Facts are such stubborn things, part I

The U.N.'s pet scientists are once again claiming unanimity of opinion that the earth is warming:

Scientists studying the changing nature of the Earth's climate say they have completed one crucial task — proving beyond a doubt that global warming is real.

Last year, Pachauri's IPCC, which collected the work of more than 2,000 scientists, said climate change is "unequivocal, is already happening, and is caused by human activity."

But if "every scientist knows" global warming is a certainty, I guess these 650 people are charlatans and impostors:

The UN global warming conference currently underway in Poland is about to face a serious challenge from over 650 dissenting scientists from around the globe who are criticizing the climate claims made by the UN IPCC and former Vice President Al Gore. Set for release this week, a newly updated U.S. Senate Minority Report features the dissenting voices of over 650 international scientists, many current and former UN IPCC scientists, who have now turned against the UN. The report has added about 250 scientists (and growing) in 2008 to the over 400 scientists who spoke out in 2007. The over 650 dissenting scientists are more than 12 times the number of UN scientists (52) who authored the media-hyped IPCC 2007 Summary for Policymakers.

The simple fact is, there is no scientific consensus--there is room within the observable evidence for vastly different theories. This is not a scientific discourse--it is a political one, with each side trying to line up their stable of people with impressive sounding credentials.

I learned as a kid not to trust any argument that begins "everybody knows..."