Skepticism Pursued
~ Richard Muller, climate change skeptic,
writes:
It’s a scientist’s duty to be properly skeptical. I still find that much, if not most, of what is attributed to climate change is speculative, exaggerated or just plain wrong. I’ve analyzed some of the most alarmist claims, and my skepticism about them hasn’t changed.
Muller is a scientist, and thus, a skeptic. He's still a climate change skeptic, but has turned his deeply skeptical faculties to the question, and come to a definite conclusion:
Three years ago I identified problems in previous climate studies that, in my mind, threw doubt on the very existence of global warming. Last year, following an intensive research effort involving a dozen scientists, I concluded that global warming was real and that the prior estimates of the rate of warming were correct. I’m now going a step further: Humans are almost entirely the cause.
Four observations:
- This is how science works. Hypothesis, skepticism, challenge, testing, validation. Follow the evidence wherever it leads to determine whether a hypothesis is supported or refuted by evidence.
- Muller is still a skeptic. All good scientists are.
- A scientist who formerly doubted the reality of climate change changing his mind? Uncommon. A scientist who once accepted the reality of climate change following the evidence and changing his mind? Non-existent. The ranks of those who have examined the evidence and concluded that climate change is real, anthropogenic and dangerous continues to swell.
- Muller has appeared on Glen Beck's sad show and holds some interesting views. His research on climate change has been funded by those notorious fossil fuel fanatics, the Koch Brothers.
When even bright but curmudgeonly researchers funded by industry conclude that burning fossil fuels is changing the climate, isn't it time to stop posturing and start doing something about it?
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