Objective probabilities about future climate are a matter of opinion

被引:40
作者
Gay, Carlos [1 ]
Estrada, Francisco [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Ctr Ciencias Atmosfera, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
关键词
UNCERTAINTY;
D O I
10.1007/s10584-009-9681-4
中图分类号
X [环境科学、安全科学];
学科分类号
08 ; 0830 ;
摘要
In this paper, the unfeasibility of producing "objective" probabilistic climate change scenarios is discussed. Realizing that the knowledge of "true" probabilities of the different scenarios and temperature changes is unachievable, the objective must be to find the probabilities that are the most consistent with what our state of knowledge and expert judgment are. Therefore, subjective information plays, and should play, a crucial role. A new methodology, based on the Principle of Maximum Entropy, is proposed for constructing probabilistic climate change scenarios when only partial information is available. The objective is to produce relevant information for decision-making according to different agents' judgment and subjective beliefs. These estimates have desirable properties such as: they are the least biased estimate possible on the available information; maximize the uncertainty (entropy) subject to the partial information that is given; The maximum entropy distribution assigns a positive probability to every event that is not excluded by the given information; no possibility is ignored. The probabilities obtained in this manner are the best predictions possible with the state of knowledge and subjective information that is available. This methodology allows distinguishing between reckless and cautious positions regarding the climate change threat.
引用
收藏
页码:27 / 46
页数:20
相关论文
共 24 条
[1]   Possible or probable? [J].
Allen, MR .
NATURE, 2003, 425 (6955) :242-242
[2]  
[Anonymous], 2008, Compendium on methods and tools to evaluate impacts of, and vulnerability to climate change, P228
[3]  
GAY C, 2006, 5 C AS ESP CLIM ZAR, P18
[4]  
Golan A, 1996, Maximum Entropy Econometrics: Robust Estimation with Limited Data
[5]   Identifying dangers in an uncertain climate [J].
Grübler, A ;
Nakicenovic, N .
NATURE, 2001, 412 (6842) :15-15
[6]  
Hulme M., 2002, CLIMATE CHANGE SCENA
[7]  
Jaynes E.T., 1962, Lectures in Theoretical Physics (Brandeis University Summer Institute in Theoretical Physics), VIII, P181
[8]  
Jaynes E. T., 2003, PROBABILITY THEORY L, DOI 10.1017/CBO9780511790423
[9]   INFORMATION THEORY AND STATISTICAL MECHANICS [J].
JAYNES, ET .
PHYSICAL REVIEW, 1957, 106 (04) :620-630
[10]  
JOACHIM H, 2006, AVOIDING DANGEROUS C