POLITICO ‘Garbage’ models and black boxes? The science of climate disaster planning Scientists warn that the data may be too unreliable to guide the precautions that governments, businesses and retirement fund managers must take in the coming decades. Firefighters set a backfire to protect homes and try to contain a California wildfire. | David McNew/Getty Images Link Copied A new breed of data-crunching consultants has emerged to help big corporations and federal agencies assess the long-term dangers they face from climate change — everything from flooding risks for electrical substations to drought threats for supply chains. But while those firms’ computerized projections may help satisfy shareholders' and activists' demands for fuller risk disclosures and stronger actions to counter the threats, scientists warn that the data may be too unreliable to guide the precautions that governments, businesses and retirement fund managers must take in the coming decades, creating a false sense of security.