The Al-Gore Heuristic for reasoning on climate change

by bohm 24 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  bohm

  Lets say we wanted to determine if it was a good idea to wash ones hands after taking a dump if one wish to cook food. We can imagine two ways to determine it:

  1) Evidence-based reasoning

  • Does the evidence suggest that not washing ones hand after taking a dump just prior to cooking make it more likely poo will end up in the food?

  2) The Al-Gore heuristic

  • Does Al-Gore say it is a good idea to wash ones hands after a dump prior to cooking and..
  • does Al-Gore in fact not wash his hands after taking a dump prior to cooking
  • in this case it is reasonable to believe one should not wash ones hands after taking a shit and before cooking

  Most people would go with 1, especially if 95+% of the relevant scientists believed it was the case.

  There is, however, a certain crowd on this site who seem to advocate for reasoning along the lines of (2) over and over again, at least in the context of climate change. Specifically the heuristic seem to go as:

  • Does al gore say the climate is changing due to human activity and this is bad
  • Does al gore fly a private jet despite this
  • then there is good reasons to believe the climate is not changing

  This is particularly interesting, since the same crowd seems to think al-gore is some kind of boogyman who shouldnt be trusted. One do have to wonder if they really believe the argument is solid in general, or it is just the best they can come up with to ignore the evidence which is pretty clear in this case.
• 

  Band on the Run

  FYI, I see Gore as a hero in publicizing the true facts of global warming. It is one aspect of Al Gore that I treasure. There aren't too many aspects too be proud of Gore, the person. Global warming is a scientific fact. I can data dump myriad web sites containing hard science to counter your arguments. To deny the dangers we face with present global warming is sheer ignorance. There is no room for debate among reasonable people. Reasonable, educated people do not argue over concrete facts.

  This is akin to the birthers and the people who believe the U.S. government performed the terror on September 11th. Sorry folks, I have worked in high levels of government and my friends have also worked in high government or are presently public officials. We wish the United States had its act together enough to do 9/11.

  No facts are in dispute.
• 

  designs

  Its like your mother telling you to wear a raincoat.
• 

  Phizzy

  I agree BOHM, it is a stupid way of reasoning, like in the old days "Why should I give up smoking when my doctor smokes ?"
• 

  bohm

  I heard al gore strongly disagree with the oppinion expressed in this topic
• 

  Satanus

  Just cuz he's a hypocrite, doesn't change things, one way or the other. Most religious leaders don't practice what they preach. Yes, its a religion. Feel the fear oozing out. See the denial.

  S
• 

  tootired2care

  It's very difficult to trust this good ol' boy hypocrite P.O.S. scumbag when he has 200 million in the bank in large part because of his carbon credit money scam which doesn't help the problem whatsoever. I view everything he says false, and the green movement needs to ditch this fool because many will never trust a thing he says either he is the biggest impediment to the whole movement IMHO. It's ironic how liberals don't attack his wealth like they did Romney's.
• 

  DaCheech

  do you guys know how much energy AL GORE uses up on a typical month?

  Private jets, and mansion included?
• 

  besty

  @tootired2care

  were you too tired to bother reading the Bloomberg article you linked?

  you wrote:

  It's very difficult to trust this good ol' boy hypocrite P.O.S. scumbag when he has 200 million in the bank in large part because of his carbon credit money scam which doesn't help the problem whatsoever

  The article makes clear most of his wealth is from Current TV and Apple.

  It also makes clear that his 'green' investments have flopped big time.

  This sideshow about Al Gore is a tedious smokescreen.
• 

  Satanus

  The fear is of change. In the fundamentalist world, nothing is supposed to change.

  S