Oh, this is getting silly. The panel *did not* "slam" Lomborg for being
biased or politically or economically motivated. They just said that the
book should not be taken as a scientific publication. Why is the point
being lost here? Lomborg's book has been widely hailed as "scientific"
in the press and otherwise. The panel says it shouldn't, no statements
about the philosophical nature of science, bias, politics, or anything
else. Geez, makes me wish I'd kept my computer shut.
Steven
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion forum for environmental ethics.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Michael Meuser
Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2003 2:47 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Lomborg ad nauseum
Interesting that they're slamming him for not being scientific and
for being biased as though science and scientists are not biased,
politically and economically directed and motivated at times.
Mike
> --- STEVEN BISSELL <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > Again, all I can say is SE is not *about* statistics, it is about
> > environmental science. Lomborg can't claim to only be interested in
> > statistics if he writes an entire book about scientific issues. By
> > the way, if you read SE you'll see little or no details about
> > Lomborg's analysis, just his conclusions and the *big* numbers.
>
> I understand, but he doesn't claim to be a scientist does he? As for
> Pernille's comments below...looks like he is a politician...sorry if I
> don't believe that kind of creature.
>
> Steve
>
>
> > sb
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > >From: Steve Verdon <[log in to unmask]>
> > >Reply-To: "Discussion forum for environmental ethics."
> > ><[log in to unmask]>
> > >To: [log in to unmask]
> > >Subject: Re: Lomborg ad nauseum
> > >Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2003 10:28:18 -0800
> > >
> > > >>"Bjoern Lomborg is a provocative environmental debater (and) he
> > >should be allowed to be that," said Pernille Blach Hansen of the
> > >opposition Social Democrats. "The problem is that he and the
> > >government have presented him as something he is not: namely a
> > >scientist." <<
> > >
> > >Gee, does this mean scientists are going to stop doing statistics
> > >too? After all people might get the idea they actually think they
> > >know something about statistics...
> > >
> > >Steve
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >--- Steven Bissell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > > > Here's an article about Lomborg. Seems his peers in Denmark
> > smell
> > > > something rotten (oh, come on! I had to do it.) Interesting
> > that
> > > > the
> > > > panel felt, as I do, that Lomborg's failure to cite common
> > source
> > > > which
> > > > do not necessarily agree with him is/was suspicious. However I
> > am a
> > > > bit
> > > > aghast that Lomborg was actually appointed to a position of
> > > > authority on any environmental issue.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Steven
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Danish panel says controversial book not scientific
> > > >
> > > > Wednesday, January 08, 2003
> > > >
> > > > The Associated Press
> > > >
> > > > COPENHAGEN, Denmark - A Danish panel of scientists said Tuesday
> > > > that a controversial book challenging the sacred cows of the
> > environmental
> > > > movement was not a scientific publication.
> > > >
> > > > In his 2001 best seller, "The Skeptical Environmentalist,"
> > Danish
> > > > statistician Bjoern Lomborg said concerns about melting ice
> > caps,
> > > > deforestation, acid rain were exaggerated. He claimed that the
> > > > global environmental situation was not deteriorating. The book
> > > > was translated into a dozen languages and generated criticism
> > > > from environmentalists worldwide.
> > > >
> > > > The Danish Committees on Scientific Dishonesty said the
> > 350-page
> > > > book
> > > > "is clearly in violation of the norms for good scientific
> > > > behavior." The
> > > > agency reviewed the book after complaints from four scientists,
> > > > including Stuart Pimm, an ecologist at the Center for
> > Environmental
> > > > Research and Conservation at Columbia University in New York.
> > He
> > > > did not
> > > > immediately return a call from The Associated Press.
> > > >
> > > > Hans Henrik Brydensholt, the panel's chairman, said Lomborg did
> > not
> > > > make
> > > > "thorough searches for all available sources ... including what
> > > > goes against one's supposition. ...He used sources in favor of
> > > > his
> > own
> > > > beliefs," he said.
> > > >
> > > > Lomborg acknowledged Tuesday that he may not have always quoted
> > all
> > > > available sources, but said the panel failed to provide any
> > > > examples of the alleged unfairness, he said. "I have never tried
> > > > to hide
> > that I
> > > > wasn't an environment specialist," Lomborg said, adding his
> > book
> > > > was
> > > > meant to start a debate on the environment.
> > > >
> > > > The ruling didn't include any penalty, but opponents of the
> > > > Liberal-Conservative government said it was an indicator that
> > > > Lomborg shouldn't have been named director of the national
> > Environmental
> > > > Assessment Institute, which monitors the use by state agencies
> > of
> > > > public
> > > > funds aimed at cutting pollution.
> > > >
> > > > "Bjoern Lomborg is a provocative environmental debater (and) he
> > > > should be allowed to be that," said Pernille Blach Hansen of the
> > > > opposition Social Democrats. "The problem is that he and the
> > > > government
> > have
> > > > presented him as something he is not: namely a scientist."
> > > >
> > > > A former member of Greenpeace, Lomborg has argued that a
> > solution
> > > > to
> > > > pollution is more likely to be found in economic and
> > technological
> > > > progress than in the policies advocated by many
> > environmentalist
> > > > organizations.
> > > >
> > > > Copyright 2003, Associated Press
> > > > All Rights Reserved
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >__________________________________________________
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