tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8216971263350849959.post1784769050861256325..comments2023-08-07T16:41:49.660+02:00Comments on Die Klimazwiebel: Interview with Christopher Castroeduardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725131974182980651noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8216971263350849959.post-81110193214739765522012-07-02T15:05:54.090+02:002012-07-02T15:05:54.090+02:00As a scientist with a background in Physics, Aeros...As a scientist with a background in Physics, Aerospace Engineering, fluid mechanics and thermal science, that spent a lot of time looking at the technical information on the AGW issue, I find the comments in section 8. to be absolutely offensive. These types of comment are a large part of the problem with the issue. There surely are some uninformed or unqualified people who are skeptics, but there are far more supporters of the "human cause" that are totally ignorant of the science. This includes reporters, government leaders, and many scientists with no skill on the actual climatology (e.g., those in totally unrelated fields such as biology, and computer science, but with no skill in Physics or Meteorology or Geology). The fact that there are some ignorant people in both camps does not change the facts. I would be glad to debate Castro's position on the facts. I am not a computer modeler, but the PHYSICAL evidence does not support any of Castro's claims. In particular, the work of Roger Pielke Sr. Has clearly shown the lack of skill in regional forcasts.Leonard Weinsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02125857972902059097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8216971263350849959.post-24781917677530076192012-06-03T16:06:10.286+02:002012-06-03T16:06:10.286+02:00Hans,
thanks for another excellent interview in y...Hans,<br /><br />thanks for another excellent interview in your really remarkable and unique interview series! <br /><br />I especially appreciate question #5 about the influence of Christopher Castro's Hispanic background and his remarkable answer. I also remember you asking Gabi Hegerl a similar question about the role of gender in her scientific career. To complete the picture, it would be great to ask other scientists about the influence of, for example, their white-male-anglo-saxon background! <br /><br />This line of thought easily connects to question #9 about the influence of culture. I think Mr. Castro's answer is really great when he considers Native American philosophy as of equal value. In doing so, he also questions the universality of the Western approach and its separation of nature and culture (which has in the debate about anthropogenic climate change its shortcomings). Christopher Castro also points towards the role of unequal power relations inherent in the history of science and other knowledge claims. <br /><br />Culture, ethnicity and gender are also interesting in respect to the fact that many climate scientists have theories about society, too. Remember Reiner Grundmann in the other interview:<br /><br />"But the physical scientists do not respect the NO TRESPASSING sign. They are dominating the debate and many climate scientists think they have the prerogative to make political suggestions which society at large should take up because scientists always know best."<br /><br />And they do so on the basis of their "common sense"or "instinct", while being probably unreflective and unaware of the mostly unconscious influence of race, class, gender and other background "noise" on their world view. <br /><br />Instead of permanently trying to "purify" the scientific endeavor from these cultural influences, I would suggest to fully embrace and be aware of them. I do not talk about the scientific practice of measuring, testing, falsifying and so on; instead, I talk about research questions and working conditions, as well as about communicating science and translating it into political advice - which to deliver is obviously part of climate science. Here the cultural background indeed has to be taken into account: those still prevalent fantasies about climate determinism, neo-colonial climate discourses or fantasies about suspending democracy for the sake of saving the world could be replaced then through dialog and care for the real problems at stake.<br /><br />Great interview!Werner Krausshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15094636819952421339noreply@blogger.com