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