So, this month a panel of 300 scientists put out a report saying that global warming is most definitely underway, and that "human influences, resulting primarily from increased emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, have now become the dominant factor."
But stop the presses! U.S. Senator Ted Stevens (R-Ala.) says the scientists are wrong. Not that he's read the report.
Scientists who helped put together the report briefed members of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on Tuesday. Stevens, who is to chair the committee starting in January, agreed that climate change is a serious problem and said he looked forward to reading the report.
But he said he does not accept the conclusion the scientists reached: that the driving force behind warming is people burning coal, oil and natural gas, the fuels that produce greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.
Stevens must have great confidence in his scientific credentials to cast doubt on the work of 300 climate specialists. Curious about those credentials, I visited Stevens'
bio page. Hm ... a mid-century law degree ... and then in congress since 1964. Nope. Nothing about science.
But he does acknowledge that "we need to take some action." So what's the action?
Stevens' spokeswoman, Courtney Schikora Boone, said the action Stevens is taking is to fund more research about climate change.
UPDATE: Turns out it's not just Stevens; the entire Alaska delegation is
demonstrating a heretofore undetected bent for science.
"My biggest concern is that people are going to use this so-called study to try to influence the way and standard of living that occurs within the United States," Young said. "I don't believe it is our fault. That's an opinion," Young said. "It's as sound as any scientist's."
Young's opinion, you see, is just as valid as any scientist's, regardless of any "so-called study." The mind just boggles, doesn't it?
