It reminds me of the discussion we all had about moral facts. https://hubski.com/pub?id=209417 Here's where I would say that climate change is an opinion, or belief, based upon physical facts. The author seems to struggle with this. "Agreed-upon" is the crux of the matter, IMO. Ultimately, the author is trying to parse beliefs founded upon scientifically collected data from other types of beliefs. To be fair, the phrase wasn't hers, but the chief of the EPA. The language here is messy. It might be redundant to say scientific fact, but I guess the scientific part separates it from historical facts. It could be shorthand for facts gathered in a scientific manner. But, I agree that it's inappropriate to apply it to a theory.Some arguments carry more weight than others, but at least it's a debate that can stand on agreed-upon fact.