Science is fallible, as are those who cite it

IN RECENT eloquent letters to this page, Peter Campion of Tolga certainly will have all the climate-change naysayers nodding in agreement, but regardless of all that’s said and written on the subject, people tend to believe what they want to believe and selectively sift information to suit their own beliefs, regardless of veracity and/or common sense.

I recall a quote from long ago – “lies, damn lies and statistics” – that could well apply to every uttered word there ever has been.

No one has a mortgage on the truth, if there is such a thing, and predicting the future is virtually impossible, despite the scientific proofs applying to any particular subject. My opinion is the past is the only thing we can accept as being close to the truth, and as they say, is a good predictor of the future. A case of being wise after the event.

A wise man once said, believe nothing that you read, half of what you see, and rely on your gut feeling for advice. Extreme, maybe, but it has its merits.

Having said all that, regardless of Peter’s wellresearched opinion, I prefer to support Tony Tsimbas’s logic that is being supported by the ever-increasing events on our climate-change calendar, which most people recognise, and while there is no doubt there is a general consensus on the reality of climate change, the reasons for it are creating enormous division, and will continue to do so.

Personal opinion is every man’s prerogative, and no one has the right or omnipotence to deny him/her that privilege, except where fake opinions are used for political mileage or self promotion.

DON MORRIS, Cranbrook