Cherry picking of the climate facts

Though  cherry picking could be sometimes at one’s advantage, it may not be always.  While climate  scientists all over the world are leaving no stone unturned  in disseminating climate science and stories of our future, there are some story tellers, in the disguise of scientific communities, who are just  cherry  picking  the  climate  facts. While there is this selective picking of the facts about the climate catastrophes, what we often tend to demote, are the implications, such actions may impart at varied levels. We, as ‘the learned educated class’ need to understand and assimilate one thing  that,  though  climate  change  is  a proven science, it is also an evolving  science.  It’s a definitive science, but we need to delve much deeper.

Recent  catastrophes, like Hurricane Sandy (New York, USA), Cyclone Phailin (Odisha, India) and cyclone Wipha (Japan) are invariably linked to climate change.  Yes, we are on a right path when we attempt to make such derived claims, but these derivatives are often misleading, if we are basing them on shaky grounds. State and central governments are letting the money flow like water to fund any and every research related to climate change today. Is anyone even thinking, what is this research all about? Who are the people carrying out this research?  What are they pumping in the scientific world? Is there mere cherry picking of results from  IPCC  (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and putting in some other basket of research or its actually evaluated? If that is the case, then, it’s a grave concern for all those who are involved in such  research and also for those who are accepting these results.

If  the  vegetation  is  well  trimmed and pruned, it’s a garden and can be cherished  by  all, but if it grows wild and uncontrolled, the same garden can  turn into a jungle, which can be no good and only create a scare. Same is  the  case  with  the  Climate  Science. We,  as 'climate scientists' or policy  makers',  need  to  very critically assess, what we think, what we write and what we claim about climate change. We must make ourselves capable enough  to  invest our insights to into the right kind of a research, which rightfully explores our capacities as scientists to peep  into the future and have some guesstimates about the impacts  changing climate can have. 

Some recent instances have proved that, preparedness and planning can reduce the force with which climate disasters can strike.  Mitigation  and preparedness actions undertaken by the Andhra government  towards  Phailin  is an excellent example of how early warnings and preparedness can help mitigate, though not entirely prevent, the impact of  natural disasters. Had  there  not been warning systems in place, the coastal   Andhra,   which   is  already sinking  under  the  pressures of bifurcation,  would  have been completely blown away under the winds of the cyclone.  An  established and grounded science can make wonders and has the power  to  safeguard communities and prevent them from collapse, but at the same   time,   cherry  picking  of  the  climate  facts  and  pasting them inappropriately, can also lead to damages, which could be as irreversible.

Thus  as policymakers and climate scientists, we need to cross validate and retrospect our own research to give back grounded results to the scientific community.  Our research should help elevate the quality of climate science and  tame  the  speculations  on the same. For all the climate skeptics out there,  I would like to repeat that, climate change is an evolving science and is relatively in its infancy,  but at the same time it is equally real and unequivocal. It leaves us  with  no choice but mitigate and adapt if at all we wish to prolong our survival on this planet..!!