re: #181 Obdicut

The appearance of the anti-AGW detractors revving up the noise machine before Copenhagen? Yeah, that does look pretty terrible. I’m glad that Charles is doing his damnedest to point it out at every opportunity, though I’m dismayed that people are so resistant to listening to him.

I’m not talking about those whose position is already entrenched. The problem here is the effect such revelations will have on the much larger group of moderates. The message “The data has been faked, and they’re covering their tracks!” is easy to understand, and when actions are taken giving the appearance that this is true, it’s a strong reinforcement of that message. The other side’s response, which ordinarily would be, “Just look at the data!” is blunted, as well. Most folks are already adept at looking past the usual squabbling and bickering they see everyday on the Internet and assessing the arguments based on their merits. The merits supporting AGW, however, require a good deal of expertise to assess, while the charge that the data has been cooked is simple to understand and easy to connect to common experience.

I agree with Charles’ recent point that the very best thing to do is for the AGW researchers to release their data as quickly as possible to avoid the appearance of any sort of cover up. Unfortunately, the announcement that some of the data has been destroyed only makes matters worse, regardless of whatever explanation may be offered for it. As already noted, such destruction is extremely rare in scientific circles; it’s an action that demands a forthright explanation, and soon.