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Re: Human vs. natural influences on the environment



brshears@whale.st.usm.edu (Harold Brashears) wrote:
>kowens@teleport.com (Jeff Owens) wrote for all to see:
>
>[edited]
>
>>There are thousands of subjects we do not have full understanding
>>of, but that should not stop people from trying.  Knowledge is
>>gained by suggesting a model and then trying to disprove it.
>>The real issue here is: do we have enough information to suggest
>>models.  The answer from the scientific community is a clear YES.
>
>While I think it is always worth it to build models and to test them
>(otherwise, I would have been in some other business), I do not
>believe that means we must act on the output of these models at this
>time.  If you have some reason to believe that the models under
>discussion are accurate, tell everyone about those reasons.

Well, far be it from me to quarrel with anyone's religious beliefs.

I don't know that a strong belief in models is required, though, to
simply note that we are clearly changing atmospheric CO2 concentrations
and therefore the earth's energy balance.  There are some very
sophisticated (actually sophistical is more accurate) arguments about
which this will not hurt and everything will be cool, but so far, they
appear to hold quite a bit less water than the models.

Tom Gray
Director of Communications
American Wind Energy Association

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-----------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Gray <tomgray@econet.org>





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