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don't take this "petition" at face value. The facts of clima
> The issue is truth, wherever it falls. When you misstate someone's
> claims & give more attention to the "character" of a speaker than to
> the argument he or she is making, it gives the impression that your
> concern is to win an argument, not to find truth. When, instead of
> addressing a group's theories & the evidence they cite, you ask "are
> their opinions worthy of consideration?", you are communicating that
> truth doesn't matter to you, only authority. I trust that was not your
> intent.
>
> David Webster answered appropriately, by citing an article which
> presents evidence which seems to be contrary to the argument in the
> Petition Proposal article, & by indicating his disagreement with some
> of their reasoning. That takes us somewhere on the quest for truth.
> Lois & I both appreciated the fact that he dealt with issues & not
> persons.
>
> David, I for one would be interested to hear more specifics about your
> disagreements with them.
>
> Don Codling
>
Hi Don & All, June 9, 2008
This is a very important and interesting issue, really a great
bundle of issues, but I have to beg off getting involved to any extent
now due to other demands on my time.
But I can make a few general comments. There are three preconditions
to grasping a complex issue that is in the public eye; 1) objectivity,
2) healthy scepticism and 3) wise selection of sources.
1) When emotions, egos and personalities become involved, and they
often do, then the analysis becomes confused and dysfunctional so one
must try to stand back and make allowances.
2) If you scrach the surface of most wild ideas you will find a
select group who stand to make a bundle by promoting them. So always
listen for the sound of axes being ground.
3) In any field there will be the great, often vocal, mass who
really don't have a clue. And there will be a very few who have a
genuine grasp of the subject. Finding the brown pearl in the massive
dung heap is never an easy task and it is never completed. Ruddiman is
my pearl right now. He will be returned to my heap if and when a better
pearl comes along.
YT, DW, Kentville
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