[geeks] Global Warming causes...

[wa2egp at att.net]

-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: der Mouse <mouse at Rodents.Montreal.QC.CA>
>
> > Unfortunately, Environmental Science is more open to junk science
> > than other branches due to [its] being relatively new, dependence on
> > modeling especially computer modeling which has its flaws and the
> > greater potential for political influence.
> 
> Also, the lack of good experimental setups.  One can't just set up a
> few test planets to see how they react to, say, different levels of
> carbon dioxide release, which is the sort of thing the scientific
> method would want to try.  (In this, it's in roughly the same boat as
> archaeology and other paleosciences.)
> 
> Yes, some aspects of environment science are susceptible to experiment,
> but discouragingly many - including the one that started this thread
> off - aren't.

Well, that's why the "scientific method" taught in school is not really
correct.  You can gain a lot of information from validated observations
where you cannot ever possibly do an experiment.  That is also part of
the scientific method.  I really don't want to start screwing around 
with a whole planet just to see if human produced CO2 is going to cook
that planet.  Especially when I live there!  :)

Bob