As humans we tend to invest more symbolic meaning in round numbers. Would you really not consider a 50th birthday to have more "meaning" than a 49th birthday?
People don't have to walk back their 50th birthday.... The Keeling correction makes it look like scientists don't know what they're doing, feeds insinuations that climate data is somehow suspect, and the almost gleeful way in which this number has been announced belies concerns about climate change.
Well, that's a different matter. It seems to me a question for public engagement strategies and protocols. With the web and social media sites it's very tempting to provide up-to-the-minute readouts even though there might be later revisions. Maybe that policy should be reviewed, particularly for "milestone" announcements like this.
Not sure how damaging it's been though. I think there is a general public framework of understanding that reported figures can be revised up or down - look at times for 100m races - and that 399.5 isn't a long way from 400.
Recognizing a symbolic milestone is not the same thing as "hype."
ReplyDelete@The Tracker.
ReplyDeleteTrue.
The hype is in pretending that the 400ppm is in any way a "symbolic milestone".
As humans we tend to invest more symbolic meaning in round numbers. Would you really not consider a 50th birthday to have more "meaning" than a 49th birthday?
ReplyDeletePeople don't have to walk back their 50th birthday.... The Keeling correction makes it look like scientists don't know what they're doing, feeds insinuations that climate data is somehow suspect, and the almost gleeful way in which this number has been announced belies concerns about climate change.
ReplyDeleteDavid,
ReplyDeleteWell, that's a different matter. It seems to me a question for public engagement strategies and protocols. With the web and social media sites it's very tempting to provide up-to-the-minute readouts even though there might be later revisions. Maybe that policy should be reviewed, particularly for "milestone" announcements like this.
Not sure how damaging it's been though. I think there is a general public framework of understanding that reported figures can be revised up or down - look at times for 100m races - and that 399.5 isn't a long way from 400.