Ian William Chubb is the newly-appointed chief scientist of Australia. His thoughts on climate change in the public arena, evidence-based policy and science’s role in society are reflected in a recent blog post for New Scientist.
An excerpt:
Sometimes scientific research can lead to discoveries and findings that people do not want to hear, but that does not mean that they shouldn’t hear them or that governments should not respond to them. As experts in their field, scientists have an obligation to use their expertise to help inform the public and policy makers. These experts are not setting out to incite anger; they are communicating the findings of their extensive research. …
The quintessence of the debate about climate science should be based on the scientific evidence at hand. Science is contestable; scientists are natural sceptics and highly trained critics. They constantly evaluate and revise. But sooner or later, prevailing views will converge after scrutiny and challenge.