- the work of Uffe Ravnskov, author of Ignore the Awkward! How Cholesterol Myths are Kept Alive
- Megaprojects and Risk, a book about how giant construction projects, such as bridges, tunnels, and rail lines, almost always involve great overprediction of benefits (e.g., ridership) and underprediction of costs.
- Scientists who believe as I do about climate change write to Congress
- Due to a father’s persistence, intestinal worms cure his son’s autism
Re MegaProjects: You can add stadiums and arenas to that list.
And here is a rebuttal of the climate change rebuttal: https://ourchangingclimate.wordpress.com/2009/06/13/the-nipcc-report/
I really don’t get this fight – at the end only to save the economy (speak: big corporations that save money when polluting the environment). And if the deniers are wrong, they simply wreck the only planet we have. What a gamble – just to make some bucks.
This caricature really hits the nail on the head: https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rdbTUzF1SIU/TI6Whn2Fj_I/AAAAAAAAADE/BVmuqdOU5yQ/s640/What+if+we+create+a+better+world+for+nothing.jpg
Scientists who believe as I do about climate change write to Congress
This is so sad. They only found two NAS members willing to sign on (out of 2000!), and almost half the rest of the signers are retired. Surely tenure is protection enough for the timid? Perhaps the explanation for the measly turnout lies elsewhere.
Nathan, tenure does not guarantee many things professors want, including grant renewal, promotion through the ranks, the respect of your colleagues, this or that award, and competent graduate students.
Thomas, if the deniers are right objecting to the current hysteria will help focus attention on the real problems.
That’s a great argument Seth (in your reply to Thomas)
“Thomas, if the deniers are right objecting to the current hysteria will help focus attention on the real problems. ”
Which real problems don’t get solved because we try to care about the environment?
My main point is about the gamble you’re doing. You might be correct – and the majority of the scientists might be wrong. But the probability is low, and if you’re wrong you basically support the extinction of humanity (in favor of earning oil companies a couple of more bucks).
Thomas, among the real problems that don’t get solved because of too much emphasis on reducing carbon emissions are problems of pollution, especially industrial pollution — for example, groundwater poisoning (see the documentary Gaslands) and heavy metal pollution. Lots of industrial pollutants are poisons beyond any doubt.