Can’t see the Climate Forest For the Trees

Dr. Tim Ball: A Different Perspective ^ | July 7, 2012 | Dr. Tim Ball

[CedarDave]

No, this is not another article about tree rings, hockey sticks, and rewritten history, although that is one tree in the climate forest. A group of scientists dismissed historical evidence and misled the public about temperature trends. Some dismiss their actions as bad science, but the evidence, particularly exposed in the leaked e-mails from the Climatic Research Unit (CRU), indicate differently. Many, including those claiming to be climate scientists were misled because they were experts on another tree in another part of the forest. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is not studying climatology, but specialists looking at some very limited components of an extremely complex system.

We live in a generalized world in an age of specialization. These problems are manifesting themselves more and more as the world systems break down into increasingly small pieces. It used to be there were general rules with exceptions to the rule – now everything is an exception. The problem is evident in the misuse of specialized knowledge by climate scientists. Using tree rings as representing temperature is a classic example.

Climatology is the study of the average weather and how it changes over time. It requires putting together all of the components that create the weather and understanding how they interact. This makes it a generalist discipline. A climate scientist is a person who studies one component of the weather. Unfortunately, they are often unable to show the location or the interaction of their component. This is why the Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are so disjointed and easily manipulated to produce the political result presented to the media and the public through the Summary for Policymakers (SPM).

[CedarDave]

Dr. Ball goes on to list a series of nine problems with the reports of the IPCC, most of which were deliberate because global warming caused by human CO2 was chosen for a political agenda.

An excellent short summary of the problems and issues and well worth a complete read.

[CedarDave]

Global warming PING!

[aquila48]

Thanks - good ammunition to use on my liberal friends.

[CedarDave]

The problem is evident in the misuse of specialized knowledge by climate scientists. Using tree rings as representing temperature is a classic example.

See Dr. Ball's comments on the inappropriate use of tree rings as an indicator of summer temperature here and my response in agreement.