Of course there are missing variables, and unanswered questions. But that doesn't mean the evidence isn't strong. Both these things are true at the same time, and the resulting complexity of this issue is difficult for people to parse.ant wrote:Missing variables?
Explanation for the murky variables and why their impact is not greater than Mankinds?
you know the globe has warmed before substantially, minus antthropogenic CO2, right?
I'd think a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors can cause an acceleration in warming.
but to say that it's all our doing? that's environmentalist sermon speak.
we simply lack a complete understanding of all the known and unknown variables.
It seems that people are uncomfortable dealing with uncertainties. Nothing about climate change is certain. But that doesn't mean we haven't passed the threshold where evidence is strong enough for us to take action. Now repeat that ten times, because it's the most important part.
There are layman alarmists who claim certainty, sure. And you can argue against them and their certainty. But the strength of their position is not due to their certainty, but rather it's due to the pragmatism of the scientists they appeal to. Arguments against the layman are often legitimate, but then you're missing the entire point. Check the consensus verbiage. Scientists agree that climate change is most likely caused by human factors.
It's presumptuous to think they aren't aware of the issues with the data, the missing variables, the shifted constants.
Appealing to a man like Freeman Dyson, who is a genius, is a fallacy. Not because he's a genius, of course, but because he's not a meteorologist. That is the criteria where an appeal to authority becomes a fallacy.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ann-reid/ ... 59170.html
You say we should cut emissions. I agree with Robert Tulip that we need to go a step further and remove CO2 from the air. Even if the rise is a natural occurrence, that doesn't mean it's good for us. In fact, all the evidence shows it to be bad for us.