>While this is “good news” on a temporary basis, this is bad news on the long term because it tells scientists that ocean temperature is a bigger player in glacier retreats and advances than previously thought, said NASA climate scientist Josh Willis, a study co-author. Over the decades the water has been and will be warming from man-made climate change, he said, noting that about 90 percent of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases goes into the oceans.
>“In the long run we’ll probably have to raise our predictions of sea level rise again,” Willis said.
Gah, this is not going to be good. An event scientists clearly believe is a bad sign, that will no doubt be interpreted by laymen as a good sign. This will not help the public policy discussion.
The problem is climate science has been handed out to people who never took the time or likely didn't have the research abilities to genuinely understand it. Instead it's become much of a "religion of science" Where people want to feel smart and so accept the science without undertanding it. The result is an incomplete model in their minds where they can agree with the science but they don't know why. In turn they flame people who are "too stupid" to understand even tho they themselves are daft. The result is people who don't believe or are on the fence are likely to be turned off from even considering climate change, because why would you try to understand someone who doesn't understand their own argument and instead just wants to flame you?
This isn't bad, it's good. Our society could use a moment for humble pie as a chance to better learn. Science can't be reduced to nothing and still have meaning. People need to actually understand what they believe in.
>“In the long run we’ll probably have to raise our predictions of sea level rise again,” Willis said.