Thread: Climate change scepticism - its sources and strategies

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

............
Don't forget they're the ones who killed off all the megafauna and totally changed the ecology of the land with their burning off practices to scare the megafauna and then the little critters out of the bush to be knocked on the head with a big lump of wood and eaten over the burning embers of what once was bush. (Not to say we are any better with our environmentally damaging agricultural practices etc.)

The cane toad, the DDT and the Dieldrin among other thins including deforestation have damaged our ecosystem thousands times more than the burning which it is proven to regenerate the flora in Australia and a system which it is very close look by the scientist now for implenting it in the future.

Originally Posted by abaddonxi

A PhD is just another way of saying that someone has put in the time and the effort to show everyone else that they probably know what they are talking about..

(Without getting into the climate change debate) I disagree! I know lots of people who've done PhD's and IMHO most of them were professional students and their PhD theses (or should that be thesii) belong on the toilet wall.

There is, I grant you, some very important work being undertaking by some very brilliant PhDs' whose theses and continuing work are very valuable, but overall I reckon that these are in the minority.

Go and check Uni records one day and see the sorts of things some do the theses on.

As to needing one to participate in a debate;

“If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough”

“Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.”

Albert Einstein

The volcanic eruption in Iceland is going to do more for climate change that every car in Australia.

As far as blaming Aborigines for extinction of Mega Fauna, the Maoris killed of the Mao in NZ, not talking of the elephant Bird, the Dodo and so on around the whole world with many other large and small animals hunted to extinction.

The Aboriginals were no different to other nations in this.

So become a vegetarian like me .

Here is one more Jamo


• "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution."
Albert Einstein

PhD in climate change... An expert in a field that has only existed in the last few centuries...

Right up there isnt it


Climate has always changed on this planet... We know this...
Have we effected its rate of change? Likely...
Can we stop it in a capitalist world? Unlikely...

The human species is no different to dinosaurs, when our time is up, it will be up... And the Earth will go on in one form or another - with or without us.

Originally Posted by JohnF

, the Maoris killed of the Mao in NZ, .

Absolute rubbish
Mao died of natural causes which let to the remaining 3 members of the Gang of 4 being imprisoned.

If you are referring to the Melanesian Moriori of new Zealand being exterminated by the Polynesian Maori of new Zealand, again a load of bullocks. I think the last full blooded Moriori died in about 1950? (with out checking) but there are many in New Zealand who claim to be descendants of Moriori/ Maori and European decent.

Originally Posted by Chucaro

No, not me, I would ask the opinion of the indigenous people which know very well the ecosystem, look after it better than any graduate with a grant from a big corporation, etc.

Just because the "elite" graduated form some university and come with a special theory that does not mean that they are correct.
Remember that in the universities from the first day the students have to write and say what the lecturer of professor like to hear and from then on they follow that rule.

The arrogance and the strict formation in the universities do not allow to value the opinion of other people which do not have the "qualifications" that the scientific community believe that it is acceptable.

Give me the Australian aborigine’s knowledge to look after the Australian ecosystem any time before some of the blind graduates from some universities.

Quite clearly you have never been to University, as that is the biggest load of bollocks I have read for some time. I would also assume you have never been to a doctor, used an accountant or engaged lawyer.

Now in terms of the subject matter......the layman as in many fields of thought will outnumber the knowledgable 10-1. If I had an interest in the whole climate change debate.....I would be looking to those that had years and years of experience, training and knowledge....not a bystander with their own theories.

As for the comment on Aborigines as being a source of information.......those that are still out bush are more interested in their own ecosystem/resources and protecting that....not unlike the average person,

Regards

Stevo

Originally Posted by Tombie2

PhD in climate change... An expert in a field that has only existed in the last few centuries...

Right up there isnt it

Electrical engineering, electronics, automotive engineering, chemical engineering, nanotechnology have all only been around for a short time, but plenty of people do PhDs in those areas.

There is an old saying that "a turkey with a degree is still a turkey" and the same holds for a PhD.

As has been said though, I wouldn't ask someone with a PhD in humanities to design a bridge.

That said though, a large proportion of the people who designed the land rovers you drive - and all the ancillary components, have PhDs. That goes for just about any product you can name.

Whilst a "lay" person can of course acquire a similar depth of knowledge on a topic, a PhD graduate has spent a minimum of 3 years full time conducting research on a particular topic, which has then been reviewed by a group of experts around the world. So they should at least know what they are talking about on their topic of expertise. They have also been trained to be objective, and to critically analyse any new results/findings.

Climate science is a very complex issue. Most people don't fully understand the whole of it, whether they have a PhD or not.