Tuesday, April 01, 2025
37.0°F

Why do so many studies accept climate change?

by Todd Tanner
| June 26, 2014 9:00 PM

I have a question for Daily Inter Lake editor Frank Miele.

Dr. James L. Powell, who holds a Ph.D. in geochemistry from MIT, recently researched all 10,885 different climate papers published in peer-reviewed scientific journals in 2013. He found that two peer-reviewed scientific papers disputed the existence of human-caused (anthropogenic) climate change, while 10,883 accepted the overwhelming scientific consensus. 

Just so we’re clear, Dr. Powell’s research shows that 10,883 peer-reviewed scientific papers published in 2013 agree that we are warming the planet. Dr. Powell also found two papers that dispute man-made global warming. 

So here’s my question:  

Frank, is it possible for you to spin those numbers to make it sound like the scientific community is still debating climate change? Or will you simply ignore Dr. Powell’s research the next time you publish another misleading column on climate change? Todd Tanner, Bigfork

(EDITOR’S NOTE: According to Managing Editor Miele, the answer to Mr. Tanner’s question is simple: “Scientists who have already decided man-made climate change is ‘settled science’ do not print articles by scientists who challenge their assumptions; instead they call them names like deniers and ridicule them for veering astray from orthodox belief.”)