Scientist quits over climate 'religion' .

Philip Sherwell, New York

September 25, 2011

A NOBEL laureate has resigned from one of the world's leading organisations for scientists in protest at its assertion that the evidence of damaging global warming is ''incontrovertible''.

Professor Ivar Giaever resigned from the 48,000-strong American Physical Society (APS), where his peers had elected him a fellow to honour his work.

The society's policy statement says: ''The evidence is incontrovertible: global warming is occurring.''

But Professor Giaever, 82, who shared the 1973 Nobel physics prize, said: ''Incontrovertible is not a scientific word. Nothing is incontrovertible in science.''

The US-based Norwegian physicist, chief technology officer at Applied Biophysics Inc, added: ''Global warming has become the new religion.''

Professor Giaever was among 70 Nobel laureates who endorsed Barack Obama for president in 2008. But he has since criticised his stance on global warming, and joined scientists declaring that ''the case for alarm regarding climate change is grossly overstated''.

He questioned whether the average temperature of ''the whole earth for a whole year'' could be accurately measured, but contended that results indicated the climate has been ''amazingly stable'' for 150 years.

In its policy statement, the APS says: ''Emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities are changing the atmosphere in ways that affect the Earth's climate … The evidence is incontrovertible: global warming is occurring.''

An APS spokesman said the society was ''disappointed'' by Professor Giaever's decision and his criticisms were based on ''misunderstandings''.

Read more: http://www.watoday.com.au/world/scientist-quits-over-climate-religion-20110925-1kru9.html#ixzz1Z2jT4zoe