Watch your climate language
By Letter to the Editor on November 6, 2019.
Careless talk about climate change is treacherous. There is a gigantic difference between natural climate change and human-caused climate change. As Albertans, we see proof all around us that climate naturally changes (effects of ice sheets and fossils from tropical forests). The millions of years of cyclic natural climate change have been well documented through core samples (ocean floors and arctic ice) and historical records. Using the talking point of “scientific consensus,” without a detailed referencing of what this consensus is about (natural or human-caused) is deceitful. Scientists with expertise in historic global climate change scoff at reliance on recent scandal ridden climate data and exaggerated computer-model predictions. The best predictor of climate change is solar related isotopes identified with mass spectrometers. Disregard propaganda and “junk science” like climate charts of fewer than 200-1,000 years causing “snap shot panic.” Another careless language reference is referring to “the” cause of climate change when it is extremely complex (cycles within cycles) and has many contributing factors that map out the blueprint of climate change. Since the sun is the only important input of energy to our climate system, read climate books featuring the recent combined studies of solar scientists. Solar radiation explains up to 85% of climate variation occurring historically in an approximately 1,500-year cycle composed of many alternating yet varying warming and cooling periods (solar maximums and minimums). The next relevant contributor is cosmic rays effecting global cloud cover. Lesser cyclical contributors include: Axial tilt, orbital shape, the Earth’s slow wobble and several others. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (water vapour – 60% of GHG warming effect, CO2 – 20%, and ozone, nitrous oxide, methane and others – 20%) contribute so small a relative warming effect they present minimal impact. So why all the fear-mongering, hysterical emotional hyperbole, and cunning manipulation to give up our rights, freedoms, and earnings? This tactic has been used for political power grabbing for years. The Nazis used “industrial pollution” as a threat to human annihilation; the Soviets used “acid rain”; next was “world starvation”; in the last global cooling period the threat of a “mini ice age” was used; then “Peak Oil” (no new reserves); now “unending global warming.” These have all been debunked, overcome, or controlled with innovation and technological advances developed in the free market. Let’s also stop conflating climate policies with environmental policies or economic policies. Policies to stop climate change would require breaking the laws of gravity in order to change the varying orbital gravitational pull of the large planets on the sun (that regularly changes the diameter of the sun) creating constant warming and cooling periods. We already have the evolving technologies to prepare and thus survive climate change. For the next 50-plus years we have oil and gas that is inexpensive, reliable and efficient. Then if we can’t thwart the laws of physics and store huge amounts of wind or solar panel electricity, nuclear power will work. Man has adapted, innovated, prepared, migrated, and survived climate changes for 300,000 years. Stop scaring our children; stop crippling our economy; and stop separating our country. Barb Taylor Medicine Hat 9-8
