18 February 2011

Predistortion in Action?

President Obama's science advisor John Holdren has this to say to the BBC today:
People are seeing the impact of climate change around them in extraordinary patterns of floods and droughts, wildfires, heatwaves and powerful storms.
It is my view of the literature that a defensible scientific position can be presented with respect to "extraordinary patterns" in maximum daily temperatures, and perhaps even drought and wildfires. But in floods and powerful storms?  No way, not even close. Then Dr. Holdren has this to say:
I think it is going to be very hard to persuade people that climate change is somehow a fraud.
By making claims that are scientifically without merit, he makes such persuasion that much easier.  But perhaps he is just engaging is a bit of innocent predistortion.