Thursday, January 07, 2010

They Speak Jive

This column, "Doubt global warming? The planet won't tell a lie," by two global warmers arguing for action despite the problems in the data, is hilarious:

As for the skeptics, it's time to get off the atmospheric temperature kick and read the earth. We also believe the science clearly indicates that humans are playing a new, and critical role in driving that warming.

Yeah, atmospheric temperature readings were fine until the data was shown to be bad. Now it is never mind the atmospheric temperature data. Read the earth, eh? Yeah, the planet won't lie. It is what it is.

But the problem is, I don't think the so-called climate scientists know how to read "earth." So far, their command of "jive" has far outshown their command of "earth."

UPDATE: The media's first language on climate research remains "jive." This is a problem, because climate research isn't the only area of science and technology that suffers from a reliance on belief over rigorous inquiry. The public needs more than ever a press corps able to translate science into non-scientific language we can digest.

But so far, on climate change (and military matters, too, for that matter), with few exceptions, all I hear from our collective media is "jive." I think it is safe to assume their language skills are no better on other issues of science. We need better from people who pretend they have a "profession" requiring specialized journalism education.