The Unqualified Judging the Self-Interested

Scientists largely removed from the consideration of science

Story submitted by Tom Barr

The U.K.’s Energy and Climate Change Committee [yesterday] endorsed the IPCC’s 2014 opinion that humans are the dominant cause of global warming.

In a 9 to 2 vote in a parallel universe the “Science was Settled”, yet again. But not by scientists, of course. Let’s look at the MPs who voted: Of the 9 in favour at least one had fiddled his expenses, just six held degrees and only one of them in what could be considered a scientific field, Human Biology.

More here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-28531091 .

The two MPs that voted against held scientific degrees in, respectively, Chemistry and Natural Sciences.

Rigorously applying the proven “97% consensus” methodology, that implies 66% of scientifically qualified MPs tasked with considering the IPCC report don’t believe that global warming is predominantly caused by man.

Energy and Climate Change Committee – membership

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/energy-and-climate-change-committee/membership/

Mr Tim Yeo (Chair) Conservative

Degree: History, [“Got a poor degree”, by his own admission] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Yeo; ENDORSED REPORT

Dan Byles Conservative

Degree: None http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Byles; ENDORSED REPORT

Ian Lavery Labour

Degree: None http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Lavery  ; ENDORSED REPORT

Dr Phillip Lee Conservative

Degree: Human Biology and Biological Anthropology  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Lee_(politician) ENDORSED REPORT

Mr Peter Lilley Conservative

Degree: Natural Sciences and Economics  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Lilley REJECTED REPORT

Albert Owen Labour

Degree: Politics  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Owen  ENDORSED REPORT

Christopher Pincher Conservative

Degree: History  http://www.christopherpincher.com/about-chris/bio ENDORSED REPORT

John Robertson Labour

Degree: None http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Robertson_(Glasgow_politician) ENDORSED REPORT

Sir Robert Smith Liberal Democrat

Degree: Mathematics http://www.politics.co.uk/reference/sir-robert-hill-smith  ; ENDORSED REPORT

Graham Stringer Labour

Degree: Chemistry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Stringer    REJECTED REPORT

Dr Alan Whitehead Labour

Degree: Political Science http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Whitehead  ENDORSED REPORT

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Solomon Green
August 2, 2014 4:34 am

A leading mathematician, the late Professor Morris Kline, wrote;
“Man’s mathematics may be no more that a workable scheme. Nature itself may be far more complex or have no inherent design. Nevertheless, mathematics remains the method par excellence for the investigation, representation, and mastery of nature. In those domains where it is effective, it is all we have; it is not reality itself, it is the closest we can get to reality.”
But it needs an understanding of mathematics to use it to get close to reality and, sadly until now those who have created long term climate models do not appear to possess that understanding.

bushbunny
August 2, 2014 10:55 pm

Bertram, in Australia, any maths are combined into a Science degree. It is a necessary component with Chemistry the rest can be picked, like Archaeology or botany. That’s why I couldn’t attempt a science degree, no maths or Chemistry. I could have taken subjects usually attached to science degree, like Astronomy. But I couldn’t work out the science calculator. They altered the degree changes as Science required 23 units, most 300 level, so they also made Arts or Humanity students to gain 23 too, instead of 18. No maths required. Well there is some, but I would not call them math, mainly quantitive analysis and geology.