Climate change - the burden of proof

A quick interlude to coincide with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's publication today.

The summary linked to above probably rates as one of the most opaque and challenging reads I've seen for a long time. Why? Because political and peer scientific pressure has required such a precise reading of fairly indeterminate facts that a simple, concise and unambiguous communication is barely possible. By the way, I think a decent job has been done under the circumstances.

I'll drop my political guard for a moment....wouldn't we be living in a different world now if the same burden of proof being demanded with respect to climate change (particularly from the U.S. administration) had been required to validate the decision to invade Iraq? Funny how proof is mandated before action for one big issue with significant costs but is blithely waved away for another big issue with significant costs (but neatly fitting an ideology and set of commercial interests).

Enough said.