An Inconvenient Truth? Not Really

Who hasn’t heard about global warming and the catastrophic effects that are supposed to bring about the end of civilization as we know it? I certainly have and I started wondering about the other side of the argument. Al Gore made his video, “An Inconvenient Truth” very well known and the media was a huge help in that effort. Why haven’t we heard anything in the news about dissenting opinions? I think the media doesn’t want to listen to or broadcast anything that goes against the politically correct grain. Well there are some dissenting opinions out there and I intend to bring some of them to light. Fred Singer of the University of Virginia, an atmospheric physicist who has worked on satellite weather studies for several government agencies says : “ Changes in global temperature and sea levels reflect natural fluctuations that have occurred throughout history and are not caused by pollution. Scientists ignore data, he said, as he presented temperature study results that showed natural fluctuations over several centuries.(From : http://media.www.dailylobo.com/media/storage/paper344/news/2001/10/19/news/Physicist.Argues.Against.Global.Warming.Theory-129029.shtml) Following are “8 Arguments Against Global Warming” 1. Most scientists do not believe human activities threaten to disrupt the Earth’s climate. 2. Our most reliable sources of temperature data show no global warming trend. 3. Global climate computer models are too crude to predict future climate changes. 4. The IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change)did not prove that human activities are causing global warming. 5. A modest amount of global warming, should it occur, would be beneficial to the natural world and to human civilization. 6. Efforts to quickly reduce human greenhouse gas emissions would be costly and would not stop Earth’s climate from changing. 7. Efforts by state governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are even more expensive and threaten to bust state budgets. 8. The best strategy to pursue is no regrets” (From : http://www.aproundtable.org/tps30info/globalwarmup.html
Am I saying we shouldn’t be concerned about climate changes? No, we should however put the evidence in the proper perspective. Many of the theories supporting global warming are, when examined more closely, just not very plausible. CO2 is the most talked about greenhouse gas and people have actually talked about ways to eliminate it from the atmosphere. Eliminating CO2, even if we had the technology to do it, would endanger the entire world. CO2 is a natural and necessary part of our everyday lives. Without CO2 most plant life would die very quickly. Plants need food, sunlight and CO2 in order to survive. Would you like to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere? Plant more trees!! Trees consume more CO2 per individual than most other forms of plant life. They also give off oxygen as a byproduct.
Hydrogen fuel cells have been promoted as a viable alternative to fossil fuels. That may be true in theory and in fact in terms of cost and reducing the amount of exhaust compounds in the air. The unfortunate fact is that water vapor is the leading greenhouse gas. Clouds hold in heat and prevent radiational cooling, they are also the most important variable in the greenhouse effect. Hydrogen powered vehicles give off water vapor as their only byproduct. Imagine having millions of them on the road putting out thousands of gallons of water vapor every day. Now if that wouldn’t cause global warming nothing would.
It seems to me that the proponents of global warming are participating in fear mongering and if they actually believe what they are saying then they are alarmists. The reasons for anyone wanting to promote fear are open to debate. Perhaps it is motivated by a need for control of something…the economy? The country?
There are too many arguments against global warming to make it a certainty. The instruments used to measure the indicators of global warming give conflicting results. To quote Fred Singer again : “During the last 20 years, a period in which many have suggested evidence of warming from the greenhouse effect, various methods of measurement have provided conflicting data, Singer said. Sensors that measure surface and ocean temperature have recorded temperature increases, while satellite and balloon weather equipment have showed no warming. We need to concentrate on finding more efficient energy sources that don’t harm the atmosphere, nuclear energy for electricity is one of the best we currently have. Finding an alternative source of energy for transportation should be a priority if only to make driving your own car affordable again. As far as the long term effects of global warming are concerned we need to take a wait and see approach as it’s too early to tell what will happen.