After being out of the loop for a couple of days due to travel and sickness, I found an article on Treehugger.com about science and personal bias. I thought it was a really well written piece which accurately describes how many people, both educated and not, feel that if they don't believe in a scientific claim then it's just not true. They then go forward screaming loudly about their disbelief in the hopes that it will make others believe that it is not true. This goes against everything science is about.
Regardless of our different biases, science is destined to rise above the fray as it relies on empirical evidence to make its claims. We know that animals and plants can be grouped into different "similar" categories based upon the evidence science has found using anatomical and genetic markers. We know that the planets orbit the sun because of the overwhelming evidence we have obtained from telescopes and satellites. We know that global warming and climate change are real events taking place right now due to human activities because of the vast evidence scientists have found over time. Science is not a consensus. Science is what the evidence says is really happening. It is the explanation of causality in the universe and world around us. Yes there are incongruities, as there are in all things. Even those incongruities are eventually explained as more evidence is gathered on the phenomenon.
For those who want to continue to believe that climate science is "made up" and that it is some sort of vast conspiracy, fine. However, it does not make your belief correct. Scientists have drawn these conclusions after analyzing the data and the evidence. Records show the average temperature of the globe is rising and the evidence is also there showing the growing rise in greenhouse gases. Scientists have been able to make the correlation between greenhouse gas emissions and the rise in global temperature and subsequent climate changes. The only reason they are very vocal about this is because they realize the danger we are in and they know we are the only effective solution to the problem. Science will always be science. There will always be people who disagree with what conclusion is drawn. However, we cannot let those who disagree with science be the ones who get to dictate to the rest of the world what science is and what science is actually right about.
Regardless of our different biases, science is destined to rise above the fray as it relies on empirical evidence to make its claims. We know that animals and plants can be grouped into different "similar" categories based upon the evidence science has found using anatomical and genetic markers. We know that the planets orbit the sun because of the overwhelming evidence we have obtained from telescopes and satellites. We know that global warming and climate change are real events taking place right now due to human activities because of the vast evidence scientists have found over time. Science is not a consensus. Science is what the evidence says is really happening. It is the explanation of causality in the universe and world around us. Yes there are incongruities, as there are in all things. Even those incongruities are eventually explained as more evidence is gathered on the phenomenon.
For those who want to continue to believe that climate science is "made up" and that it is some sort of vast conspiracy, fine. However, it does not make your belief correct. Scientists have drawn these conclusions after analyzing the data and the evidence. Records show the average temperature of the globe is rising and the evidence is also there showing the growing rise in greenhouse gases. Scientists have been able to make the correlation between greenhouse gas emissions and the rise in global temperature and subsequent climate changes. The only reason they are very vocal about this is because they realize the danger we are in and they know we are the only effective solution to the problem. Science will always be science. There will always be people who disagree with what conclusion is drawn. However, we cannot let those who disagree with science be the ones who get to dictate to the rest of the world what science is and what science is actually right about.
No comments:
Post a Comment