brazil84 comments on Parapsychology: the control group for science - Less Wrong

62 Post author: AllanCrossman 05 December 2009 10:50PM

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Comment author: brazil84 02 April 2011 01:50:55AM 1 point [-]

Assuming the world discovers and accepts that global warming was wildly exaggerated, how would oil-industry-funded climatology research reduce insurance premiums?

Comment author: taryneast 03 April 2011 09:03:07AM -1 points [-]

I'm told by somebody in the industry, that premiums in cyclone-areas (notably the rigs in the gulf of mexico) are going through the roof right now as climate change predictions mean that cyclone activity is likely to continually increase. If climate change were wildly exaggerated, it could be used to argue for reduced insurance premiums in those regions.

Comment author: brazil84 03 April 2011 09:30:23AM 0 points [-]

Assuming for the sake of argument that that that's true, so what? After that happens, what's the incentive to fund further research?

Comment author: taryneast 03 April 2011 10:07:31AM 0 points [-]

Um, I was responding to "why would the old industry fund climatology work at all" - my answer is "they might do it if it would reduce their insurance premiums".

I do not postulate that they would continue to fund further research after that.

Comment author: brazil84 03 April 2011 10:15:07AM -1 points [-]

"Um, I was responding to 'why would the old industry fund climatology work at all'"

Ok, that's not the question I asked.

Comment author: taryneast 03 April 2011 02:08:53PM 0 points [-]

Looking back at your comment above, that is a word-for-word copy of what you asked. How have I misunderstood your question? Have I taken it out of context? If so - my apologies - and can you supply the correct context?

Comment author: brazil84 03 April 2011 05:51:59PM -1 points [-]

Lol, yes you took it out of context. Here is the first part of my question:

"If it turns out that global warming was wildly exaggerated"

So the question is about what happens after anthropogenic CO2 triggered global warming is (hypothetically) debunked as a serious threat.

Comment author: taryneast 04 April 2011 12:33:39PM 0 points [-]

Doh! yep I didn't realise you meant "after it'd already been debunked". I think we're in "violent agreement" :)