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Pt111 However, the benefits that cheap reliable electricity can bring in preventing over 4 million annual deaths from indoor air pollution from burning bio and other solid fuels, has been obvious for some time. Even if CO2 did drive some warming, is it more dangerous to more people than this very real pollution faced daily by well over 200 million in the developing world?
We fully support the Society’s involvement in the climate change debate but believe that the apparent failures of AGW theory noted herein, calls for a re-think. Climate is and always will change, but the evidence that this is due primarily to CO2, is not forthcoming. If the strong natural forcings that are so well described in the GSL papers have more impact than CO2, then we should be spending more of our limited resources on finding ways to adapt to negative climate change.
We are aware that the board has duties to the Society, to the prestige of the science and to Fellows, in that order perhaps, but think any formal statement by the Society should at least acknowledge the views of dissenting Fellows. Climate Change (which is only ever portrayed, without any justification, as dangerous) has become the critical issue of our time and informed dissent, cannot be swept under the carpet or dismissed as ‘unscientific’ or ‘denialist’, as it too often is; ‘Rebellion is the deepest root of science; the refusal to accept the present order of things,’[v] but seemingly not anymore in Climate Studies.
The GSL has taken a strong independent position; the Carbon Cycle is a genuine geological concern, but interpretation of the data is subject to increasing uncertainty as one goes back or forward in time, so firm conclusions based only on experimental data (the geological record) are likely to be unsound. As one of my correspondents puts it ‘The Society can make comments regarding the complexity of the physics and mathematics and inevitable uncertainty of predictions of nonlinear dynamical system behaviour etc., and there is nothing wrong with having a debate about this… But … their conclusions are unwarranted and unsound science if based on geological evidence alone.’
Science is supposed to use all the available tools at its disposal and by excluding the modern record it would be even more sound to avoid tacit support for the proposition that ‘the science is settled’. And even if everything the IPCC is frightened of looks inescapable, applying the precautionary principle by penalising carbon regardless has shut down debate creating more harm than benefit. Better by far to look at ways of mitigating possible effects until the evidence becomes firmer, one way or the other.
The strength of the Society is that Fellowship is not just open to people who share a current ‘consensus’, what was once accepted has often fallen by the wayside as arguments are overturned; Murchison and Sedgwick, uniformitarianism and catastrophism, Piltdown Man.
We would like to make a presentation of our findings to the board, as much of what is relevant can best be understood with reference to data. However, we have no wish to monopolise this discussion in any way, as we believe the issues need raising before as many interested parties as possible. And it is for this reason we are calling this an open letter and will circulate it through media channels after the forthcoming AGM.
Yours sincerely
Howard Dewhirst FGS, on behalf of the following: Active fellows: Geology unless stated Chris Atkinson Singapore BSc, PhD FGS, PESGB, SEAPEX Nigel Banks United Kingdom BA, DPhil FGS, AAPG, SPE, PESGB Dave Bodecott United Kingdom BSc, MSc FGS, AAPG, PESGB, IOD David Boote United Kingdom MSc, PhD FGS, AAPG, PESGB Bernard Cooper United Kingdom BSc FGS John Cope United Kingdom BSc, PhD, DSc, C. Geol FGS (Snr Fellow), GA Cameron Davies United Kingdom BSc, PhD, DIC FGS Howard Dewhirst United Kingdom BA, MA FGS, AAPG, SPE, PESGB, PESA Tim Harper United Kingdom BSc, PhD, MSc, DIC, C. Eng FGS, IOM3, Graham Heard United Kingdom BSc FGS, CGeol, PESGB, AAPG, PESA David Jenkins United Kingdom MA, PhD FGS, AAPG, Chris Matchette-Downes United Kingdom BSc, MSc, C. Geol FGS, PESGB James Moffatt South Africa MA FGS, GSA, AAPG, EAEG, PESGB Philip Mulholland United Kingdom BA, MSc FGS, AAPG, EAGE, PESGB Michael Oates United Kingdom BSc, PhD FGS, GA Ian Plimer Australia BSc, PhD FGS (Hon), FTSE, FAIMM Chris Pullan United Kingdom BSc FGS, PESGB Michael Ridd United Kingdom BSc, PhD FGS Michael Seymour United Kingdom MA, MSc, DIC FGS, PESGB (former Chair) Richard Stabbins United Kingdom BSc, PhD, C. Geol FGS (Snr Fellow), PESGB (Hon Mbr) Barry Squire United Kingdom BSc, PhD FGS David Warwick United Kingdom BSc FGS, PESGB Alastair Woodrow United Kingdom BSc (Physics) FGS, EAGE, EI, PESGB Wyss Yim Hong Kong China DSc, PhD, DIC FGS Enzo Zappaterra United Kingdom PhD, C. Pet Geol FGS, AAPG, PESGB Former fellows: David Bowen United Kingdom BSc, PhD FGS (former); Life Fellow INQUA Frank Brophy Australia Gary Couples United Kingdom BS, MA, PhD FGS (former), SPE, AGU, AAPG Trish Dewhirst Australia BSc, B. Ecom FGS, AusIMM, PESGB (all former) Henry John Dodwell United Kingdom BSc, MSc FGS (former), currently PESGB Martin Keeley United Kingdom BSc, PhD FGS (former), Dennis Paterson United Kingdom BSc, MSc, DIC FGS, AAPG, PESGB (all former) https://www.thegwpf.com/an-open-letter-to-the-geological-society/
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