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Meteorologists are among the few people trained in the sciences who are permitted regular access to our living rooms. And in that sense, they owe it to their audience to distinguish between solid, peer-reviewed science and junk political controversy. If a meteorologist can't speak to the fundamental science of climate change, then maybe the AMS shouldn't give them a Seal of Approval. Clearly, the AMS doesn't agree that global warming can be blamed on cyclical weather patterns. It's like allowing a meteorologist to go on-air and say that hurricanes rotate clockwise and tsunamis are caused by the weather. It's not a political statement...it's just an incorrect statement.
Junk Controversy Not Junk Science
Seeded on Wed Feb 7, 2007 3:24 PM EST
Article Source: The Weather Channel- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
- Public Discussion (2)
This was from nearly two months ago, but it was the original blog post that got Dr. Cullen into so much controversy. Had she actually been calling for meteorologists to be blacklisted, I could see why. However, clearly that's not the case. She is simply stating that climate is going to be something that they will be asked to address from time to time and if the AWS is going to have a policy statement on that science then it's members should also be familiar with it.
It is somewhat unfair to ask them to be well-versed in a body of science that is technically outside of their own. However, climate and weather, while very different topics, are inheritly linked together at least in the minds of the general population. Therefore, having some base skills in what the consensus of the field is should be part of their job as a professional meteorologist. It's easy for them to say "that's not my job" but if someone is going to state an opinion which is counter to the general understanding of another field, they should also be able to state what is the common consensus (ref. quote in blog post).
- 3 votes
#1 - Wed Feb 7, 2007 3:29 PM ESTFor regions where atmospheric & hydrologic conditions are changing rapidly, i.e. in mid-high latitudes and high elevations of all latitudes, only weather and climate change exists now. I think the term climate by itself represents some consistency over a fairly long period of time - which we no longer have in many regions.
#2 - Thu Feb 8, 2007 11:40 PM ESTYou're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
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