The news item said:
"The committee was appointed to look at four complaints against the book, which it said concluded that life for humankind had never been better, pollution levels were falling, and there were enough resources for current levels of prosperity to continue. It also concluded that the "colossal sums it is planned to deploy on reducing global warming will be money ill spent."
I haven't yet read the book. I have it on call from the LA Library system, which bought 9 more copies because of demand. They haven't yet got to me.
According to the Danes, Lomborg wrong in saying that:
1. "Life for humankind had never been better."
Well, what do FutureWorkers say? Before you complain about the now, think of the past.
2. "Pollution levels were falling."
They certainly appear to be in LA. I understand that's also true in the other hot spots in the US. Is Europe reducing its pollution? I fear places like China, Russia, and suchlike may not be advancing, but maybe we should wait for his conclusions. Overall, are pollution levels dropping?
3. "There were enough resources for current levels of prosperity to continue."
This might not continue, but it seems true now - or isn't it true?
4. "Colossal sums it is planned to deploy on reducing global warming will be money ill spent."
No doubt about that. If every country does all that Kyoto wants - it will put off the situation in 2098 to 2100. That is if the third world (which isn't included) doesn't increase its CO2 emissions. Expect that?
So, these criticisms are significant? Don't seem so to me.
I'm looking forward to reading the book. I've noticed that most of the criticism is of Lomborg, not of what he has written. The "species loss" evoked a strong reply from its principal advocate. But, I think, the whole discussion of species loss is pretty unclear. There seems to be very little hard information, but lots of guesswork.
As for the rest, it seems to take the course of "How dare you say that!"
People react when their pet projects are stepped on.
Harry
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ray wrote:
Remember Murray and Herrnstien? It makes you want to reinstitute the law of vendetta. You cause a death your whole clan owes a life. It can be picked anywhere, man, woman, child. Such an extreme makes families police themselves. In this case it looks like the Danes did.REH ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brian McAndrews" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, January 10, 2003 2:43 PM Subject: [Futurework] FWD:Debunker of global warming found guilty of scientific dishonesty > http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/news/story/0,9830,871321,00.html > > Debunker of global warming found guilty of scientific dishonesty > > Paul Brown Environment correspondent > Thursday January 9, 2003 The Guardian > > Bjorn Lomborg - the director of Denmark's Environmental Assessment Institute > and a leading would-be debunker of mainstream scientific opinion on issues > like global warming and overuse of natural resources - has been found guilty > by a Danish government committee of "scientific dishonesty". > > Professor Lomborg, whose work has been championed in the international > press, was subject to a year-long investigation by the Danish committee on > scientific dishonesty. > > The committee, made up of eminent scientists, concluded: "Based on customary > scientific standards and in light of his systematic one-sidedness in the > choice of data and line of argument, [he] has clearly acted at variance with > good scientific practice." > > On his book, The Skeptical Environmentalist, published in 2001, it said: > "Subject to the proviso that the book is to be evaluated as science, there > has been such perversion of the scientific message in the form of > systematically biased representation that the objective criteria for > upholding scientific dishonesty have been met." > > Prof Lomborg's contrarian views made him a favourite of the rightwing > establishment after the book's publication. > > On its election in March last year, Denmark's rightwing government made him > the director of its Environmental Assessment Institute. > > The committee was appointed to look at four complaints against the book, > which it said concluded that life for humankind had never been better, > pollution levels were falling, and there were enough resources for current > levels of prosperity to continue. It also concluded that the "colossal sums > it is planned to deploy on reducing global warming will be money ill spent." > > Extracts of the book were published in the Guardian and it was widely > discussed in publications including the Economist and the New York Times. > > It concludes: "This is the very message of the book: children born today - > in both the industrialised world and developing countries - will live longer > and be healthier. They will get more food, a better education, a higher > standard of living, more leisure time and far more possibilities - without > the global environment being destroyed. And that is a beautiful world". > > The committee sums up the complaints: "Lomborg is accused of fabricating > data, selectively and surreptitiously discarding unwanted results, of the > deliberately misleading use of statistical methods, consciously distorted > interpretation of the conclusions, plagiarisation of others' results or > publications, and deliberate misrepresentation of others' results." > > It is not quite so harsh in its own conclusions, accusing Prof Lomborg of > not comprehending the science rather than intending to mislead or being > grossly negligent. > > Jeff Harvey, former editor of the scientific journal Nature, was among those > who took the case to the committee. He said: "Lomborg has veered well across > the line that divides controversial - if competent - science from > unrepentant incompetence." > > Yesterday Prof Lomborg said: "My initial response when I read the conclusion > was one of surprise and discomfort. The DCSD does not give a single example > to demonstrate their claim of a biased choice of data and arguments.
****************************** Harry Pollard Henry George School of LA Box 655 Tujunga CA 91042 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tel: (818) 352-4141 Fax: (818) 353-2242 *******************************
--- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.434 / Virus Database: 243 - Release Date: 12/25/2002
