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AGU: The question of scientific consensus

Peter Gleick, a water expert at the Pacific Institute in California, took issue this morning with the issue of consensus in science. His advice on how to deal with politicians and the public:

Don't say: 'Climate change is a big problem because most climate scientists agree it is a big problem.'

Say instead: 'Most climate scientists think climate change is a big problem because the best science available has convinced them it's a problem.'

It's a subtle argument, but a good one that is often lost in the public and political hoopla about what to do over climate change. Yes, consensus in science is a good thing to know about -- but just saying a lot of scientists believe in Position X doesn't make Position X right.

Posted by Alex Witze on December 12, 2006 11:56 PM |

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Who was it that said (I paraphrase here) that consensus is the art of forcing people to abandon their core beliefs so that one opinion can be expressed that no one agrees with but to which no one objects?

Posted by: Robert J Gyurik | December 14, 2006 05:09 PM

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