CBS Documentary

Did anyone see the CBS Documentary tonight related to climate change in its entirety? Unfortunately my viewing started about 10-12 minutes late. What I saw was a one sided, no data, presentation citing only political resistance and censorship to the contrary. There was noone interviewed who cited opposing views or evidence. What I did see was snippets of scenery used to "document" the "evidence". My feeling is that Global Warming aficionados should have been squirming with such a presentation. This is not a simple issue that should be brushed aside as a done deal; but that was the approach taken. Yes; I have doubts about data from both sides, but this was unacceptable journalism. Apparently CBS thinks that the general public would be turned off by a more scientific approach. What I saw was rhetorical and alarmistic. Looked like political correctness and journalistic license out of control. Shame on you CBS.

Perhaps people prefer the self-designated 'fair and balanced' reporting as found on Fox News?

Given that global-warming deniers or downplayers often have other corresponding beliefs (political, economic, social), and those positions tend not to be swayable on 'balance' or 'compromise' grounds, why be so surprised when the 'other' side does the same thing, finally, out of exasperation. You see the same thing with denial of evolution- new evidence comes in, gets ignored, distorted, or denied. See no evil, hear no evil (apparently speak no evil got left out of the mix). Eventually people are going to come at you with a mallet.

At least with the artificial 'controversy' over evolution nobody is going to be severely impacted or killed (one hopes the Nazis were an aberration). But stakes are a little higher with global 'climate change'. Opinions become policy- as in the CBS documentary. When opinions trump science, the consequences will be enormous.

The deniers are confident in their righteousness- the scientists in their data and its interpretation. Clearly one side is wrong- deniers think the SCIENCE is an OPINION too. Look how they bandy about the popular notion of 'theory' as if it were identical with the scientific use of the term.

But here's the thing- the scientists get to define their own definitions, not outsiders. Deniers don't get that. But that doesn't absolve them of responsibility if they get it wrong.

What recompense are global warming deniers going to make? Their opinions trumped science in policy-making decisions. I'd say there are probably some VERY big lawsuits on the way, and perhaps a little war or two on the side.

Jess Tauber

Judson,

There are precious few credible climate scientists with opposing views left nowadays. I suppose CBS felt they were on solid ground by airing these 1 or 2 year old articles. Good data has been coming in for 10 years now from every corner of the atmoshperic science community since this "controversy" began and it has in almost every case bolstered the older data. I seem to remember Mr. Pelli mentioning several times that opposing views were solicited but the solicitations were rejected. As one scientist pointed out last night, science owes a debt to the skeptics because it forces the scientists to sharpen their pencils and scrutinize their methodology. Well, they did and the conclusions are the same. Even Bush and Co. have done a soft 180.

Cheers.