Warming
WARMING
Global warming is the buzzword of the day and is now the popular cause of self styled experts on both sides of the political aisle. We are being bombarded by statistics trying to prove the case for the different points of view. While I am not indifferent to the gloom and doom global warming forecasts, I do not like to be snowed (no pun intended) by the careful arrangement of partial, selective facts.
One fact does not seem to be in dispute, i.e., in the last 100 years, the climate of the earth has warmed by about one (1) degree. But there is one other fact that many folks seem to ignore; that is, over the history of our planet, whether measured in years, centuries, millennia, or millions of years, the climate of the earth has continually changed — sometimes in major swings. We have had ice ages, some longer than others, and warm periods (maybe we could call them hot flashes?) as well. Our planet has evolved so that we now have glaciers at the poles and tropical rain forests in between. And these extremes have come about, thank you, without the help or hindrance of mankind. Nowadays the culprit of climate change, i.e., “warming”, is placed at the doorstep of human activity — hence the gloom and doom global warming forecasts.
I can buy the idea that PART of the climate increase that has occurred over the past 100 years is due to human activity, but ask yourself the question – is that element of “warming” 50% of the total, or maybe just 5%? The answers to that question show the fertile ground for statistical exaggeration. For one, I will be much more comfortable about the whole global warming issue if that simple question is accurately answered. But the obfuscation of factual data by scientists who know better as well as journalists with their own agendas continues. The environmentalists are having a field day and happily throw kerosene on the fire. In the meantime, Mother Nature, the master architect of long term climate change, goes along her merry way toward another millenium – with or without our help
Economics – and the price of gasoline? That is another matter.
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