This is quite something. It is sort of a reverse “he who must not be named” meme, and we have a prominent meteorology dean dissing climate colleagues:
“When I listen to some of my colleagues who make the pronouncements they do, they come across as speaking on behalf of the Deity. This doesn’t work with Senators.” – John Snow, former Dean of the College of Geographic and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Oklahoma
That is from this article by the Texas State Climatologist, Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon at his blog, here’s the setup:
John Snow, former Dean of the College of Geographic and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Oklahoma, is one of the people working on this. Two weeks ago, he met with staffers of two representatives from Oklahoma. With both sets, the response was the same: “Don’t talk to us about climate. Now, what can we do for you?”
Curious about this, John N-G asked Snow – why? He writes:
They were perfectly willing to talk about weather and weather observations. They were even willing to talk about seasonal and interannual variability and long-range forecasting (which fall under the broad category of climate prediction and have major impacts on agriculture). But the basic message was consistent: Don’t use the c-word.
My first guess was that these were Democrats who had become shell-shocked at lack of success and loss of political capital with the pre-Copenhagen climate bill. But no, these were Republican congressmen who, as a matter of basic principle, were avoiding taking any active role in climate policy altogether.
I found it rather disconcerting to hear that my current profession (climatology) was viewed by our leaders as being so evil that it should be treated with the same respect as Lord Voldemort himself. So I asked John about why he thought the c-word had become so politically incorrect.
“I think it’s related to how some in our community laid out the climate change agenda and didn’t do a good job”, Snow said. “We need to get our own house in order for how we present the issues.”
Full article here
“I think it’s related to how some in our community laid out the climate change agenda and didn’t do a good job”, Snow said.
Science has no agenda other than truth. But maybe another rap song can make people forget about that.
I think it strange that there are so many people that WANT to believe they are somehow responsible for the downfall of the Planet by simply breathing in and out. I think it must be a catholic thing. It rings of the same religeous fervour of inquistion times. By the way the Worlds not flat, and the Sun does no revolve around the Earth. There I’ve said it and bugger me you will not burn me at the stake. By the way The Vatican is promoting condoms now, it’s true! they just prick a hole in the end, spoils the sex but doesn’t waste the sperm.
How apropos. “Voldemort” is French for “death wish.”
@ur momisugly Peter Kovachev
Yes, I remember hearing that one from various marxists about 30 years ago. They thought they just needed to fine-tune the marketing, but it turned out to be a faulty product. The marketing was actually the only part that worked, sort of. Like pet rocks, except that pet rocks didn’t kill people or impoverish entire countries.
If it’s the same John Snow he regularly debates in Fark threads. He tends to show a bunch of graphs as if the graphs are always the final proof of something.
Appropos of academic deities, but otherwise off topic:
Two academics at Cambridge, a Prof. Dodd and a Prof. Mott, were occasionally at loggerheads, so this little Clerihew was written:
Dodd thought he was God.
Mott thought not.