The GOP is now the Science Party, eh?

( – promoted by buhdydharma )

Here’s the latest GOP “stall tactic” in a very long parade of stall tactics:

Global-Warming Scientists ‘Need to Go Back to Square One,’ Rep. Barton Says

By Karen Schuberg, March 03, 2010

Science is verifiable, science is something that can be replicated,” Barton, the ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, told CNSNews.com.

This whole theory of global warming is just that:  It’s a theory.  It’s based on models.  Models are based on variables, and conditions that the modelers that develop the models put into them.  And the models don’t replicate what’s happened,” Barton said. “So (scientists) need to go back to square one, look at the empirical data, look at alternative theories, and see if they can find a theory that actually fits the facts.”

http://news.google.com/news/se…

Sounds much more like Fudging the Science, to me …

That’s rich — the GOP is NOW the the Party of Science, eh — since when!?

The GOP is NOW demanding repeatable Scientific Experiments, before they will be consider acting, to protect the long-term viability of the Planet.

The Party of Faith and Family Values, has now “gotten religion” about Science?  I thought their philosophy was about returning to the “ways of Past”?  Here’s a Newsflash for you Gophers, Science is about “moving into the Future”  

Science is about empowering People to build a Better World, for the least cost. Sometimes that involves enacting Big Ideas, by well-funded Government programs. NASA wasn’t built on a shoestring!

The conveniences of Modern Life, didn’t just happen, by Osmosis — NEITHER by endless Corporates Tax Cuts, either!  They happened because Scientists, Engineers, Inventors got the Funding they needed, to do the Basic Research.

Discovery is Expensive — and so is the Scientific Method. Yet it is those Science Budgets that are always targeted for ridicule and Budget Cuts, when the Party of “No Progress” — tries to retreat to the “good old days”.

According to the latest stalling tactic from Rep Joe Barton:

“Science is verifiable, science is something that can be replicated.”

Hey Joe, by the time all the Planetary Ice melts — it’ll be TOO LATE for a Do-over! Of course that’s NOT YOUR Problem is it? — it NEVER is!

Newsflash Gopherswe’ve BEEN conducting the CO2 experiment for Decades now — AND the Planet is finally responding in kind.

PS. It takes a long time, to turn-around “the momentum” of a Ship as big as planet Earth — but hey, we had all the time since that Industrial Revolution began — it’s just that we didn’t have foresight to take our hand off that CO2 Rudder control. Sadly we still Don’t.  Scientific Foresight, is one of those rare commodities, these days … Rarer even, than Bipartisanship.

Climate Change, may be a Computer-modeled “theory” — which may sound ridiculous to pseudo-science Politicians — but that’s hardly surprising, since most of them can’t see the Ramifications beyond their own career-navels …

But Ridicule — does NOT constitute Proof either — indeed New Scientific “Theories” are often subject to public Ridicule — prior to gaining public Acceptance.  

Often such Theories morph into “Discoveries” — as soon as the status quo Nay-sayers are put out to their “old school” pastures, and Society (and Science) just passes them by:

Science, Method, Climatology, and Forgetting the Basics

– Ric Werme

Sometimes a new theory receives more than skepticism, it can receive rejection or even ridicule. This happened with Alfred Wegener’s theory of Continental Drift he developed to explain the existance of very similar fossils from both sides of the Atlantic and the apparent fit of South America’s coastline with Africa’s. It wasn’t until ocean floor core samples provided overwhelming evidence that the sea floor has spread and is still spreading before he was proven right and the improved theory of Plate Tectonics is now unquestioned truth and explains much of the volcano and earthquake activity throughout the world.

[…]

A lot of evidence takes the form of numbers. Some data are wonderfully clean and predictive. The CO2 measurements from Mauna Loa are one of the best examples anywhere.

http://wermenh.com/climate/sci…

There’s your Scientific “repeatable proof” right there Rep Barton. CO2 levels keep going Up, Up, Up.  Year after Year, after Year.

Game. Set. Match.

By the way, here are some other “crazy” Scientific Theories (in their day) which eventually gained general acceptance, for the sake of achieving Progress, for ALL of Humanity:

Fire

The Wheel

Agriculture

Chemistry

Gravity

Astronomy

Relativity

Geology

Evolution

Ecology

Acid Rain

Ozone depletion

Quantum Physics

Computers

Nanotech

Space Travel

(I’m sure you can think of others, being the scientifically literate bunch that you are.)

Often “Data Models” are a key component of formulating and testing New Scientific “Theories” — as is the case with Climate Science.

Here’s a brief refresher course for the New GOP “converts” to School of Science-Rocks thinking. Pay attention now, Gophers, this isn’t High School — it’s Real Life — comprehension matters!

Overview of the Scientific Method

The scientific method is a process for experimentation that is used to explore observations and answer questions. Scientists use the scientific method to search for cause and effect relationships in nature. In other words, they design an experiment so that changes to one item cause something else to vary in a predictable way.

Steps of the Scientific Method  

[…]

Step 3) Construct a Hypothesis: A hypothesis is an educated guess about how things work:

“If ___(I do this)_____, then ___(this)_____ will happen.”

You must state your hypothesis in a way that you can easily measure, and of course, your hypothesis should be constructed in a way to help you answer your original question.

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/…

Here are a few more Hypotheses that deserve be stated, tested, measured, and proven or dis-proven (especially since the GOP is now in such Evidentiary Mood):

A) IF Humans activities are capable of polluting land, rivers, streams, water tables, and even oceans — faster than their natural capacity to cleanse themselves,

THEN Humans activities are capable of dumping enough CO2 into the skies, faster than the Atmosphere’s ability to cleanse itself, too.

B) IF there is no “short-term” economic incentive — for businesses NOT to Pollute, without some Clean Air and Clean Water laws,

THEN the absence of similar economic incentives to reduce CO2 outputs, will in the long-run will do to the skies, what was previously done to the land and water — trash it!

C) IF politicians CAN postpone solving difficult problems for some future generations,

THEN they WILL do so, especially IF Inaction can be exchanged for their own “short-term” Career gains.

D) IF a Republican skeptic is arguing for more Scientific Proof,

THEN that politician is either afraid of losing Lobbyist funding, or has suddenly “got religion” about trying to build a science-based world, for all.

E) IF a Conservative is advocating the return to the Good Old Days,

THEN that Conservative wasn’t paying much attention to the Plight of Workers back then, either!

All in favor of providing the funding to Prove these Theories — say Aye!

All Opposed? — we will need your Counter-Thesis’ then! —

And by the way, Where’s YOUR Proof, Rep. Joe Barton?

Where YOUR Evidence, that We have Time to Wait? … wait for the “Science to fit the Facts” of the Ice Caps melting away, right before our eyes?

9 comments

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    • jamess on March 3, 2010 at 22:43
      Author

    of Intelligent Life out there, somewhere —

    • Edger on March 4, 2010 at 00:45
    1. Ask if Joe Barton has a clue what he’s talking about.
    2. He’s a Methodist. That doesn’t mean he’s methodical. It means he believes in an invisible man living in the sky who demands money and is willing to kill for it (see Oral Roberts) and has told Joe that he gets to sit at the right hand of the big guy when he dies.

      ^^
      OO

    3. Do background research.
    4. “Science” is not replicable. Experiments are replicable.
      Look it up, Joe.

    5. Construct hypothesis.
    6. Joe Barton has a brain?
      Heh!

    7. Test with an experiment.
    8. (start over at square 1 above) Ask if Joe Barton has a clue what he’s talking about.

    9. Anaylze results and draw conclusion.
    10. Joe Barton is a lousy comedian? He apparently has a BS from Texas A&M and bills himself as an Engineer.

      But he makes his living spouting bullshit as a politician. You figure it out from there. Those who can’t do, try to teach, etc. etc. Ahem.

    11. Hypothesis is demonstrably false.
    12. THINK!!! Don’t try this again. Joe.
    13. Report results.
    14. You kill me, Joe…

  1. The problem is that the Republicans have been focusing on only the right wing for so long that they’ve forgotten that there is a whole ‘nuther world out there. They’ve forgotten that they discredited themselves under Bush, so they aren’t going to get the independents to vote for them again if they don’t change their theme no matter how badly the Democrats blow it.

  2. 1993 Globalization begins with NAFTA creating the rust belt in America

    Kyoto accords name China and India “carbon exempt”

    Western world first has to solve Chinese aversion to IP(intellectual property) then proceeds on an orgasm for greed by exploiting cheap labor and entry to the billion man marketplace.  They give Red China everything technologywise.  Plus we care not about the brown sludge anybody can dump in the river, long as we can’t see it.

    Remaining US companies try to survive 26 government regulatory agencies, the insane Soviet style re-education gulag of Sarbanes-Oxley, plus every other global place has zero unions, EPA, OSHA.

    Enter big Al Gore’s astroturfed movement using falsified “science” of AGW and the push toward creating the BERNIE MADOFF global bank of carbon fraud.

    The other big asshole in this is Maurice Strong, the IMF and the whole other arm of parasitic globalists wanting to create paradise through eugenics down to 500 million world.

    Oh, but they do it nicely?

    They present eugenics is such a logical way?

    Green Nazis for depopulation just don’t sell does it.

  3. about much of anything, but for a view of what Obama keeps bending to, here (h/t Ohiodem1) is an example of how the Regugs support NOTHING offered by Dems:

    By the Way, did you know that the Republican Do-Nothings are holding up the honoring of deceased veterans of the Iraq and Aghanistan wars?

    For example:

    H.R. 3250, Naming Private First Class Garfield M. Langhorn Post Office in Riverhead, New York

    H.R. 1216, Naming Lance Corporal Matthew P. Pathenos Post Office in Chesterfield, Missouri

    H.R. 1217, Naming Specialist Peter J. Navarro Post Office in Ballwin, Missouri

    H.R. 1218, Naming Lance Corporal Drew W. Weaver Post Office in Saint Charles, Missouri

    H.R. 4139, Naming Sergeant Matthew L. Ingram Post Office in Hickory, Mississippi

    Did you know that the Do-Nothing Republicans are not supporting our veterans?  The Do-Nothing Republicans talk a good game about supporting our troops, but when the rubber hits the road, they just want to use them as political props.

    H.R. 1849, Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Act

    H.R. 23, Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act

    H.R. 3949, Veterans’ Small Business Assistance and Servicemembers Protection Act

    H.R. 3157, Naming Max J. Beilke Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Alexandria, Minnesota

    H.R. 44, Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act

    H.R. 174, Establishing a national cemetery for veterans in the southern Colorado region

    H.R. 347, Congressional Gold Medal for 100th Infantry Battalion in World War II

    H.R. 402, Naming William C. Tallent Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic

    H.R. 403, Homes for Heroes Act

    H.r. 466, Wounded Veteran Job Security Act

    H.R. 548, Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act

    H.R. 603, Utah National Guard Readiness Act

    H.R. 1088, Mandatory Veteran Specialist Training Act

    H.R. 1089, Veterans Employment Rights Realignment Act

    H.R. 1168, Veterans Retraining Act

    H.R. 1171, Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program Reauthorization

    H.R. 1172, Requiring List on VA Website of Organizations Providing Scholarships for Veterans

    H.R. 1211, Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act

    H.R. 3689, Extending legislative authority of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund

    Did you know that the Do-Nothing Republicans are withholding their support for our nation’s security?

    H.R. 515, Radioactive Import Deterrence Act

    H.R. 549, National Bombing Prevention Act

    H.R. 603, Utah National Guard Readiness Act

    H.R. 738, Death in Custody Reporting Act

    H.R. 748, CAMPUS Safety Act

    H.R. 780, Student Internet Safety Act

    H.R. 1029, Alien  Smuggling and Terrorism Prevention Act

    H.R. 1148, Conducting a program in the maritime environment for the mobile biometric identification of suspected individuals to enhance border security

    H.R. 1327, Iran Sanctions Enabling Act

    H.R. 1333, Regarding shipment of certain explosive materials to federally recognized Indian tribes

    H.R. 1517, Relating to certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees

    H.R. 1617, Department of Homeland Security Component Privacy Officer Act

    H.R. l665, Coast Guard Acquisition Reform

    H.R. 1727, Managing Arson Through Criminal History (MATCH) Act

    H.R. 1741, Witness Security and Protection Grant Program Act

    H.R. 1746, Pre-Disaster Mitigation Act

    H.R. 2200, Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act

    H.R. 2278, Directing President to submit a report to Congress a report on anti-American incitement to violence in the Middle East

    H.R. 2410, Foreign Relations Authorization Act, FY 2010 and FY 2011

    H.R. 2611, Authorizing the Securing the Cities Initiative of the Department of Homeland Security

    H.R. 2454, American Clean Energy and Security Act

    H.R. 2661, Court Security Act

    H.R. 2749, Food Safety Enhancement Act

    H.R. 2868, Chemical and Water Security Act

    H.R. 3360, Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act

    H.R. 3371, Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act

    H.R. 3619, Coast Guard Authorization Act

    The Do-Nothing Republicans talk a good game about National Security, but where the rubber hits the road, legislative achievement of laws intended to enhance our national security, their actions tell a different story.

    (Apology to diarist Spud1 for long post, but I felt a kind of troll-like post deserved a detailed response.) . . . .

    More here.

    Recently, I met a woman whose nephew is one of the higher ups of the EPA.  I asked her if she knew or if her nephew knew that every single EPA report, during the Bush Administration, had been “altered?”  She said, “Yes” she knew and so did her nephew.  I asked her what was her nephew’s reaction to that reality.  She said “he was heartsick, totally broken hearted.”  She said he was heading for Scotland soon!

    Anyway, we’ve all been lied to about just about everything so much that I think we’re at a point where to try and decipher all that went on would be next to impossible, but, suffice it to say, in all these years, there doesn’t appear to have been a grain of truth about much of anything.  

    Unfortunately, the price is still being paid and will be for a long time to come!  But it’s always the PEOPLE that pay!  This is how it goes when you have lawlessness and NO ACCOUNTABILITY!  And, yet, espousal, even of a war criminal.  Chicago Tribune, yesterday:



    Are We Less Safe?

    Is America less safe under the Obama administration?

    Former Vice President Dick Cheney and other Republican critics think so. “We are at war,” Cheney said after the failed terrorist attack on Flight 253 on Christmas Day. “And when President Obama pretends we aren’t it makes us less safe.”

    But another high-profile Republican, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, recently fired back: “The nation is still at risk. Terrorists are out there. They’re trying to get through. But to suggest that somehow we have become much less safer because of the actions of the administration, I don’t think that’s borne out by the facts.” . . . .

    A war criminal being tauted for his position!  Unfriggin’ real.  

    9/11 didn’t happen?  Shoebomber, etc.

    But, as you can see from the above, it is the Repugs who are against all Security Bills that are on the table, but not receiving attention.

    Yeh, we’re at risk!  There’s something about other countries that just don’t care for our invading their nations, killing their citizens with drones and other means, and robbing their resources, and causing more misery than they already have.  Just can’t imagine why anyone would want to hurt this wonderfully democratic and benevolent country of ours!

    Thanks, jamess!

    (Please excuse length!)

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