The Science of Climate Change (or Anything Else) Isn’t an “Opinion”

Re: the meme here, a reader notes: The important thing is that we survive future disasters, not do nothing because we don’t all agree that climate change exists or if it is a natural cycle or caused by humans. I have my opinions and so do you. But I think if we can avoid planetary catastrophe we should do that. Doing effective things about it now is more important. There is a lot that can be done.

My reply to the reader: I hope you’ll share your ideas as to what can and should be done.

I stopped short of going through what most of us already know: Educated people don’t have “opinions” on matters of science. We either understand science or we don’t. If I were to say that I think the evolution is just a theory, equivalent to creationism, all I’m really saying is that I am ignorant of that particular matter of science.

Of course, science isn’t always perfect; in fact, it never is; it’s simply our best path to an understanding of the universe around us. Currently, we disbelieve almost all of what we did 500 years ago, and we would be silly indeed to think that science 500 years hence isn’t going to set asunder most of of what we hold true today.

Again, science is the best we have. It’s better than the occult, just like it’s better than some guy’s opinion.