[Terrapreta] Fwd: Pure Organics Vs. Biological Agriculture

Sean K. Barry sean.barry at juno.com
Thu Sep 20 09:24:44 EDT 2007


Hi Michael,

This is not really what I mean.  Peer reviewed documentation of a scientifically verified theory has some different earmarks.  If it is a "theory", then there has been some experimental evidence to support it, not just conjectures around some observations.  Some one starts with a "proposal" or a "hypothesis".  Then to develop a "theory", they go on to use some observations and make a prediction about how this will cause some other thing to occur as a result.  An experiment gets developed to verify that prediction.  The results of that experiment bolster the "theory" because the prediction was met.  Other scientists can repeat that experiment with similar results, and/or add their own predictions from the developing "theory".  It takes time and the inclusion of many people to do this.

This process is called "The Scientific Method".  It has many adherents.  It also has many wannabe, bastardizers of hypothesis into theory attempts ... Fleishmann and Pons published articles saying that they discovered "Cold Fusion" through specific experimentation.  No one has yet ever been able to repeat their findings.  "Cold Fusion" is NOT a reality.  "Cold Fusion" the poster-boy for bad science.

Where I stand on this issue is simple.  If the "hypothesis" is that "the increase in global atmospheric CO2 concentrations will increase uptake of CO2 by plants, as evidenced by measurable increases in plant growth", then two things should be predictable; 1) there is actual evidence of plant growth (the smoke), and 2) the measurable concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere should not be rising (the fire).  If it is at all valid, then both of these should actually occur at predictable rates.   Hundreds or thousands of global climatologists, atmospheric scientists, botanists, and plant physiologists should ALL be joining in, bringing further evidence and new experimentally verifiable predictions that this "proposal" is in fact a working "theory", a model on which they rely to make predictions about the natural world.

THIS IS NOT HAPPENING, IS IT?!  Am I missing the world wide consensus that says and shows "increased plant growth and stable atmospheric CO2 levels are the predictable" and the verified result of our puny human attempt at trying to increase CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere isn't working.  Is increased plant growth sucking up all the CO2 we can pump into the atmosphere?  I don't think so.  There may be articles claiming this is the "working theory".  There may even be a few "peers" who say yes, this is a valid result and these people have not missed any important observations that would explain their "theory".

I don't see any of this, though.  Does anyone else?

It only takes one person to show that a "hypothesis" is NOT a good "theory".  If the work cannot face the scrutiny of "The Scientific Method", then it is not valid, no matter how many articles get written about it.


Regards,

SKB


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Michael Bailes<mailto:michaelangelica at gmail.com> 
  To: terrapreta<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
  Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 3:14 AM
  Subject: [Terrapreta] Fwd: Pure Organics Vs. Biological Agriculture




  ---------- Forwarded message ----------
  From: Michael Bailes <michaelangelica at gmail.com<mailto:michaelangelica at gmail.com>>
  Date: 20 Sep 2007 18:13 
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Pure Organics Vs. Biological Agriculture
  To: bhans at earthmimic.com<mailto:bhans at earthmimic.com>




      I challenge you to find ANYONE who has ever published a peer reviewed article in ANY scientific journal, which reports ANY indication that increased atmospheric CO2 levels alone will promote the bigger or faster growth of any plants.  I do not believe this is possible. 

  There are reports from New  Zealand where it was proposed that CO2 bubbling up in the water from underground increased plant growth. Is this what you mean?




  Michael the Archangel

  "You can fix all the world's problems in a garden. . . . 
  Most people don't know that"
  FROM
  http://www.blog.thesietch.org/wp-content/permaculture.swf<http://www.blog.thesietch.org/wp-content/permaculture.swf> 

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