John Oliver - Global Warming Video

[Heywood]

I did, they took 12,000 papers from climate change researchers and from that cherry picked 4000 papers that dealt with human caused climate change to come up with the 97% figure.

If we cherry picked papers about the non human caused climate change we would come up with a different consensus figure.

I have a 900 foot driveway. I am thinking of paving part of it. If I do the black asphalt will absorb more heat then the gravel that is there now. Since less heat is reflected, my asphalting the driveway will contribute to climate change. Is it going to be enough to lead us to a catastrophe? I doubt it. Is the totality of human endeavors going to be enough to lead us to catastrophe? That's really the question and this survey doesn't give me any information whatsoever that allows me to answer that question.

It makes a good talking point for someone pushing an agenda on the non-thinking but other than that its useless piece of information.

If that is what you got from reading that article you either have serious reading comprehension issues or just saw what you wanted to see. The later is called conformation bias and you have it bad. That's not surprising given the content of many of your other posts on this board.

Well I am not biased for or against taking action against climate change. Like I said earlier, I am sure some global warming is the result of human action and defer to the crowd on what level of action we should take.

If I am biased against anything it is the 97% number. In 2009 Pew research polled scientist and found that only 97% of scientist believed humans evolved over time. Human evolution is a much more settled question then the effects of human caused climate change. I do find it hard to believe that the number of scientist who believe we are headed toward a climate catastrophe is the same as the number that believe humans evolved over time.

The study just smacks of cherry picking data to support an agenda. Sorry but I just don't give it a lot of creditability. I can find it plausible that 97% of scientist would agree climate change is happening now(its always happened). I can find it plausible that 97% of scientist believe humans are a factor in climate change(every living organism has some impact on climate). I just don't find it plausible that 97% of scientist believe unless we change our ways, we are headed toward a climate catastrophe.

Do a poll, ask climate scientist this question:
"Are human actions causing a climate catastrophe such that we can prevent it or mitigate it significantly by altering our behavior?"

I bet the number of scientist who answer "yes" to that question.....is quite a bit less than 97%.