Reference: "A Rio+20 news alert," a community commentary by Rev. Roger Burkhart, (Foster's Daily Democrat, June 11). Like the reverend, I too am neither a scientist nor an authority on matters relating to the operation of our environment, planet, universe, et al. But I can read, assimilate, and derive conclusions. The referenced commentary resembles a cry that the "sky is falling". This is followed by a list of tasks that must be accomplished including a "feminization of our cultural norms." Is this a joke?
None of what is below is derived from my cranium. Rather, all of what is below has been taken from an excellent website on Global Warming. The URL is: http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/GlobWarmTest/start.html. It is primarily a nine question test on global warming. But there is on this site literally a university library full of material that delves further in the subject of global warming at every question.
Visit the website and decide for yourself whether your progeny is doomed by "the sky that is falling" and will be "saved" by the infusion of dollars into the curtailment of greenhouse gasses, or you are being duped and taken to the cleaners.
Is planet Earth warming? I sure hope so.
1. In fact, since the end of the last ice age, it has warmed a whole 16 degrees Fahrenheit and the oceans have risen 300 feet. (And well they should since the ice cap during the last ice age reached as far south as the state of Kentucky! All that water has to go somewhere.) As long as the temperature is rising we will be in the interglacial period. Don't panic when you hear global alarmists warning the earth may have warmed almost 1 degree in the last 200 years. Although this still hasn't yet been proven, it is in fact exactly what should be happening if everything is normal. When it starts to cool, then it is time to prepare for the next ice age. And as you may conclude: It is not "if," it is "when."
2. There are four contributors to the Earth's warming: 1) cyclical variations in the sun's energy output, 2) eccentricities in the Earth's orbit, 3) the influence of plate tectonics on the distribution of continents and oceans, and 4) the so-called "greenhouse effect". The first three are obviously above puny "man's pay grade" to affect, so below are some facts from discussions about the "greenhouse effect" on the website.
a. The "greenhouse effect" is "a bit player" in the global climate theater. But without it the Earth's temperature would be minus 18 degrees Celsius. Sixty (60) percent of the Earth is covered by water. When water evaporates it become vapor. And 95 percent of the greenhouse gasses are naturally occurring water vapor. Now isn't that illuminating? Puny man's contribution to the greenhouse gasses computation ranges from two tenths to three tenths of one percent, depending on whose numbers you use.
b. Water vapor is 99.999% of a natural origin. "Human activities contribute slightly to greenhouse gas concentrations through farming, manufacturing, power generation, and transportation. However, these emissions are so dwarfed in comparison to emissions from natural sources we can do nothing about, that even the most costly efforts to limit human emissions would have a very small â€" perhaps undetectable â€" effect on global climate."
3. The Kyoto Protocol calls for mandatory reductions in the carbon dioxide emissions of 30% from countries like ours. To achieve this would inflict a devastating blow to our economy. Can you drive your car 30% less, reduce your winter heating 30%, pay 20-50% more for everything from automobiles to zippers? And that is just a down payment, with more sacrifices to come later.
4. But let's say we and all the other countries on this orb made their contribution. "There is no dispute at all about the fact that even if punctiliously observed, (the Kyoto Protocol) would have an imperceptible effect on future temperatures â€" one-twentieth of a degree by 2050." This is a quote from Dr. S. Fred Singer, atmospheric physicist at the University of Virginia.
5. Specifically, these (Kyoto Protocol) drastic measures would reduce total green house contributions from CO2 by about 35 hundredths of one percent or 0.035%, which is well below the natural variability of the Earth's climate system!!!
6. Finally I cite this quote from question nine material: "Over 17,000 scientists have signed the Global Warming Petition to express their view that "there is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gasses is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate."
Now who are you going to believe, 17,000 scientists or a non-scientific person?
The conclusion is obvious to me but you go to the website and read for yourself.
Pete Doe
York, Maine
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