Al Gore apparently didn't read the Michael Crichton speech I linked to in early January. In a speech telling us all about the harm of global warming - while blaming it on wealthy right-wing idealogues and their oil, coal and mining industry buddies- Gore starts by saying this:

Gore: I am particularly concerned because the vast majority of the most respected environmental scientists from all over the world have sounded a clear and urgent alarm."

Just a reminder of what Crichton had to say about 'consensus science':

Crichton: I want to pause here and talk about this notion of consensus, and the rise of what has been called consensus science. I regard consensus science as an extremely pernicious development that ought to be stopped cold in its tracks. Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled. Whenever you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something or other, reach for your wallet, because you're being had.

Let's be clear: the work of science has nothing whatever to do with consensus. Consensus is the business of politics. Science, on the contrary, requires only one investigator who happens to be right, which means that he or she has results that are verifiable by reference to the real world. In science consensus is irrelevant. What is relevant is reproducible results. The greatest scientists in history are great precisely because they broke with the consensus.

There is no such thing as consensus science. If it's consensus, it isn't science. If it's science, it isn't consensus. Period.

Back to Gore. 5 sentences and a few pictures later, he lets loose with this:

Gore: I don�t think there is any longer a credible basis for doubting that the earth�s atmosphere is heating up because of global warming.

So the evidence is overwhelming and undeniable.

There's just no arguing with that, now is there? Its consensus science and Gore doesn't doubt it - so clearly the evidence is overwhelming and undeniable.

Jeez, what a hack.

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