07.02.2009 5:39 pm
Climate change deniers follow typical but strange pattern
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Mr. O’Toole’s skeptical letter on global warming follows a typical but strange pattern. He denies that it’s happening and admits that it’s happening (but it’s natural). Let me address his errors. First, global temperatures have NOT cooled in the last decade. Here is what global-warming deniers must do to make this claim (other than outright lying): 1998 was an extremely warm year, so they compare the average temperature of the last ten years to 1998. This allegedly shows that temperatures are cooling. Unfortunately for them, if they select 1997, they must admit that every year since then has been hotter. If they select 1999, they must admit the same thing. If they choose ANY year on record prior to 1998, they must admit that every year after 2000 has been warmer. Only 1998 works for them. Scientists use all the data. They don’t pick and choose. As for the increased ice at the South Pole, warmer temperatures have allowed more precipitation to fall in the form of snow. As for climate changing naturally in the past, well, forest fires occur naturally too. That does not mean we don’t cause forest fires. If projections of 5°C warming in this century are realized, we will experience about the same warming that occurred over a 5 thousand year period at the end of the last ice age. That is not natural!
William Moran
Innsbrook
I wish I could celebrate our freedom but your side is continually taking it away. With this good as President our freedoms are being stolen from us at alarming rates.
If you can’t celebrate the country’s birth, if you can’t honor the United States on the 4th, then you are no American…
Shame on you Dave
My problem with Republicans on energy and the environment is that you can’t even get them to say the words ’solar’ or ‘wind’.
Is it because you can’t turn it into a commodity to be billed for?
Jellio
It cannot be what you suggest. Solar and wind is turned into electricity, and in the future in large quantities by power companies. They can bill for that.
I believe that conservatives are tied to the old ways and anything new scares them. They are unable to look at anything that did not exist 20 years ago.
HKCHAS
Earlier in this thread Less than zero Dave suggested liberals had no right to celebrate the 4th of July because we are a disease and do not know what freedom is.
Now he says he cannot celebrate the 4th.
So accordingly we must assume that Less than zero wanted the day called off.
Then they’ve had control for a very long time. We’ve been a fire culture for the last hundred thousand years, we’re still burning things to power our world.
Can’t they see power in the evolution of power? Or is it that the word ‘evolution’ doesn’t exist in their vocabulary as well?
Jellio
The word exists, but they do not teach it. Since they do not teach it then it is just a myth. After all fire was good enough for George Washington so it should be good enough for us.
People will cling to any speck of evidence that supports their political point of view. 1998 was a very warm year, therefore, since it’s been cooler from then on, there is no global warming. This is just the kind of singleminded ignorance that clouds decision.
Look at the overwhelming preponderance of evidence. What are most scientists saying? That is, MOST scientist, not a few research programs funded by the petroleum industry.
Global warming is a sick liberal hoax to raise taxes.
http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&product=PNS&issuedby=OKX
It’s July 5th, 3PM and 71′ - okay never mind.
Jellio - the problem really is that the Democrat Post-Dispatch won’t tell
readers that Tom Carnahan has a WINDfarm company and will benefit from his
brother’s vote. Okay never mind that too.
Global warming, man-made or not, is occurring. The only real question is whether or not we jump on the economic opportunity that exists or do we let the Japanese and Europeans beat us to the punch.