Discover Mag blog, Slate: Two science-policy pundits dig into the climate “wars”
Chris Mooney and Matt Nisbet are easily linked in the mind, having for awhile joined forces in a touring two-man panel discussing public perception of science, scientific perception of the public, media sandwiched in between, and global warming politics. Both happen recently to have independently popped up with direct connection to the bloggy, angry public discussion over whether or not traditional academic climatology has somehow become so infected with arrogance, sloppiness, data distortion, or lefty hidden-agendaitis that therefore industrial society should happily burn all the coal it can without guilt, caps, taxes, or trade embargoes. Paying attention to their latest provides reporters on energy and climate beats a better idea how to report news in such an acid atmosphere.
First, Mooney recently interviewed Penn State climatologist and “hockey stick” graph assembler Michael Mann. A partial transcript of that, catching the gist, has been provided by the blogsite ClimateScienceWatch. There one finds Mann not only, as one would expect, defending the integrity of the science of climate change, but characterizing scientists as like cub scouts suddenly in a battle with combat marines – which is to say, helplessly beat up by skeptics in the blogosphere, opinion columns, and conservative thinktanks. The comments, pro and con, provide a glimpse of what Mann is talking about.
Journalist Mooney, in his questions, seems pretty much on board with the idea that a partly spontaneous, partly orchestrated (by deep pocket fossil fuel trades) campaign for public opinion is not only on, but that academic science is plummeting fast in the eyes of the public and public officials alike. That is, it is losing. Things are dire. Call in reinforcements! Get bigger cannons!
Somewhat in contrast, Professor Nisbet has an essay in the current Slate: Chill Out / Climate scientists are getting a little too angry for their own good. There he argues that public opinion on climate change has not changed all that much recently, most people haven’t been paying attention to the varioius climategates and don’t read the blogs trumpeting the supposed disgrace of IPCC-type thinking, and that scientists are in one of the few professions that enjoys public respect across most demographic spectra. He seems to be saying this is too much ado about too little.
Famiarity with these battling perspectives – mine is firmly on the fence – is as important to science reporters as it is to the beleaguered, bewildered ranks of climate scientists that they cover.
- Charlie Petit
