Global warming is a current issue that has sparked debates
over the gravity of our ever-changing climate. Many theories exist, but perhaps
none have been as challenged as those by Dr. Roy Spencer. One of his latest
statements involves the idea of lower climate sensitivity. After sending his
research and conclusion in the form of a paper to Remote Sensing journal, the outcry over his abuse of statistics
forced the editor to resign.
This paper
was written to demonstrate that global warming is not occurring as rapidly as
many suggest, if at all. Dr. Spencer
backed up his point of view with data that is questionable by most scientific
standards. The paper was rejected by Science
magazine, and thus Dr. Spencer began looking for an easier vehicle to display
his theory. Remote Sensing was a
newer journal, and accepted the paper for publication.
After some
time, the science community began debating the quality of Spencer’s paper. He
did not account for error bars, and most of his models were based off of unusual
weather patterns such as El Nino. The editor of Remote Sensing then resigned,
taking responsibility for publishing such a paper.
With regard
to fair use, it is possible that this paper could be used in an academic
setting. It blurs the line between creative and factual depending on whether
one thinks Dr. Spence honestly believes in his results, or if he is merely
attempting to create a stir in the scientific community. This paper will likely
not be permitted for fair use, as it is based on weak evidence.
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