[ExI] Scientists Behaving Badly

[BillK]

On 12/14/09, Alfio Puglisi wrote:
<snip>
> More importanly, I see no discussion of the simple topic that, even
> conceding some of the worst interpretations of the emails, nothing would
> change in the global warming picture: CO2 would still be a greenhouse gas,
> its increase would still be of anthropogenic, Arctic ice and glaciers would
> still be melting, Greenland would still be losing mass, plants would still
> blossom earlier, temperatures would be still going up, etc.   To resume, in
> my opinion this article adds nothing to our understanding of the situation,
> but instead actively tries to instill in the reader a distrust for science
> with misleading statements and attacking irrelevant details, while missing
> the big picture entirely.
>
>

That is exactly the aim of the anti-global warming propaganda machine
supported by the big polluter industries like ExxonMobil.  They fund
dozens, even hundreds of different groups to give the impression that
there is widespread opposition to the global warming findings.

They don't attempt to win any scientific disputes in the peer-reviewed press.
Their intention is to cause confusion in the minds of the general
public and to postpone as long as possible any political actions to
restrain the polluting industries. Repeating false claims and
misinterpretations in the general press or blogs often enough gives
them a semblance of credibility and that is all that they want to
achieve.

BillK