🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <2401@unet.UUCP> philg@bozo.uucp (Phil Geller) writes:
>There was a column by George Will in the September 4, 1992 San Francisco
>Chronicle slamming Albert Gore's book "Earth in the Balance".  That
>was no surprise, but in the article he mentions a Gallup Poll on 
>global warming...
>
>"Gore knows, or should know before pontificating, that a recent Gallup
>Poll of scientists concerned with global climate research shows that
>53 percent do not believe warming has occurred and another 30 percent
>are uncertain."
>
>Does anyone know the details of this poll?  Is there more to it than
>George is Willing to admit?  
>

I don't know how much bearing this poll has on climate change policy.  The
source of the greatest fear lies in the potential for future warming and
the climate change that may (or may not) occur as a result.  My understanding
is that there is pretty much a consensus among "scientists" on the fact that 
atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations have increased over the past 
several decades.  Most alsoagree that the greenhouse effect is indeed real 
and that CO2 is a greenhouse gas.  

The scientific debates seem to be over whether the increase in greenhouse 
gases will beoffset by cooling effects (not terribly likely, but possible) 
and what the extent and impact of global warming would be (a wide range of 
opinions here).  

Like much scientific data in a political context, this poll has limited 
relevance to the global warming policy debate.


-Van Hiemke