Actually re-reading Patrick's two posts major posts on the subject, I see he's under a rather strange miscomprehension.
He thinks that the whole global warming debate centers around models, which are inherently inaccuracy in their ability to predict the future despite the fact that they are able to closely model the past, which strangely gives him comfort, while the same inaccuracy not so strangely makes working scientists feel uncomfortable. Professional scientists worry because of the uncertainty in the models, while Patrick seems to think that uncertainty in models means we can safely ignore observed data. But ... the observered data is real, and the observed data is no longer in debate, and that's been true for some time now. This includes Christy's satellite data and the supposed weather balloon mystery data.
The fact is that global warming - like evolution and speciation - is an observed fact. And no working scientist in the field doubts that anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gasses are contributing to that warming (just as most believe there's a good chance we're seeing a natural signature as well, the professional debate centers around how much each source contributes, the professional debate isn't around whether it is black or white but rather over which shade of grey).
I'm not interested in carrying on a political debate, here, but it is a pity that folks like Patrick can't be as honest as Fred Singer (and Singer's threshold of honesty is at basement level) or Christy (who hold himself to a higher standard, thankfully). I don't personally have a problem with people who are honest enough to accept science and to then say "I think we can safely ignore this data, because I don't think it will hurt us". Lying about the underlying science itself, though ... shameful. And Patrick is taking a position that is no longer supported by those scientists who because of contract or belief have long been skeptics.
In short, Patrick, you're either a fool or a liar, and frankly I don't care which. I will continue to learn science from scientists - not Patrick, no matter how much your ego has inflated your personal opinion. You are not God. You are Patrick. You are not Son of God ... you are Patrick. You're not even a core member of the OpenACS project, nor are you qualified ...
