perceptions_now
Gold Member
   
Offline

Australian Politics
Posts: 11694
Perth WA
Gender:
|
tonegunman1 wrote on Jul 18 th, 2012 at 2:43pm: perceptions_now wrote on Jul 18 th, 2012 at 1:30pm: tonegunman1 wrote on Jul 18 th, 2012 at 1:15pm: perceptions_now wrote on Jul 18 th, 2012 at 11:01am: progressiveslol wrote on Jul 18 th, 2012 at 10:36am: Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Jul 18 th, 2012 at 9:09am: tonegunman1 wrote on Jul 18 th, 2012 at 9:04am: Science is fixed...our understanding of it is not. To say that our understanding of science does not require questioning...is just as "looney" as those who say things like people want to burn science at the stake. These attitudes show, if anything, a disrespect and ignorance of science. Science is built around the questioning of what is "known" and disproving and confirming hypotheses. Majority does not rule or rule indefinitely. Science often swaps majority and minority opinions even where those minority opinions have at one time been ridiculed by the majority. If you just want science as it stands to be accepted, because you agree with it, then what you have is religion not science.
It seems a lot of ppl here think you should know everything and if you dont then you are stupid. Luckily scientists dont think that way. Luckily its not mainstream either. SOB Science is not done by consensus, it is done via skepticism and empirical data. The catastrophic climate pseudo science is done via gate-keeping, homogenized data, non-empirical data and jump on the weather is climate band wagon. http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1342357146/19#19 tonegunman1 wrote on Jul 18 th, 2012 at 9:04am: Science is fixed...our understanding of it is not. To say that our understanding of science does not require questioning...is just as "looney" as those who say things like people want to burn science at the stake. These attitudes show, if anything, a disrespect and ignorance of science. Science is built around the questioning of what is "known" and disproving and confirming hypotheses. Majority does not rule or rule indefinitely. Science often swaps majority and minority opinions even where those minority opinions have at one time been ridiculed by the majority. If you just want science as it stands to be accepted, because you agree with it, then what you have is religion not science.
I agree that we teach, what is thought to be the best "known knowledge" at the time AND also teach students to question those "known knowns", thereby proving or disproving those hypotheses!
But, the LNP LOONS are saying, don't teach the best "known known" of our day, which makes it difficult or impossible to test the science behind the theory! I think this is to stray into generality when the argument, as I understand it, is specific to climate change science. Certainly climate change is by a long way the best funded but subject to the least rigor. I would suggest there is much more rigor in Climate Science, than there is in the thinking of these LNP LOONS!
And, if the best current "known knowledge" on Climate Change, turns out to be correct, then we will need to throw everything at the problem and I mean everything!
Perhaps, we could build a wall, to keep out the worst effects? Made of Looney Politicians? Yes, I know, only (half) joking? To be fair the Labs and greens have introduced a carbon tax to prevent this senario caused by our use (mostly) of fossil fuel ...however their methods are a little strange considering if anyone has access to the best available science its our own government. It does not apply to petrol that releases CO2...major emitter. This leaves mostly (evil) coal that Gillard and Co are happy to dig up at record levels to be sent overseas to be burnt and where it will emit CO2...no charge for this CO2, or perhaps coal does not expel CO2 when burnt outside Australia or does not have any impact on the environment. Domestic consumers will be charged extra for coal fired power but will be more than compensated at the level of being better off (so the story goes) for using that power. Some would say that's not much incentive. We do have land clearing legislation because trees and vegetation store carbon but God help any vegetation that sits atop a coal seam or a development. However we have a global atmosphere where our climate does not retain the benefits of domestic CO2 reductions so I'm not sure how any of this will avert global climate change. And I am also not sure how any of this will save us regardless. Case in point world coal consumption from 1990 to 2030 has coal going from about 70 quadrillion Btu to about 180 quadrillion Btu (most growth from China). And oil (most growth from non-OECD countries)... From 1996 to 2012 - about 4 mb/d to about 25 mb/d. So whether your right or wrong there is no salvation for you in the figures on the "consensus" view. To be fair, no matter what Labor may say, their Carbon Tax is primarily a TAX, which is designed to increase government revenues, as Taxes in other areas of the Economy go into decline, which will/is happening at the same time as the usual expenses are increasing, particularly those expenses related to an AGING POPULATION!
The dilemma's of re-balancing of government income/expenditure will continue under the Liberals & Nationals when they win the next election, as there are no magic bullets.
I would also suggest that the salvation you mention is for us, not just me, but given the lack of "Political consensus" on the best current "known knowledge" on Climate Change, which is code for "self interest", I see little chance of any real salvation coming in time, for us!
|