"Surely there must be some advantages to global warming?" "There are no advantages!" shrieked the Inquisitor again. "So it's just your opinion? I can think of several advantages right now—"
"No! No! There are no advantages, again, there is a con- sen-sus of scientists who say that the disadvantages outweigh the fictitious advantages. Global warming is bad!"
"This consensus argument you keep offering is nothing but an argument of authority. Us scientists have never heard of 'consensus science'. Science and math do not need a consensus to prove themselves — quite the opposite!"
"— No! There are only disadvantages, the sea levels are going to rise and destroy our coastlines, and there will be massive floods, and death everywhere!"
"But surely, man can adapt? I can think of several advantages to rising sea levels. For one, the sea levels rise and abate since ages.
"So if the sea levels rise, won't that mean more green land in such depraved countries as Africa? Was not the Nile and the areas around it the most greenest of all? They even called it 'The Fertile Crescent.' Is this not a huge advantage? To be able to feed millions of people?"
"Where do you get these ideas? There are only disadvantages, like I said there's a consensus among the scientists—"
"— now wait a minute, once again you said this is 'science' here. And a scientist's job is to question.
"Now you have not sufficiently answered the question of advantages vs disadvantages. I can name several advantages due to rising sea levels and global warming, and yet you have not countered with one real scientific reason against this.
"So I repeat, do you have a comprehensive list or catalog of advantages vs disadvantages? Additionally, are they measurable, or have they even been measured already?"
"Look old man, I told you we have a consensus of scientists, they have done all the thinking for us, and there are no advantages to global warming."
"You say there will be no advantages, do you have proof?" "Of course we have proof, the scientists have proven it already. Besides, it's certainly better to do something than do nothing, right?"
"Well now, that argument makes perfect sense — if you are an insurance salesman!"
DU LIEST GERADE
BURNING GALILEO
KurzgeschichtenIt's the 21st century... The status quo believes that carbon dioxide causes CATASTROPHIC global warming. Galileo is "pulled" out of the sixteenth century and put on the stand. Armed with science he goes against the status quo. Would you burn Galileo...
