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The Global Warming Myth by Vice-President Matthew B. Feagley For years, scientists have been debating the effects of global warming. Some believe that it exists and is a major problem. Some dissenters claim it exists but has no adverse effects while others deny it exists at all. However the lack of evidence of negative results leads one to believe that global warming may not be the apocalyptic force that some environmentalists make it out to be. There is reason to believe that global warming is minor, natural, and environmentally sound. Dr. Robert C. Balling, Jr., a climatologist at Arizona State University, says that carbon dioxide-based changes may be present but "they don't look like anything we should fear." Dr. Balling claims that thermometers used for measurements to study global warming are placed at spots that distort findings. Most thermometers are placed in major urban areas, where certain areas can change temperature rapidly, and airports, of which he says, "I can't think of a place in central Arizona that is least representative of central Arizona than Sky Harbor Airport." Dr. Balling has instead placed thermometers in remote areas of the world to avoid the "urban heat islands." He has also placed thermometers at various spots in the oceans. These measure temperatures at sea, where there are few recorded temperatures, because, as Balling states, "We live on a water planet, and we've got three-fourths of the planet with no records." Balling also stated that temperatures cited in studies are inaccurate due to increased urbanization and antiquated thermometers from 150 years ago. Balling says that most global warming is natural. He cites factors other than human pollution. According to Balling, humans cannot control many of the causes of global warming: It's not as if we're sitting back with no other explanation except the buildup of [carbon dioxide] to describe the trends in various patterns we see. There are lots of things at work in the climate system from volcanic eruptions to the appearance of [El Ni�o] to solar output variability. All those things add up to create the temperature trends we see. Balling states that global warming is part of the natural cycle of Ice Ages and thaws. He claims that these patterns have occured over the past million years, and global warming will soon be relatively minor. He says there really is nothing that Westerners can do to prevent it. He says:
According to Balling, people are saying that humans should not be preparing for extreme drought and floods from global warming, but they should preparing for the next Ice Age, "There are even people who argue that we should put carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to protect us from the onslaught of the next glaciation which is really out there and is going to happen sometime." Even the British are starting to denounce global warming theories. Some Britishgeologists cite instances where inaccurate results of an "ice-core" resulted from exclusion of data. They claim, "Some workers in the field have excluded up to 44% of the collected ice-core [carbon dioxide] concentration data-points." As long as there is no conclusive evidence as to whether or not global warming will ever reach the extent to which it would be dangerous, the debate will rage on. Those who lean to the left of the political spectrum will continue to support legislation regulating carbon dioxide emissions, while those on the right will oppose it. However, action may be brash and expensive. It may be best to wait it out, though. Visit the sources for these arguments. The Balling Interview Association of British Drivers |
