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from the it's-an-ill-wind-that-blows-no-good dept.
An overwhelming majority of scientists, including numerous UCLA researchers, agree that we have to take action to curb the effects of climate change.
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block joined leaders in higher education from more than 35 states today calling on incoming president Donald Trump's administration to protect the Earth's climate.
Chancellors and presidents from more than 170 colleges and universities signed on to the open letter calling for "aggressive climate action."
Trump has at times described climate change as a hoax and proposed withdrawing from the historic Paris climate agreement signed at the annual United Nations climate conference in 2015. An overwhelming majority of scientists, including numerous UCLA researchers, agree that climate change is caused by humans and will result in dramatic, disruptive changes within this century. UCLA research has projected that without drastic action, Los Angeles will heat up an average of 4 to 5 degrees by midcentury.
"As a university," Block said, "we have a deep commitment to research innovative solutions for tomorrow, to serve the greater public good and to educate the leaders of future generations. Strong federal and international climate action is critical to this mission."
(Score: 2) by schad on Friday December 23 2016, @07:47PM
It's virtue-signalling and nothing more.
The effect of this letter, if it has any at all, will be to increase political polarization. People who already believe in AGW will engage in a circle-jerk about how dumb Trump is and how he won't listen (see elsewhere in this thread). People who already reject AGW will engage in a circle-jerk about how great it is that Trump is going to stop those ivory tower eggheads with God complexes from ruining America. The net will be just to reinforce preexisting beliefs.
No minds will change as a result of this. Why would they? Everyone already knows that academia is firmly in the AGW camp. If you haven't already been persuaded, there's nothing in this letter that will convince you.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 23 2016, @08:31PM
Im not sure where I fall in your worldview. What exactly does "belief in AGW" entail?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 24 2016, @12:40AM
Yeah, the two sides are equally valid but also equally at fault, right? Similar to this case from past history:
The effect of Monsieur Galileo's book Dialogues Concerning the Two Chief World Systems [wikipedia.org], if it has any at all, will be to increase political polarization. People who already believe in the heliocentric theory will engage in a circle-jerk about how dumb the Pope is and how he won't listen (see elsewhere in this thread). People who already reject heliocentrism will engage in a circle-jerk about how great it is that Pope is going to stop those ivory tower eggheads with God complexes from ruining Europe. The net will be just to reinforce preexisting beliefs.