Climate change

[Pies4shaw]

I think it is very important to keep up the pretence that uninformed people who have nothing to contribute to a debate should be allowed to derail it.

Sadly, The Conversation disagrees:

https://theconversation.com/theres-a-go ... ise-123857

"Imagine you discovered you had a serious illness and went to a doctor who recommended an operation. Then you surveyed 10 of your friends about whether they thought you needed an operation. Then, rather than have the operation, you spend the next 10 years, in deteriorating health, every day hearing from your doctor the operation is needed, while a small subset of your mates comment on how the doctor is a nutjob.

When we do this to experts of any sort, these uninformed comments undermine their authority. People are less inclined to believe experts when their views are presented alongside hostile opinions. But the two things are not the same; they are entirely different types of information and they don’t deserve equal weight.

The right approach, if you don’t believe your doctor, is to seek a second opinion from another medical expert. And maybe a third or a fourth. And then you make a decision on how to act, based on the evidence.

In the case of climate science we don’t just have two or three expert opinions, we have thousands. All rigorous and peer reviewed. We also have a range of vested interests who are attempting to discredit that science, following the playbook of big tobacco to profit from casting doubt and delaying action. And we have the passionate citizens who feel their grasp of the science entitles them to a platform, not once but on a daily basis.

In my view it is journalistically irresponsible to present settled science alongside comments that undermine and distort it and mislead our readers. That is why we are going to be more careful to police the small and vocal group of climate science contrarians whose passion overwhelms their ability to assess the evidence."

[think positive]

While I definitely believe we have a climate change problem, I’ve seen It at the glaciers, thing is all the suggestions to help the situation are good for the environment in general, we have to stop treating the world like a tip!

[stui magpie]

This Greta kid speaking at the UN, poor deluded child.

https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-a ... 52u7x.html

Apparently there are kids who are so anxious about this issue it's causing health issues. Whoever is feeding this pap they're regurgitating has a lot to answer for.

No one is dying, sea level rises are measured in millimetres not metres, we're not in the middle of mass extinction. If nothing changes, sea levels may rise worst case by 30cm in 100 years and some changes made to what crops grow where. Needless hysteria.

[pietillidie]

^It looks like a classic incentive differential to me. Older people with assets are more likely to view strong action as a cost which will not see returns in their lifetimes. For young people, taking out the insurance required is eminently sensible.

We would expect this differential to be exacerbated when the assets concerned are weighted towards fossil fuel revenues (including downstream asset valuation such as housing). Australia is a bellicose voice on this for various reasons including a tradition of macho anti-intellectual posturing, but the incentives are clear enough.

Even those without assets may see the immediate expense as a personal loss, particularly if they're inclined to see the economy as a closed zero-sum game.

Meanwhile, the same sceptical voices will clamour for all manner of other insurance products even as they don't think to question the many scientific consensuses on which their lives depend.

You don't need to buy into the strongest arguments to see this.

[thesoretoothsayer]

She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!

You gotta admit, he is the king of trolling.

[thesoretoothsayer]

This Greta kid speaking at the UN, poor deluded child.

Magnificent speech. The pathos. The tears. The anger. The big words she doesn't understand.
Dad must've had her practicing it for hours.

[Skids]

The girl is obviously autistic.

Kelly's (she works (over 20 years) with autistic kids) words, not mine.

https://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/Article? ... ge=English

Children with ASD may talk constantly about specific things that interest them and be unaware that other people might not have the same level of interest.

[David]

[Jezza]

She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!

You gotta admit, he is the king of trolling.

He will always be the king of trolling

[Morrigu]

[watt price tully]

[watt price tully]

^It looks like a classic incentive differential to me. Older people with assets are more likely to view strong action as a cost which will not see returns in their lifetimes. For young people, taking out the insurance required is eminently sensible.

We would expect this differential to be exacerbated when the assets concerned are weighted towards fossil fuel revenues (including downstream asset valuation such as housing). Australia is a bellicose voice on this for various reasons including a tradition of macho anti-intellectual posturing, but the incentives are clear enough.

Even those without assets may see the immediate expense as a personal loss, particularly if they're inclined to see the economy as a closed zero-sum game.

Meanwhile, the same sceptical voices will clamour for all manner of other insurance products even as they don't think to question the many scientific consensuses on which their lives depend.

You don't need to buy into the strongest arguments to see this.

Well argued old son. Right on so many fronts

[thesoretoothsayer]

Such snide dismissal of a young woman...

Just pointing out that her father is an actor and that her speech seemed something of a "performance" piece.

[Wokko]

If you decide to jump into the ring, don't be surprised when you get punched. She's a propaganda tool, a puppet and is obviously being used and abused by parents and the political left. Using her age and disability to try and craft some shield against criticism is transparent and pathetic.

As for the media and the left (a tautology if ever there was one) going after children, think back to the Covington Boys, wrongly accused of racism and Kyle Kushuv, a 2nd ammendent advocate survivor of a mass shooting. Don't feign outrage now because the target is a small blonde girl with pigtails.

[David]