"Martin Rowley" wrote in message
...

"TudorHgh" wrote in message
...
John Daly was not averse to bending the truth, or ignoring it
completely, in order to make a point.


... I too attempted to challenge a couple of the points on this web site
(my e-mail was ignored): the data on the site seemed to me to be
selective to prove the particular point that was being addressed: we all
do it of course, so no undue criticism there, but in such an important
debate, I was disappointed - perhaps naive?

... obviously on a personal level, I offer my condolences to his family:
whatever my feelings on the subject, it was good to have a fighter out
there challenging the 'received' wisdom. Whatever happens in the future,
we must be alert to being carried along with the herd.

That is a very naive remark. John Daly was whooping along the mob
on their way to the precipice. He was telling them what they wanted to
hear, and was reinforcing their prejudices. He was a skilled
communicator, but not of science. His was the anti-science of a new
Von Daniken. It is easy to say that scientists do not have all the answers,
and can be wrong as he did. It is much more difficult to comprehend
what has been discovered far less add new knowledge.

If you do not want to be carried along with the crowd, then you should
be looking to see whether the current conviction that there in no danger
to our generation is in fact justified. That was what John Daly believed,
and it is what nearly everyone who posts to this news group believes
too. We know weather can be violent and sudden. The last 10,000
years, the whole of recorded history, have been stable from the POV
of climate. But now we have probably already forced the climate over
the brink, and when it switches it will be violent and sudden too.

John Daly did bring happiness to some people. For many, ignorance
is bliss. He, however, will not see the consequences of his actions,
or suffer for the stupor he has encouraged.

Cheers, Alastair.