CRU leak

The Big story lately has been the leaked emails and data from the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit. Some beautiful rantings here, here and here.



Look, all thinking people know that climate change is a fraud the size of Al Gore's new wallet. There seems to be a good deal of proof among all this data that the "scientists" working on the load of bollocks were messing things up in a big way. But will this change policy? The world politicos are going to go ahead anyway, just like they did with the second Irish referendum. You don't want to join Europe? Fuck you, we'll just keep asking until you do. You don't want an overarching World Government which will save the world and save all of you from yourselves? Fuck you, one day we're not even going to bother asking anymore.

A guy on Newsnight last night said that he was sad that people will look less favourably on science in the future. But, you prick, the whole point is that they were not practising science. Unless politically-funded and motivated malpractice, collusion and cover-up counts.

But there is a point here. The inexorable use by politicians of "science" to back their machinations has been gathering momentum for some time. The "consenses" on dietary fat, on sunlight and skin cancer, on the hole in the ozone layer, and so on, are all examples. People hear "scientists said..." or "experts say..." and then accept whatever is said as True.

Look, truth is provisional. Science is a method, not a goal. And there is no such thing as consensus in science. There are hypotheses and alternative hypotheses. Always.

The real tragedy is that people are trained not to think for themselves anymore. Which is why, I fear, this smoking gun will eventually stop smoking, cool down, and get polished and thrown into the river.