others don't want to allow me to believe what I want - even when I have the scientific support to show that my views are just as credible as your own. http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/jack-kelly/2014/05/29/The-facts-don-t-add-up-for-human-caused-global-warming/stories/201405290275

by Anonymous 9 years ago

Here is another one, but you will read them and disagree, therefore concluding that they all have to be wrong because YOU are right! And that is my point time and time again. For every source you can cite to support your view on an issue, I can cite one to support my view. And I will ask you the same thing I asked Speckleasme: what book have you written on climatology? How many degrees in science do you currently hold and what scientific field are they in? How many published articles in prestigious magazines or newspapers do you hold to your credit?

by Anonymous 9 years ago

http://climatechange.procon.org/ Notice on this one there is PRO and CON - meaning it is NOT a resolved issue and it has not been proven either way. You and Speck fail to realize or admit this. I do, and just so happen to CHOOSE to be on the side that says humans are not to blame for the problem, and the earth will go right on surviving with or without us. If you honestly think you can save your MOTHER, then be my guest. Once all of America has been brainwashed and robbed of their last dollar to line the pockets of those with agendas, who is going to tell all the other countries what to do? China contributes more to the "problem" than America, and yet somehow, as in every case, America is supposed to ride in on their white horse and save the day! If you don't know when those in charge are manipulating and exploiting issues, and creating crisis scenarios to then seize more control and power, then I feel sorry for you. My mind is soundly engaged, and I have proven many things to myself as have you. Please continue holding your views, and please allow me the same courtesy with respect.

by Anonymous 9 years ago

You can't claim that both sides of this issue are respectable and tell us to leave you alone, then go on to call our side a scheme to brainwash and rob America. Please, go on about how the moon landings and the holocaust were fabricated, and how Magneto killed JFK

by Anonymous 9 years ago

Humor me further............that one made me grin from ear to ear. Time will tell which side is right. We probably won't be alive however when it all plays out.

by Anonymous 9 years ago

proof that Magneto did it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByCY2UYLHG8

by Anonymous 9 years ago

Here is one showing how the 97% consensus got screwed up........ http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2014/03/16_not_97_agree.html And I could do this all night long - finding source after source after source - directly opposing your view or conclusions.

by Anonymous 9 years ago