The presenter was incredulous and asked Folland to repeat…
““The presenter was incredulous and asked Folland to repeat his statement so that the entire audience could hear, and Folland again said, ‘The data don’t matter…we’re not basing our recommendations upon the data; we’re basing them upon the climate models.’” —Chris Folland, UK Meteorological Office (1991)32””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A presenter dismisses data, insisting decisions rely on climate models alone, highlighting overconfidence in models over empirical evidence.
In simple terms: He trusts models more than raw data.
Key Takeaway
Question reliance on models without data.
Themes
science
climate
decision‑making
confidence
skepticism
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
technical
policy‑oriented
When to use this quote
- climate policy meetings
- scientific debates
- risk assessment
Key Concepts
model dependency
data skepticism
policy influence
Questions to Reflect On
- When should data override models?
- What safeguards ensure model reliability?
A Different Perspective
The stance can overlook data errors and model limitations.