Is "Consensus” in Climate Science Good or Bad? It Depends on What Year It Is

One of the recurring themes in my commentary on the climate change debate is how those pushing government intervention keep moving the goalposts (see one, two, and three). In the present post, I'll document this shift in the commentary from the same person—namely, Harvard's History of Science professor Naomi Oreskes.

Specifically, a decade ago Oreskes vilified scientists who focused on uncertainties in our models of the climate, and trumpeted the sacred "consensus” as the altar upon which all hesitancy about government action should be sacrificed. Yet today, Oreskes is co-authoring articles in the New York Times telling Americans that scientists have been underestimating climate change and that the economic models are full of uncertainties—and that this is why we urgently need government action. Needless to say, Oreskes' change in perspective about consensus and uncertainty seems to be driven by her commitment to government action, not any principle of science.