The hijacking of learned institutions by political activists is something of a theme at BH, and today’s news brings further depressing evidence that the situation has not changed. It seems that the managers of a group of UK learned societies have decided to try to influence the political agenda ahead of the Paris conference, issuing a joint call to arms (another one!), no doubt without consulting a single one of their members.
The communiqué opens with a decidedly shonky statement about the scientific evidence:
The scientific evidence is now overwhelming that the climate is warming and that human activity is largely responsible for this change through emissions of greenhouse gases.
Sorry guys, but unvalidated computer simulations are incapable of giving “overwhelming” evidence. Hints and suggestions, perhaps, but not “overwhelming evidence”. This is yet another example of scientists behaving in a way that would get city financiers sent to jail.
The science thus dealt with, it moves on to the politics:
[G]overnments should demonstrate leadership by recognising the risks climate change poses, embracing appropriate policy and technological responses, and seizing the opportunities of low-carbon and climate-resilient growth.
Whatever that means.
Interestingly, the only place you seem to be able to read the comminque itself is the Guardian and Carbon Brief – my straw poll of the websites of some of the societies involved turns up no mention of it. This either means that the Royal Society et al have decided to keep the news “in the green family” and want to give them a proper exclusive or that everyone else has seen through it for the sham it is and is ignoring it. I wonder what’s going on?
[Update, the Royal Society has now posted it on their policy pages]
