I often reflect that it's striking how so many people who have no education
or training in science and who do not read scientific literature (and
in many cases, cannot read scientific literature because they don't
comprehend the mathematics), will -- correctly -- be reluctant to express
opinions on topics such as the Higgs boson, liquid chromatography, or RNA
protocols...while adamantly declaring their opinions on evolution and AGW.
Let me suggest that anyone wishing to avail themselves of an entry-level
education on this topic begin by reading what it currently the go-to
document: the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Fifth
Assessment Report, which may be found here:
IPCC Fifth Assessment Report
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/index.shtml
There are four sections:
- The Physical Science Basis (what's happening)
- Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability (what the effects are)
- Mitigation (what we can do about it)
- Synthesis (the big picture)
The first one, The Physical Science Basis, underpins the others.
It's the synthesis of the work of thousands of the world's climate
scientists and the product of exhaustive reviews of the available
research. It's lengthy (1552 pages in a 375M PDF) it's painstakingly
complete, and it's heavily supported and sourced. It was created by 209
coordinating and lead authors, plus another 600 contributing authors,
using -- among other things -- 54,677 written review comments from 1,089
expert reviewers and 38 governments.
So this is pretty much the document that you need to read and understand
if you want to know what the world's climatology community thinks is
going on with the planet. It's here:
Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/
Once you've read this, read the other three sections. When you have
finished, let me know, and I'll recommend some other reports, papers,
textbooks, etc.
Of course you (the rhetorical "you") don't have to do any of this.
But don't expect to have a seat at the discussion table unless you've
done the homework: you don't deserve one.
Note also that the IPCC is preparing a special report, to be finalized
in September 2019, focused on the oceans and cryosphere. This will
be issued well before the next assessment report, due in 2022.
---rsk
