Science Conflict – the row over climate change

A recent quote from an Irish Times article by Prof. William Reville http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sciencetoday/2009/1210/1224260412971.html, regarding the conflict over climate change stated “The CRU affair at least calls for independent re-analysis of much of the data underpinning AGW”.
This highlights for me the issue which covers so much of reported scientific data. Even within the realm of peer review, there are forces at work which are either pro- and anti- the data being presented. These forces can block the data in the form that the publishing scientist has intended, or can allow the publication of data when they should instead question it.
What’s the problem? The problem is that we’re human, and with being human seems to come the concept of ulterior motive. This is at the root of the current drama about the climate change data being manipulated or not. The call for an independent review is laudable, but we would like to think that all reported scientific data is subject to the same scrutiny.
But from where will this independence come? Have we suddenly mastered interstellar travel? Are visitors from another world stepping off their gleaming spaceships as we speak to provide us with the independent review of climate change data? Because one thing that seems to be obvious to me is that there can’t be a single person left on this little green sphere that doesn’t already have an opinion about climate change – one way or another…

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