CONSENSUS WATCH – 3/1/2010

An ongoing series dedicated to vigorously monitoring emerging threats to The Consensus that global warming is real, caused by humans, and must be addressed at all costs.

 

Because without Consensus, scientific conclusions could be subject to public scrutiny.

As a result of the minor climate contretemps of the past several months in which the entire construct of global warming theory has been called into question, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has decided to launch an independent review of its research vetting process with a specific focus on IPCC chief Rejandra Pachauri, plus re-examine 160 years of temperature data.

Call it a scientific “do over.”

This, of course, should not in any way impede our progress towards manic implementation of hastily conceived measures meant to address the very real threat of manmade public hysteria over impending climate catastrophe.

After all, we already know the conclusion.  Think of these investigations as more of a formality, like a real estate closing only without as much uncertainty.

In another positive development, the multi-talented, Nobel Prize and Academy Award winning Al Gore broke his weeks-long silence (no doubt spent in quiet contemplation with his spiritual advisor and tax accountant) to address a world desperate for his guidance.

While we had hoped he would deliver his message through an interpretive dance routine, thereby all but ensuring a Tony nomination, he chose instead the more conventional path of writing a piece for The New York Times in which he addressed the “two minor errors” of the IPCC reports.

Okay, so he’s a little bit behind on his reading, but that’s not what’s important.  What is important is that he laid to rest once and for all the charge that global warming is somehow faith-based, more akin to a religious belief than hard science, by pointing out in no uncertain terms that:

“From the standpoint of governance, what is at stake is our ability to use the rule of law as an instrument of human redemption.”

Now does that sound like some kind of evangelist?  You probably don’t know this, having not been back to school in a while, but “an instrument of human redemption” is the correct answer for about 35% of all physics midterm exam questions.

So not to worry, Consensus Watchers, we have nothing to fear from science.

This damn Internet, on the other hand…

J.

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