By Nicholas Zizelis
Recently a cliché has been born that is emblematic of dodging facts or delaying the obvious…or merely just exposing stupidity. It’s called, “I’m not a scientist but…”.
It is not necessary to be a scientist to assume that if 97 percent of scientists believe and make a scientific claim regarding a scientific enigma, and suggest a scientific reason for it, one need not be a scientist to accept their overwhelming scientific conclusion. No “buts” about it.
It is claimed by these deniers that they also have scientific proof disproving those conclusions that climate change is real and is largely due to human contribution. One of those renegade scientist myth busters is Willie Soon, a researcher at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
A supposed research study by this independent scientist has been presented by our “not a scientist” contingent proving the non-existence of climate change as well as the factors contributing to it. However, Greenpeace, through Freedom of Information Act filings, discovered and revealed that Wei-Hock Soon over the last 10 to 14 years has received, without disclosing the funding, $1.25 million from Exxon Mobile, Southern Company, the American Petroleum Institute (API), the coal industry and (no surprise) a foundation run by the ultra-conservative Koch brothers, the largest single funder of “scientist” Soon’s “research” work and the greatest profiteers. His study showed all the scientific proof of negative climate change that money could buy. So much for the disclaimers.
As for those 3 percent of unconvinced scientists, the study found their average expertise is far below that of their colleagues, as measured by publications and citation rates.
Perhaps as more of these paid for scientific opinions are exposed, even the, “I’m not a scientist but….”ers will start thinking with their brains and conscience and not with their butts.
Nicholas Zizelis
Bayside
