Welcome to the first issue of Science of Climate Change: An International Journal of Science and Philosophy. Our scientific objectives are elaborated in our mission statement on the preceding page. We think it is important that science is not hindered by political directives about what can and cannot be communicated to the public; about what can and cannot be themes for scientific research.
This is why the term ‘philosophy’ is added to the title of the journal. The directives from above have nothing to do with science as such; therefore, such directives can only be treated on a philoso-phical basis. Freedom of expression is not science; it is one of the basic pillars of science, well grounded in philosophy throughout the ages. The scientific method is not science, it is a pre-condition for doing science. That we ought to use the scientific method when doing science, may seem glaringly obvious, but is not at all something that goes without saying within many scientific communities; it is a philosophy of action, and indeed, a prerequisite founded on logical principles and a strong and almost religious belief about what science is and what it is not.
The world today is dominated by those who see it as important that science surrounding climate change, is kept politically correct, and that scientific evidence to the contrary is kept under lock and key. Consequently, scientific journals all over the world have been directed not to publish articles that do not suit their political rulers and their elite. Climate change has become a key phrase for creating fear in the public; consequently, science showing that we do not have to fear climate change has no place in the scientific institutions supported by the State.
Scientists researching aspects of the climate and the fields it influences, have long complained that they have great difficulties in getting their contributions published in scientific journals, for what-ever just or unjust reasons. One consequence is that those who believe there is catastrophic climate change going on, caused by anthropogenic emissons of carbon dioxide, state that those who claim otherwise have not been published in peer reviewed scientific journals.
“So why not create our own scientific journal?”, I thought last summer, a journal that can be inde-pendent and will have no ties to anyone with a political agenda.
As a newly elected member of the board of the Norwegian “Klimarealistene”, I brought out the idea of an uncensored journal in a board meeting last summer, and was met with acclamation. Many of the members had been thinking the same thought for years.
Members of our Scientific Council nominated their member, the renowned Nils-Axel Mörner, as Chief Editor with me as assistant editor, and brought it before him in August, and with his usual zest, he went wholeheartedly into it. The board of Klimarealistene and its Scientific Council members convened in September and elected ‘Niklas’ as Chief editor. He could not attend as he had got an appointment with his physician the same day. Little did we know that he had only three weeks left to live.
The shattering news that our beloved Niklas was dying reached us only one week before he passed away. We promised ourselves that we would carry on the work in that unwavering spirit of his. It has taken its time, but finally, here is the first issue of our journal, which we hope you will not only enjoy, but also contribute to if you have something to publish fit to the spirit of thoroughgoing science.
Klimarealistene, the “Climate Realists of Norway”, fighting for the untainted science in all fields pertaining to climate and climate change, have established our own Scientific Council consisting of experienced scientists who are guiding us through the wilderness of un-scientific claims, assertions and allegations in the mass media. From this Council, an editorial board has been set up who are helping with the peer reviews of the incoming contributions.
Referring to our mission statement, there must be no doubt about our aim with regards to the quality of the published contributions. We don’t publish in order to publish, such as scientists publish in order to keep their occupation. The world already suffers from too many scientific papers; the important ones may drown in the torrent from the scientific production. One may jokingly exaggerate that counting your articles may be counter-productive to what should count in science.
With this issue we include a Call for Papers. We didn’t want to drown in contributions while we set up all the routines necessary to publish a scientific journal. From now on, contributions will be reviewed and when accepted, be published on our website. We aim to invite papers on certain topics which will be published in special issues; as such we have already begun working on several such possibilities.
Contributions that bring new issues to the discussion or may shed a critical light on weaknesses in previously published papers are prioritized. Justified criticism of any models not complying with the real world is welcomed. Science progresses through sound criticism.
This issue consists of four parts. The first part regards Klimarealistene and our Scientific Council. The second consists of several invited papers, most of them invited by Niklas Mörner himself. The third part contains several papers on the memory of Niklas Mörner, and the fourth part contains book reviews.
Contributions to the issue may be of any length. Lighter contributions including letters to the Editor are of course welcomed. We are not affiliated to any institution, which means that scientific discus-sions here will be unharmed by political dogma. We are running on as light as possible a budget, but publishing pdfs costs next to nothing. With a view to future sun flares, we will also publish a limited number on paper for posterity. The internet is flighty, and one day the powers that be may take over that too, in their supreme wish for censorship.
