El Reg's AGW stance (Was: Trivial Pursuit)
"So yes, I'd like a clear stab at explanation. Pretty please. It seems basic physics/chemistry: you have a closed system, you add a shedload of stuff to it, and ElReg supposes it remains in the same state?"
I can't speak for El Reg, but here would be my response.
Firstly, it isn't a closed system. Energetically, about 99.9999% of the energy comes from the sun and is then re-radiated almost immediately. Materially, the movement of CO2 and methane in and out of "geological storage" is one of the huge unknowns in any climate model.
Secondly, the real question is not "Is it changing?" or "Is it our fault that it is changing?" or even "Can we do anything now to stop it?" but rather, "Are the costs of avoiding or mitigating climate change greater or less than the benefits?". Answering that question, of course, is Hard (scientifically) and involves Value Judgements (politically). In neither sense is it "settled". The scientific consensus has got about as far as the second of these questions, and even that is under fire following the CRU emails debacle. I don't think there is even a debate yet, let alone a consensus, on the political point.
"but denying climate change leaves you standing in one camp with some farting couch potatoes (justifying their own ends), plus Nick Griffin (don't know why he's into it)"
Thirdly, as already noted, I can't speak for El Reg. Nor can I speak for any of the other people who aren't signed up to the green consensus. None of them speak for me. I'm not even denying climate change (since, as noted, I'm only interested in the answer to the fourth question) and I'm certainly not standing in "one camp" with anyone. (As far as I know, I'm the only person on the planet who holds exactly my views on the subject.)
Fourthly, at least some of the articles have implied scientific malpractice by various people who appear to be influential in international circles. The allegation that the CRU has lost its raw data or cherry-picked it for publication is one that borders on scientific fraud. It would be reckless if the international community made expensive decisions based on results which are not now reproducible (data loss) or perhaps never were (cherry-picking). And you don't need to be a Nobel Laureate to understand this or have a legitimate opinion on the matter.
