While reading a mildly interesting opinion on global warming at Nicholas Kristof’s blog, I went down the reader comments and realized something, I really don’t care what most people think about global warming. About 30-40% of reader contributions on global warming just are inane, (example: ad hominem attacks on Al Gore, mention of something a crackpot scientist said in his book proving that global warming is a hoax). The rest are (like my own opinion) mildly informed, but lacking in-depth knowledge.
The only comments I wish to read are by economists/urban planners/innovators/scientists and occasionally a layman like Al Gore. The rest of the opinions out there are just background noise. That’s why, by the way, choosing a good blog can often mean the difference in understanding an issue in depth. A generic interest blog or newspaper is going to fail in the signal-to-noise-ratio, while a special interest blog is likely to attract people who share a certain set of assumptions or are prepared to offer evidence or at least unique contributions. My problem perhaps is that well-trafficked newspapers just aren’t small enough. Once an article has 50 or more comments, chances are that reading all the comments will be a waste of your time.
Two blogs I recommend for climate change: Prometheus (more on science policy than science) and Real Climate (heavy science).
Here’s R. Pielke Jr. on gasoline taxes and whether they would really have an impact. From his blog, here’s a readable analysis of global warming by Prins and Rayner called the Wrong Trousers. (47 page pdf). Here’s a reaction on a nature.com blog
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