Scientists Plan March on Washington

Guest essay by Eric Worrall

Scientists are apparently planning a march on Washington. My question – will anyone notice?

Scientists Are Planning the Next Big Washington March

Last weekend, a massive milieu of women in pink hats descended on Washington, D.C. for the Women’s March. The next big protest being planned for the nation’s capital could involve a sea of lab coats (and likely a few pink hats as well).

A group of researchers have proposed a March for Science. What started as a discussion on Reddit has quickly blossomed into a movement.

…

The march would be the latest in a string of actions taken by scientists following Donald Trump’s election and his inauguration as president. His administration has been widely viewed as hostile to science — from the transition period through hearings for his cabinet nominees through silencing key federal science agencies and freezing grants.

“This is not a partisan issue. People from all parts of the political spectrum should be alarmed by these efforts to deny scientific progress,” Caroline Weinberg, a medical researcher who is helping organize the march, said. “Scientific research moves us forward and we should not allow asinine policies to thwart it.”

…

Read more: http://www.climatecentral.org/news/scientists-march-washington-dc-21111

My opinion is these hordes of near zero output climate scientists have a grossly over-inflated view of their value to society.

If sanitary workers go on strike, within days the cities are a stinking rat infested nightmare. If doctors go on strike, sick people die. If farmers go on strike, people starve. If police go on strike, law and order breaks down.

If climate scientists go on strike – the food still arrives, laws are enforced, sick people still receive medical treatment, and the garbage still gets collected.

I’m not saying science, even pure science, has no value. When scientists produce a breakthrough, it can be world changing. Scientific research, especially research with commercial applications, is vitally important to maintaining economic growth.

But look at climate science specifically. 30 years and climate scientists are no closer to closing the joke size range of their climate sensitivity estimate. Worse, there is substantial evidence climate scientists are ignoring indications that most of their climate sensitivity estimates are way too high.

If sanitary workers go on strike the effect is immediate and brutal, but climate scientists could walk off the job for a decade, and the only consequence to ordinary people would be a slightly smaller tax bill.