The fact is, climate change is happening. It has from the beginning of creation. Ice
ages, ocean level rises and falls, forests turned into deserts, deserts turned
into forests; it's all happened many times and will do so in the future.
However, are the increasingly alarmist views, largely
predicted by the leftist media, scientists, naive politicians and some
commentators, actually going to become reality?
The truth is, that, despite the
tsunami of dire predictions forecast over the last 20 to 30 years, very little
has changed. The Arctic ice shelf is still in place and is actually growing despite
predictions that it would disappear by 2014. The Maldives are still above water
also despite claims to the contrary.
Remember
the alarmist views on climate change were first titled 'Man Made Climate
Change' then, as science challenged this theory, we had 'global warming;' now
we have 'climate change' because it fits every conceivable weather event; flooding,
drought, storms, hurricanes, and anything else that, when analysed, is pretty
much a natural occurring event that mother nature throws at us from time to
time.
Depending on the data or scientists you listen to, average
global temperatures have hardly altered from traditional warming and cooling
trends. Greenhouse gases form approximately 3% of our atmosphere by volume; 97%
of those are water vapour and clouds with CO2 constituting only about 0.04% of
the atmosphere. Some scientists are now saying a small increase in CO2
emissions will actually increase the value of crop production by around $11.7
trillion by 2050.
Distinguished astrophysicist Dr Fred Singer in his new book
' Hot Talk, Cold Science' says that 'the pessimistic, and often alarming,
global warming scenarios depicted in the media have no scientific basis'. In
fact, he says, if there is a small amount of global warming it would be
positive for the world with a longer growing season for food and a reduced need
to use fossil fuels. He also says that 'solutions' for global warming like
carbon taxes would have severe consequences for economically disadvantaged
groups and nations.
To add confusion, a new report by Valentina Zharkova, a
scientist at Northumbria University in the UK, claims that, due to a record low
level of solar radiation, sunspots and other solar activity we could be heading
into a mini ice age during the 2030s. The last mini ice age seen on Earth was
in 1645 and lasted until 1715. It was so cold that the Thames froze over in
London every winter. If that were to happen this would cause a major crisis,
with food production slashed in a rapidly overpopulated world. The signs are
already there with Canada experiencing significantly colder and snowier winters
over the last four years. Similarly, colder winters are occurring in Europe and
elsewhere.
So - is global warming or global cooling, climate change or
whatever you want to call it really happening? Despite the dire predictions, which are always
preceded by 'may, might, or could' that climate disaster will occur in the next
30 to 80 years, nothing significant, bar the normal fluctuations, are so far taking
place.
Remember when the 'experts' in the 70s and 80s warned that
world oil production would peak and decline from the year 2000, and the YK2 bug
where at midnight in the New Year of 2000, computers, energy supplies etc, etc
would all stop... well, as we know, nothing happened.
So why are some political parties, scientists and other so
called 'experts' creating so much hype over 'climate change'? Could it be that, to minor political parties
and individuals, it's a sure fire way to grab a headline and votes from an
easily led public. After all it’s easier
headline grabbing than a focus on economics or infrastructure. Could it also be
a means to raise major funding for research and certain individual's salaries?
We all need to pause, present a balanced view and make informed decisions about
our future and our children's.
The alarmist and costly predictions that appear almost daily
in our news media, along with every storm, dry spell, or cold snap being blamed
on 'climate change' and the naive thought that if we all convert to electric
cars, plant trees and stop cows farting we will change the world; ignores the
very real threat to humanity of over population, especially in countries
that can least afford to feed its people and the potential chaos that could be
created with mass pollution, war, famine and extinction of most of our wildlife.
Climate change, yes, but first get the facts and logic right.
Dave Hill is a Wanganui businessman and political commentator, who spent 40 years in the media industry.
Dave Hill is a Wanganui businessman and political commentator, who spent 40 years in the media industry.
No comments:
Post a Comment