Technically, Scott Brown is Correct

Gawd, I wish the media were as smart as they think they are.

Scott Brown, Republican candidate running to be a senator from New Hampshire, on Saturday participated in a debate during which he was asked if he believed:

“…the theory of man-made climate change has been scientifically proven”.

Now, first of all, nothing is science is “proven”. If you think it is, you don’t understand science.

Brown’s answer to the question was “no”. And that is correct. There is no way to prove that our addition of 1 molecule of CO2 to each 10,000 molecules of atmosphere over the last 100 years has had any measurable influence (there are no fingerprints of human-caused versus natural warming).

All the usual left-leaning news outlets have been having a cow over this supposed reversal of Brown’s position. The ThinkProgress site entitled their article, “Scott Brown Flips to Full-Blown Climate Denier“.

The “flip” is because Brown had previously (in 2012) said that climate change was “a combination between man-made and natural” in origin.

And that statement, too, is correct. As a climate researcher, I also believe it is some (unknown) combination. But there is no way to “prove” it.

I haven’t been following the race, and so have no opinions on the candidates. I’m just pointing out that Scott Brown’s position is entirely defensible, and the media conveniently hears what they want to hear.

If the media can’t ask a technical question correctly, they shouldn’t ask the question.

Or, don’t ask one question, then assume the resulting answer is to a different question.