The global warming debate: Science or politics

Journal Article · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Sunworld; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es00074a602· OSTI ID:5966493

Schneider, S H ^[1]

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1. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (USA)

Although climatic models are far from fully verified for future simulations, the seasonal and paleoclimatic simulations are strong evidence that state-of-the-art climatic models already have considerable capability. An awareness of just what these models are and what they can and cannot do is probably the most we can ask of the public and its representatives. The tough policy problem, then, is how to apply society's values in choosing to face the future, given the possible outcomes that climatic models foretell. The global warming debate is both science and politics. Bit it is essential for the public to understand that there are vastly greater disagreements over what to do about the prospect of global warming (a political value issue) than over the precise probability (a scientific debate) that unprecedented climatic change is being built into the 21st-century climate. 15 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.

• OSTI ID: 5966493
• Journal Information: Sunworld; (USA), Journal Name: Sunworld; (USA) Vol. 14:4; ISSN SUNWD; ISSN 0149-1938
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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