In an Economist article, "The clouds of unknowing" pp 81-84 March 20th 2010, an un-named author writes a carefully considered article about the then current status of the Global Warming Hypothesis. Overall, this is quite a good article, but on Page 81 he or she falls into a trap. Concluding that it is hard to follow the data through to a certainty that there is actually global warming the author says "Data are vexatious; theory is quite straightforward".

The author is right in saying that it is hard to follow the data through. It has not been made any easier by some workers seemingly trying to hide data, something that seems to go contrary to the 500 year tradition of Western science. Several British newspapers reported one particular individual of saying something along the lines of "Why should I show you my data ? I spent years gathering it, and you will just use it against me."

The Economist author is, however, wholly mistaken in his understanding of the role of theory. He writes "..theory is quite straightforward". Nothing could be further from the truth. Nothing else that we do is based on theory alone. Nothing. We have theory to explain measured facts and not the other way round. Furthermore, the idea that a computer model of the Earth's atmosphere can be called "theory" seems to be quite risible to me.

Certainly there is now no longer any scientific justification upon which to hang major political decisions. You must remember that governments are spending billions of pounds because they have swallowed the story. As governments don't actually have any money of their own, what it all means is that you and I are being forced to spend money on a myth.

Every person who calls himself or herself a scientist, should step back now and ask themselves what they are lending themselves to. The populations of the United Kingdom and much of Europe are being led into a fantasy world by arithmetically dysfunctional politicians who have not even realised that the basis of their thought has been shown to be false.

What can we do ?