How was the American Physical Society(APS) statement on climate adopted?

Question

If we go to the APS statement on climate change, we find it says "(Adopted by Council on November 18, 2007)"  http://www.aps.org/policy/statements/07_1.cfm

My question is how was this statement developed?  Who is "Council"?  Did somebody approve it?  Did the "Council" approve it?  Did the "Council" draft it?  Did climate scientists draft it?  Physicists?

Was the membership consulted?  All of the membership?  Some of the membership?  Was it a poll or vote?  Do all members of APS support it?  Do the Fellows of the APS support it?

Why is there also a Climate Change Commentary?  Same questions apply for this....

gcnp58 · Accepted Answer

The APS statement was reviewed extensively by an ad hoc committee of eminent physicists appointed by the president of APS.  The members of APS were invited to comment on the 2007 climate change commentary.  The ad hoc committee overwhelmingly voted to reject the modification of the 2007 statement.  It did however, recommend clarification of the statement, which is where the additional paragraphs come from.  The 2007 commentary was written by a different ad hoc committee, also appointed by the president of APS.  In short, the members of APS had opportunity to comment on the 2007 statement, and their comments were adopted by the APS.  There has not been wholesale resignations from APS as a result of the 2007 statement.  The conclusion is that the objections raised to the original commentary were made by a relatively small group of climate skeptics and found to be without scientific merit.  This conclusion was supported by a vast majority of the APS membership.

http://www.aps.org/units/fps/newsletters/200910/prosnitz.cfm

http://physicsfrontline.aps.org/2009/11/10/aps-council-overwhelmingly-rejects-proposal-to-replace-societys-current-climate-change-statement/

http://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200910/climate.cfm

http://blogs.physicstoday.org/newspicks/2010/04/aps-amends-its-statement-on-cl.html

edit:  You're not being reasonable.  Whenever a large group of scientists generally agrees with the conclusions of the IPCC, you see conspiracy rather than admit the basic fact that the large majority of real scientists understand the science and think overall it is correct.  In contrast, you prefer to believe the conclusions of a small group that have definite signs of actually being a conspiracy because they are telling you what you want to hear.  Like I said, skeptics inhabit a bizzarro world where logic is upside down.

Anonymous · Answer

The APS president was Cherry Murray?  Picking what she wanted?  No.  She was the one that appointed ad-hoc to reconsider the "incontorvertible" language.  "At the May 2009 meeting of the APS Council, a member of Council moved that the Council reconsider the APS statement on Climate Change that was passed in November, 2007.  In particular, this Councilor said that he and approximately 50 current and former APS members with whom he has contact feel that the statement is questionable by its inflexible declaration that the evidence for global warming is “incontrovertible.” "  The motion was tabled.  We should have heard something by now.  That's the trouble when something gets tabled: nothing gets done.

TWJworks · Answer

The APS Statement on Climate Change is unequivocal. It notes that “global warming is occurring.” And the commentary states that “while there are factors driving the natural variability of climate (e.g., volcanoes, solar variability, oceanic oscillations), no known natural mechanisms have been proposed that explain all of the observed warming in the past century.”  

The statement DOES NOT declare that the human contribution to climate change is incontrovertible.  

The Society has dealt with the climate change issue openly and democratically, and has given every APS member the opportunity to inform the process.    In addition, an independent, unbiased panel examined the statement and consulted with leading climate experts as well as skeptics.  Finally, the Council of the APS, comprised of the elected representatives of the Society, overwhelmingly approved the statement and accompanying commentary.   As it has for 112 years, APS continues to stand for the utmost integrity in promoting and disseminating scientific research.

? · Answer

<> By the 'Council'. It says so in your own link. Strange that you missed that. <> http://www.aps.org/about/governance/executive/index.cfm <> I think that is what "adopted by Council" means. <> If they ultimately adopted it, there is a great chance that they did (and thus that it was not drafted by the Rothschilds or Al Gore). <> http://www.aps.org/about/governance/executive/councillors.cfm & http://www.aps.org/about/governance/executive/officers.cfm <> Physicists? At the American Physical Society? You're kidding, right? <> http://www.aps.org/about/contact/index.cfm <> Because some APS members are regular WUWT readers and take whatever Tony Watts says for granted.

antarcticice · Answer

Honesty you only make yourself look foolish with these childish and continuing attempts to try and suggest it is a few forcing these things onto the membership.
Unlike rubbish from the OISM petition the council of the APS are real people 
http://www.aps.org/about/governance/executive/councillors.cfm
Most only serve for one or two years 
The leadership of the APS are also changed on a regular basis this is the current board
http://www.aps.org/about/governance/election/
Much changed since just 2010
http://www.aps.org/about/pressreleases/elecresults2010.cfm
They have yearly elections and if the membership disagreed with the statement they have had 5 years to voice that opposition. That speaks louder than any of the BS you will reply to my comment with.
Much of the above is right there on the APS website so you don't really seem that interested, as it took me 2 minutes to find this.

Anonymous · Answer

First, you're incorrect, this letter must be a fraud on condition that all of us keep in mind that there is a consensus on AGW. also, your link has the be conscious conservative in it so it truly is yet another strike hostile to you. ultimately, that's politically maximum proper to believe in AGW. ASME has an same statement that AGW is actual. nonetheless, my society features from this on condition that we ought to arise with the thoughts to sparkling up the capacity complications and the emissions complications so that's a win for us.

david b · Answer

There was probably a committee tasked with created a statement that, generally, encompasses the opinions of it's members.

Either that or a senior board for the Society did it.

No, the entire membership was probably not consulted as that would be an enormous time sink.

Eliot K · Answer

The commentary is probably due American Conservative and industrial interests politicizing a scientific discussion/fact.

Also, read some of the requirements the APS has:

http://www.aps.org/policy/reports/studies/guidelines.cfm

Anonymous · Answer

Next you can ask the same questions about all the other scientific associations around the world why they have similar statements to APS ..........is it part of some global socialist, or perhaps even Reptilian ,  conspiracy of scientists, just like evolution.......or do scientists know something that the denier industry doesnt?

? · Answer

I'm just going to take a wild guess based on nothing but a gut feeling and say I bet the members were not consulted, nor were they given any say in the matter.

That just seems to be the way things work in climate 'science.'
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Gee, turns out I was right, what a lucky guess.

http://www.aps.org/units/fps/newsletters/200910/prosnitz.cfm
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How was the American Physical Society(APS) statement on climate adopted?

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