The Left-Right Expertise Gap: Considering the Data

RD, I've talked before about the issue of still needing fossil fuels at the power plant (trying not to make my posts horrendously long by covering everything comprehensively every time). No, we cannot go cold-turkey switching from fossil fuels to renewables, but the point is that we aren't even really making an attempt yet, and we need to be. Removing the fossil fuel use and emissions at the vehicle stage will help tremendously, especially if carbon capture and storage can be implemented at the power plant. But CCS is going to make the energy production more expensive, and won't do as good of a job as just leaving the coal, oil, and natural gas sequestered in the ground in the first place. And none of that will matter a hill of beans if we don't simultaneously reduce other greenhouse gas forming activities, and halt deforestation around the world.

There's no getting around climate change being political. It is an industry that generates too much profit for vested interests to just give it up without a fight, and if scientists who produce the data proving the harm don't speak up, then who will? Environmental groups? They are derided now for being biased, and not listened to by the public (and only listened to by politicians that they pay, creating another reason for their message to be regarded with scorn). I'm curious as to who exactly you think has sold out their integrity? Absolutely no accusations of misconduct leveled against any climate scientists have been found to be true, all the data produced over the last 40 years has merely added to and strengthened the case for AGW, so where do you see an integrity problem?

Yes, the notion that we can do something about it is sugar-coated at best; but, no one wants to hear, or contemplate, how bad it's really going to get if we continue business-as-usual. Many social experiments have proven over and over how we humans suck at dealing with problems that are amorphous, and far-off in consequence. Add to that the huge lack of understanding of even basic science by the general population, the Right's attack on science since the mid-70s, the vast amounts of money being thrown at politicians and media outlets by special interests, and lessening quality of journalism in covering science topics, and you've got a recipe for disaster. But it's not false hope, or gridlock, to try to do something, and doing something will help if we get serious about it soon enough. Just accepting that climate change is inevitable, that there will be sea level rise, and try to start adapting to it is being reactive, not proactive, and it will not be enough. But don't take my word for it - start reading the IPCC report (unfortunately, the new one isn't due until 2013 and the 2007 is already out-of-date, but still chock full of good basics), or several scientists books on the subject.

What's the Worst That Could Happen?: A Rational Response to the Climate Change Debate by Greg Craven
Global Warming: The Complete Briefing by John Houghton
CO2 Rising: The World's Greatest Environmental Challenge by Tyler Volk
The Global Carbon Cycle (Princeton Primers in Climate) by David Archer
Ice, Mud and Blood by Chris Turney
The Long Thaw: How Humans Are Changing the Next 100,000 Years of Earth's Climate by David Archer
The Great Ocean Conveyor: Discovering the Trigger for Abrupt Climate Change by Wally Broecker
Fixing Climate: What Past Climate Changes Reveal About the Current Threat--and How to Counter It by Wallace S. Broecker, and Robert Kunzig
Storms of My Grandchildren: The Truth About the Coming Climate Catastrophe and Our Last Chance to Save Humanity by James Hansen
The Big Picture: Reflections on Science, Humanity, and a Quickly Changing Planet by David Suzuki, David Taylor
Natural Climate Variability and Global Warming: A Holocene Perspective by Richard W. Battarbee
Global Warming: The Complete Briefing by John Theodore Houghton
Why We Disagree About Climate Change: Understanding Controversy, Inaction and Opportunity by Mike Hulme
The Warming Papers by David Archer (Editor), Ray Pierrehumbert (Editor)
The End of Nature by Bill McKibben
The Discovery of Global Warming (New Histories of Science, Technology, and Medicine) by Spencer R. Weart
Lies, Damned Lies, and Science: How to Sort through the Noise around Global Warming, the Latest Health Claims, and Other Scientific Controversies by Sherry Seethaler

Climate Change Science and Policy by Stephen H. Schneider (Editor), Armin Rosencranz (Editor), Michael D. Mastrandrea (Editor), Kristin Kuntz-Duriseti (Editor)
Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air by David J.C. MacKay
Climate Savvy: Adapting Conservation and Resource Management to a Changing World by Lara J. Hansen
Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto by Stewart Brand
Down to the Wire : Confronting Climate Collapse by David W. Orr
The Economics and Politics of Climate Change by Dieter Helm , Cameron Hepburn
An Introduction to Climate Change Economics and Policy by Felix R. FitzRoy , Elissaios Papyrakis
Strategies for the Green Economy : Opportunities and Challenges in the New World of Business by Cara Pike
Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization by Lester R. Brown

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by Michael Braungart
Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future by Bill McKibben
Fight Global Warming Now: The Handbook for Taking Action in Your Community by Bill McKibben
The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature by David Suzuki (Author), Amanda McConnell (Contributor), Adrienne Mason (Contributor)
Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet by Bill McKibben
Hack the Planet: Science's Best Hope - or Worst Nightmare - for Averting Climate Catastrophe by Eli Kintisch
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed: Revised Edition by Jared Diamond

Every investigation into the emails (all 5 of 'em), and the scientists involved, cleared them of all wrong-doing. Were they guilty of mis-speaking, and poor judgement with their words, absolutely. But there was absolutely no evidence of tampering with scientific data, results, or publications. These emails were taken out of context and blown out of proportion, used by contrarians because they have no valid argument against the weight of the science for AGW itself.

Here's my thread with links to each investigation: <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href=" 285bound.com/Forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1986&hilit=climategate " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1986&hilit=climategate<!-- l -->