The Facts About Global Warming

I first got interested in the issue of climate change four years ago when I started reading the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Summary for Policymakers.  What I found intriguing is the summary’s have few similarities to the body of the actual reports.  A large portion of the IPCC summary’s editorialized rather than present actual science.

When speaking with people on the streets and academia, most have little understanding of the theory of global warming.  My presentation is designed to provide the pubic with the unbiased, real facts and then they can make a sound decision on what they believe.

Example one, the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report on Greenland states that it will take 270 years and a quadrupling of current manmade CO₂ concentrations to melt 20% of Greenland’s glacial ice.  In addition, the report states that it will take 1760 years to melt 80% of Greenland’s glacial ice.  If you watch the major market news outlets or read the editorial pages of our local newspapers, you would be under the impression that Greenland will melt completely in ten years. 

Example two, often we are told that as CO₂ concentrations rise, temperature rises with it.  If we take a look at the vast amounts of proxy data from ice core samples, ocean and lake sediment, tree rings, stalagmite and stalactite samples obtained from around the world, CO₂ levels have always follow temperature; therefore, CO₂ is not the driving force as we are led to believe.  In my presentation I provide data that show how CO₂ levels always follow temperature levels; whereas many global warming presenters present data of temperature and CO₂ on separate graphs creating the illusion that CO₂ is the driving force. 

Example three, according to NASA researchers the 10 hottest years in U.S. history have occurred in the last 15 years.  A report was recently released stating that NASA’s temperature data was full of errors.  For instance, one thermometer was located on the rooftop of a building right next to an air conditioning unit.  Once NASA made the corrections, four of the top ten hottest years now occurred in the 1930’s and only three of the top ten warmest years on record have happened since 1997.

In my many years of working in the wastewater treatment industry, I have come to realize that if we pollute and contaminant the environment, it’s our duty to remediate those toxins.  The United States is the wealthiest country in the world and the technology to achieve these goals is going to come from the free market, not government mandates.

One particular public policy debate is the creation of a Carbon Cap and Trade Program.  A Cap and Trade Program would allow polluting countries, states and/or businesses to buy carbon credits to offset their CO₂ production making them “carbon neutral”. In turn, those countries, states and/or businesses that produce little CO₂ could sell their surplus of carbon credits on the open market.  For instance, Al Gore’s home uses 20 times the energy than that of the average house hold.  To offset his carbon footprint, Mr. Gore purchases carbon credits on the open market.  This type of program creates a false sense of environmental stewardship and creates a phony market where worthless pieces of paper are bought and sold which does nothing to reduce CO₂.  In reality, it’s just another tax and doesn’t remedy anything.

Global warming alarmists have led us to believe that “it’s not a political issue, it’s a moral issue.”  In reality it’s not a political issue or a moral issue but rather a scientific issue.  Public policy decisions should be made using sound science not feelings and emotions.