2 weeks ago I attended the AMS 36th Conference on Broadcast Meteorology in Denver where the focus was on Climate Change. Some of the "facts" given to us were 1) The Earth is warming, 2) CO2 levels have increased 50% since 1980, 3) Man is totally responsible - deforestation, urbanization & carbon emissions. A former President of the AMS even "scolded" the broadcasters for being "irresponsible" for not believing/agreeing with the above.
Well, since many of us are over 50 (we remember the global cooling scare tactics of the '60s & 70s) and have very good scientific backgrounds, we did question the "experts". About the current warming CYCLE, they had no answer why it has slowed or stopped while CO2 keeps increasing. When it was pointed out how little CO2 makes up the whole atmosphere, the response was..." a little arsenic can kill a 200 lbs man." Huh? Comparing Man to the Atmosphere is kinda like comparing apples to whales. These scientists are studying (but have already concluded) how CO2 effects the planet. They do not want to hear about how ocean currents play a role in climate change and they dismiss any changes in the Solar output as being "minor".
So what did I learn? 1) Studying Global Warming is big business. - translation...lots of money. 2) Any disagreement is met with personal attacks ( Dr. Jim O'Brien from Fla. State was critizied as being "old". He's 72). 3) The computer modelers admit that there is uncertainty regarding the nature variability of our climate.
What bothers me most are the solutions the politicians propose for reversing Global Warming. The carbon "cap & trade" will not reduce CO2 levels, but will increase costs of most goods while making a few very wealthy brokers. The carbon tax is just that...another tax for being successful. What we need is a national energy policy that REWARDS folks for conserving energy or buying more fuel efficient cars & trucks. Give people INCENTIVES like we have for installing panels on homes. Finally, "IF" CO2 is the driver of Global Warming, why is the planet not continuing to get hotter? Check out the web site ...icecap.us Read about how the Arctic sea ice is not melting nearly as much as last year. Should get you thinking. Why not?
6 comments:
Always enjoy reading this blog. Actually aliens are the cause of the global warming.
Is the heat expected this weekend record heat or just very hot?
Our current "heat wave" is no where near record heat, which at this time of the year is around 100degrees or higher. In fact, 2008 has not been a hot summer for us so far. Remember 1980? Once we reached June, most daily highs were 95+ with several records topping 100. We're supposed to be hot at this time of the year. Fortunately, it's just been typical summer heat for us.
It may not be record heat but it sure is hot!!!
I remember on August 11, 2007 the temperature topped out at 100 degrees. I just "happened" to be at the French Quarter at that day and I was sweating like a dog. I think it was because of a cold front that brought slightly drier air, but that drier air made it hotter, too.
I really appreciated reading your prospective on this conference. I'm almost 50 (but not over), and I do remember the "global cooling" scares of the 70s (then, it was the pollution that man was producing that was "blocking" the sun). I've often thought that all we need is a good volcanic eruption somewhere on the earth to switch the "global warming" talk back to "global cooling" again. So Dr. Jim O'Brien was chastised for being "too old", huh? Why do I suspect that happened right after Dr. O'Brien asked whoever had the floor a tough question that he didn't have an answer for?
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