Comments on: Schadenfreude Of the Fifty First Degree (Farenheit – Average) http://tete-tete-tete.com/2006/07/schadenfreude-of-the-fifty-first-degree-farenheit-average/ Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:31:47 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera http://tete-tete-tete.com/2006/07/schadenfreude-of-the-fifty-first-degree-farenheit-average/comment-page-1/#comment-74 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera Wed, 26 Jul 2006 13:59:31 +0000 http://tete-tete-tete.com/42/schadenfreude-of-the-fifty-first-degree-farenheit-average/#comment-74 <strong>Special Shout Outs To Corker and Condi...</strong> Bob, you need to read this post from smijer:Facts aren’t supposed to be partisan. The willingness of some folks to push the anti-science line just to support a partisan agenda, is endlessly troubling to me. I hope all their listeners...... Special Shout Outs To Corker and Condi…

Bob, you need to read this post from smijer:Facts aren’t supposed to be partisan. The willingness of some folks to push the anti-science line just to support a partisan agenda, is endlessly troubling to me. I hope all their listeners……

]]> By: RSA http://tete-tete-tete.com/2006/07/schadenfreude-of-the-fifty-first-degree-farenheit-average/comment-page-1/#comment-73 RSA Tue, 25 Jul 2006 20:26:55 +0000 http://tete-tete-tete.com/42/schadenfreude-of-the-fifty-first-degree-farenheit-average/#comment-73 When it comes to global warming, I\'m one of the regular Joes smijer mentions: I don\'t have the background to judge the research myself, so I\'ll have to trust what I see coming out of either politicians\' mouths or reports from the National Academy of Science. This also means that when someone says, \"Jeez, it\'s hot today, I think it must be global warming,\" I\'m just noncommittal. That is, everything I\'ve read says it\'s happening, but should I expect it to be visible on the tiny scale I can see? That would be like hearing that the crime rate has gone up by 5% in the past year and deciding to cross the street whenever I\'m downtown and see someone scruffy-looking. When it comes to global warming, I\’m one of the regular Joes smijer mentions: I don\’t have the background to judge the research myself, so I\’ll have to trust what I see coming out of either politicians\’ mouths or reports from the National Academy of Science. This also means that when someone says, \”Jeez, it\’s hot today, I think it must be global warming,\” I\’m just noncommittal. That is, everything I\’ve read says it\’s happening, but should I expect it to be visible on the tiny scale I can see? That would be like hearing that the crime rate has gone up by 5% in the past year and deciding to cross the street whenever I\’m downtown and see someone scruffy-looking.

]]> By: smijer http://tete-tete-tete.com/2006/07/schadenfreude-of-the-fifty-first-degree-farenheit-average/comment-page-1/#comment-72 smijer Tue, 25 Jul 2006 20:26:51 +0000 http://tete-tete-tete.com/42/schadenfreude-of-the-fifty-first-degree-farenheit-average/#comment-72 <blockquote>But if we were now experiencing the absolute coldest summer in recorded history it would be because of …………global warming.</blockquote> No. It wouldn't be good evidence against global warming, but it would not likely be because of global warming. If we were experiencing the most coldest *winter*, then that would be *consistent with*, and *possibly because of global* warming, yet would not be, by itself evidence for global warming. The hot summer this year is one tiny data point among a much larger collection of data, which, taken together, *is* evidence for global warming. At least so say the people who have spent some time observing the climate and making efforts to understand it. But, the hot summer, by itself - though likely caused at least in part by global warming - is not, by itself evidence of global warming. Does any of that make sense? And Rick - that's the *political* issue, but it isn't the scientific issue any longer.

But if we were now experiencing the absolute coldest summer in recorded history it would be because of …………global warming.

No. It wouldn’t be good evidence against global warming, but it would not likely be because of global warming. If we were experiencing the most coldest *winter*, then that would be *consistent with*, and *possibly because of global* warming, yet would not be, by itself evidence for global warming.

The hot summer this year is one tiny data point among a much larger collection of data, which, taken together, *is* evidence for global warming. At least so say the people who have spent some time observing the climate and making efforts to understand it. But, the hot summer, by itself – though likely caused at least in part by global warming – is not, by itself evidence of global warming.

Does any of that make sense?

And Rick – that’s the *political* issue, but it isn’t the scientific issue any longer.

]]> By: Buck http://tete-tete-tete.com/2006/07/schadenfreude-of-the-fifty-first-degree-farenheit-average/comment-page-1/#comment-71 Buck Tue, 25 Jul 2006 20:06:09 +0000 http://tete-tete-tete.com/42/schadenfreude-of-the-fifty-first-degree-farenheit-average/#comment-71 But if we were now experiencing the absolute coldest summer in recorded history it would be because of ............global warming. That is why the non-scientific guys like myself just chuckle and open up another beer while we ponder the ramifications of Myrtle Beach being 5 miles closer in 200 years. And by the way, it is hotter than hell here in Northeast Georgia for whatever reason. But if we were now experiencing the absolute coldest summer in recorded history it would be because of …………global warming.

That is why the non-scientific guys like myself just chuckle and open up another beer while we ponder the ramifications of Myrtle Beach being 5 miles closer in 200 years.

And by the way, it is hotter than hell here in Northeast Georgia for whatever reason.

]]> By: RSA http://tete-tete-tete.com/2006/07/schadenfreude-of-the-fifty-first-degree-farenheit-average/comment-page-1/#comment-70 RSA Tue, 25 Jul 2006 19:36:40 +0000 http://tete-tete-tete.com/42/schadenfreude-of-the-fifty-first-degree-farenheit-average/#comment-70 By the way, it's been in the 90s over here in Raleigh, and muggy as hell. By the way, it’s been in the 90s over here in Raleigh, and muggy as hell.

]]> By: RSA http://tete-tete-tete.com/2006/07/schadenfreude-of-the-fifty-first-degree-farenheit-average/comment-page-1/#comment-69 RSA Tue, 25 Jul 2006 19:36:16 +0000 http://tete-tete-tete.com/42/schadenfreude-of-the-fifty-first-degree-farenheit-average/#comment-69 Sure, the main reason we're interested in the issue is because it may be relevant to our future prosperity, and if it is, we can do something about it (prepare for disaster, if nothing else). Speaking as someone who runs experiments, I'm always thinking, "Hey, if this works out the way I hope it does, it could really have interesting implications for X!" But that desire shouldn't interfere with how I interpret my data. Sure, the main reason we’re interested in the issue is because it may be relevant to our future prosperity, and if it is, we can do something about it (prepare for disaster, if nothing else). Speaking as someone who runs experiments, I’m always thinking, “Hey, if this works out the way I hope it does, it could really have interesting implications for X!” But that desire shouldn’t interfere with how I interpret my data.

]]> By: Rick DeMent http://tete-tete-tete.com/2006/07/schadenfreude-of-the-fifty-first-degree-farenheit-average/comment-page-1/#comment-68 Rick DeMent Tue, 25 Jul 2006 18:18:01 +0000 http://tete-tete-tete.com/42/schadenfreude-of-the-fifty-first-degree-farenheit-average/#comment-68 And in fairness, the issues is not so much if Global Warming is real, but if it is, is it something that humans are contributing to or is it just happening organically. And in fairness, the issues is not so much if Global Warming is real, but if it is, is it something that humans are contributing to or is it just happening organically.

]]> By: RSA http://tete-tete-tete.com/2006/07/schadenfreude-of-the-fifty-first-degree-farenheit-average/comment-page-1/#comment-67 RSA Tue, 25 Jul 2006 16:48:52 +0000 http://tete-tete-tete.com/42/schadenfreude-of-the-fifty-first-degree-farenheit-average/#comment-67 Very good points. I agree with your conservative commentator that there are two important issues that need to be separated: Is global warming happening? And if so, what should we do about it? An enormous amount of the reaction to global warming on the conservative side doesn't take this into account, with comments like, "Global warming nutcases would have us shut down all our power plants!" I think this is also characteristic of other scientific issues that are bugabears for some brands of conservatives. I've heard, for example, "Evolution can't be true, because it would call into question the value of Jesus' having died on the cross for us." Huh? We have to evaluate science as science, I think, and consider policy implications only afterwards. Very good points. I agree with your conservative commentator that there are two important issues that need to be separated: Is global warming happening? And if so, what should we do about it? An enormous amount of the reaction to global warming on the conservative side doesn’t take this into account, with comments like, “Global warming nutcases would have us shut down all our power plants!”

I think this is also characteristic of other scientific issues that are bugabears for some brands of conservatives. I’ve heard, for example, “Evolution can’t be true, because it would call into question the value of Jesus’ having died on the cross for us.” Huh? We have to evaluate science as science, I think, and consider policy implications only afterwards.

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