Gore Betters Lockbox Remark

Because, as we all know, scientists never say anything is certain, right?

"The degree of certainty, which was already very high, is now as close to certain as scientists are ever willing to say something is certain," Gore — also a member of the board at Apple — said in an address to Silicon Valley business and community leaders in San Jose, California. link

In, ahem, unrelated news, the price of oil is jumping due, no doubt, to Global Warming.

above $59 a barrel as the coldest weather of the U.S. winter was expected to draw down distillate stocks.

Here is a link to at least one handbook being used to remove the concept of scientific certainly as an obstruction to environmentalist's concerns. Heck, why not tinker with the world economy on a good hunch?

For years, the environmental and public health movements have been struggling to find ways to protect health and the environment in the face of scientific uncertainty about cause and effect. The public has typically carried the burden of proving that a particular activity or substance is dangerous, while those undertaking potentially dangerous activities and the products of those activities are considered innocent until proven guilty. Chemicals, dangerous practices, and companies often seem to have more rights than citizens and the environment.

This burden of scientific proof has posed a monumental barrier in the campaign to protect health and the environment. Actions to prevent harm are usually taken only after significant proof of harm is established, at which point it may be too late. Hazards are generally addressed by industry and government agencies one at a time, in terms of a single pesticide or chemical, rather than as broader issues such as the need to promote organic agriculture and nontoxic products or to phase out whole classes of dangerous chemicals. When citizen groups base their calls for a stop to a particular activity on experience, observation, or anything less than stringent scientific proof, they are accused of being emotional and hysterical.

...

Science is best defined as a careful, disciplined, logical search for knowledge about any and all aspects of the universe, obtained by examination of the best available evidence and always subject to correction and improvement upon discovery of better evidence. What's left is magic. And it doesn't work. -- James Randi

Comments

[LOL]

"Corn is already used as food and other things where Oil is used for what? lubricants and fuels. Thats about it aside from smaller projects."

are you seriously this ignorant?

plastics, industrial solvents, lamp oil, diesel fuel, motor fuel, starting material for catalytic cracking, heating oil, lubricants, and asphalt.

These are the products that petroleum makes. I realize some of them fall under what you said, but many do not. It is an important thing to be aware of.

[templar knight]

Oh, by the way, Kite, there are 2 TRILLION, yes, I said trillion, barrels of oil in the sand tars in Alberta, Canada. Proven reserves. There are also trillions of barrels of oil locked in various shales in the West, particularly Colorado. And I have not even mentioned the trillions of barrels of potential distillate that can be taken from the huge coal reserves we have. So there is no shortage of oil, just a lack of technology, and in some cases water, to extract the distillate.

Alberta has ramped up its production of oil from tar sands into the 1 million barrels of oil per day category, but is increasing production to the 3-4 million bopd in the near future.

Now, don't be fooled by the clowns claiming a shortage of petroleum. They haven't done their research, and they are quick to point that out about the other guy, as that mote contiues to blind them.

[charles]

incapable of rational debate, smug, and rude to boot
we were not discussing research on the internet, we were discussing the two articles you linked to

i tried to keep it simple so even a caveman could understand

this is a direct quote from the article, the request from exxon was

""highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the IPCC process, especially as it bears on potential policy responses to climate change,"

how do the words strengths and weaknesses translate into this headline from the article

Exxon tied to payoff to rap global warming

we won't even get into the rest of the body of the article YOU used to try and make your point yet

when the headline and the one tiny fact quoted in the article are so diametrically opposed I call it crap

[LOL]

I pity how blind you are charles. The truth of the situation is out there, but you refuse to do your research. Time for you to turn on the talk radio station so you wont feel so alone

[charles]

LOL

you assume far too much

i see along with being an angry person who favors name calling you are incapable of rational debate

i desire no pity from one such as yourself

i made an honest attempt to engage you in rational discourse

i now see my attempt was unfounded as well as a waste of electrons, my bad

later bud - don't let the bitterness overrwhelm you

[katie]

Oh for heavens sake. This forum is a perfect example of why we have serious problems that never get resolved. Everyone wants to fuss about what
caused them instead of focusing on what to do about it. How about some
suggestions to fix the problem of global warming?!?!?!?!!?

[LOL]

it's okay charles, im sure the same people who defend creationism know what junk science is

[charles]

katie

there's a whole world of fixing already going on out there

it just gets ignored and lost in discussion because of the politics

as one small example nano technology in combination with lithium ion battery technology is going to be huge,the research is very promising and proceeding rapidly

unfortunately i don't think i would rely on the comments section over here to do much solving, there are some amazingly vile auto contrarians that keep derailing the debate with inane diversions

[templar knight]

That's the real problem, Katie. It all has to do with politics. And I say this with all truth, there is so much polorization in the US that I doubt anything of any significance can ever be accomplished again, particularly on the serious problems that are now facing us.

[scarshapedstar]

"That's the real problem, Katie. It all has to do with politics. And I say this with all truth, there is so much polorization in the US that I doubt anything of any significance can ever be accomplished again, particularly on the serious problems that are now facing us."

Problems? Like what? We will have cheap oil forever and the world's cooler than it's been in decades. The coming century will likely be viewed as the greatest period of peace and paradise in man's history.

Right?