https://www.theguardian.com/environment/planet-oz/2017/sep/15/the-idea-that-climate-scientists-are-in-it-for-the-cash-has-deep-ideological-roots

 

You’ll have heard that line of argument about cancer scientists, right?

The one where they’re just in it for the government grant money and that they don’t really want to find a cure, because if they did they’d be out of a job?

No, of course you haven’t. That’s because it’s ridiculous and a bit, well, vomit-inducing.

To make such an argument, you would need to be deeply cynical about people’s motives for consistently putting their own pay packets above the welfare of millions of people.

You would have to think that scientists were not motivated to help their fellow human beings, but instead were driven only by self-interest.

But why do so many “sceptics”, particularly those who form part of the organised machinery of climate science denial, feel comfortable in accusing climate scientists of only being in it for the money?

 

There is an entire "alternative health" industry worth billions that is sold on the idea that scientists have the cure to cancer (and just about any other disease) in their back pocket but hide the cure for personal profit.

Much of the anti-vaccine movement is based on a tangent belief that vaccines are part of a conspiracy to make people sicker for the purpose of profit.

It isn't just climatology that is plagued with charlatan profiteers selling bullshit on the sidelines.

The political operatives noted in the article are magnifying and capitalizing on these sentiments for political gain. They really want to undo the part of the government that constrains their ability to exploit (i.e. dump pollution on the commons without paying a fee and without any dirty old government scientist letting the public know that cigarettes are dangerous).

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Edited: 09/18/2017 at 12:19 PM by scombrid

You’ll have heard that line of argument about cancer scientists, right?

 

The one where they’re just in it for the government grant money and that they don’t really want to find a cure, because if they did they’d be out of a job?

 

No, of course you haven’t. That’s because it’s ridiculous and a bit, well, vomit-inducing.

Inapt analogy. There is very strong market for cancer curing drugs. Cancer researchers, therefore, have huge monetary incentives for discovering a cure for cancer. Moreover, investers have good reason for investing in these efforts. As a result, the markets provide plenty of money for this research. The gov't provides relatively little. In other words, market forces provide plenty of incentive for this research and gov't funding is barely an afterthought.

On the other hand, there is very only a small market for long term climate change projections. That is, few people have the need or desire for such a thing. Hence, no investor in their right mind would fund these people. Thus, the gov't provides the vast majority of funding for this endeavor. As a result, these guys line their pockets with our money and they have a strong incentive to keep the gravy train rolling.

 

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I :heart; Q

Science is magic that works.

Tpaps example shows that "markets" sometimes do not.

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"The truth is incontrovertible.
malice may attack it,
ignorance may deride it,
but in the end,
there it is." -Sir Winston Churchill

But why do so many “sceptics”, particularly those who form part of the organised machinery of climate science denial, feel comfortable in accusing climate scientists of only being in it for the money?

Because they are logic challenged lunatics?

Tspank:  Ignoring science and selling out our children so that he can have a couple more pennies in his neon fanny pack.

 

Well, there are cures for cancer and many other formerly fatal diseases. The market, therefore, has greatly improved our lives. Can't think of how climate scientists have done so, beyond making themselves well to do.

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I :heart; Q

The money is in long term treatment, not cure. Market driven research reflects this.

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Capitalism is based on the ridiculous notion that you can enjoy limitless growth in a closed, finite system.

In biology, such behavior of cells is called "cancer".

Perhaps, but those who do find cures will be rich. I doubt that those folks will hold back because some of their fellow physicians will take a financial hit. In fact, I know that they wouldn't, given that some have already come up with cures (and have indeed become quite rich).

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I :heart; Q

Where does the carbon credit money go?