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Politics and Agendas
Tue Sep 23, 2003
Listen in RealAudio 
This past month, we have been looking at the controversy surrounding a climate change research
paper, which states that our present warming trend may not be primarily human-caused. Dr Kevin
Trenbreth of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, explains why
the problem is so complex.
BRYAN: It seems like one of the problems is: it's hard to pinpoint exactly because it's hard
to take into account that natural variability as well.
DR. T: With an El Niņo there's a little increase in global mean temperatures, so
that's sort of the level of natural variability that we have to get above in terms of the
global mean temperatures before we can clearly say that something out of the ordinary is
happening.
BRYAN: Do you think Dr. Soon and Dr. Baliunas just took too thin a slice of the overall
data?
DR.T: Well, I think they were interested in having a look at what is going on in the past
temperature record, but the thing which was perhaps a little more upsetting about this is that
it was seized upon - this work was seized upon and blown up out of all proportion by,
apparently, people with political agendas. And I don't know whether Soon and Baliunas
themselves have political agendas but, unfortunately, this was not just science. And,
unfortunately, these other aspects - the political aspects - come into play.
Our program is funded by Subaru of America, and The National Science Foundation. Our thanks to
both Dr. Soon and Dr. Trenbreth for their views.
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