Don’t Be On the Losing Side Of The Climate Change “Debate”
There is no doubt that climate change is occurring, no doubt that the Earth is warming, and no doubt that human influence is by far and away the principal force behind the rise in global temperatures. There is broad scientific consensus on these facts, enormous amounts of scientific research to support these facts, and no organization of serious scientific or academic standing disputes this.
In light of this, the most amazing fact about the climate change debate is that the debate exists at all. We certainly have debates over other issues such as crime, immigration and homelessness, and that’s as it should be. But these debates are over HOW to deal with these issues. There is no one who seriously suggests that crime, immigration or homelessness is NOT occurring. Despite the fact that climate change is as real as any of those other issues, there are a great many who still deny it exists, or reluctantly accept that it exists but deny that it is man made in origin.
By the way, this guy is one of them. But by no means is he alone.
There is in fact no scientific evidence of any kind to bolster the assertion that climate change is not occurring and is not man made. There is, however, plenty of money invested in undermining the facts. The oil, coal and gas industries, plus anti-regulatory think tank groups such as the Heritage Foundation, have waged a long and surprisingly effective war on the facts. In short, they have bought themselves the best debate money can buy, and this debate has greatly hindered efforts to combat climate change.
However, despite the fact that we have a man in the White House who has openly called climate change a ‘hoax’, the battle appears to have finally turned in favor of the facts. This is partly because of the herculean efforts of a great many people and organizations to raise awareness on climate change and keeps the facts squarely on display throughout. One of the most significant of these climate change warriors has been Greta Thunberg, the Swedish environmental activist who has served as a rallying point for young people demanding serious, systemic change to combat global warming.
Today’s fun facts on global warming from that noted purveyor of leftist propaganda –The United States Government…Courtesy NASA and the Goddard Space Center
But the second and perhaps more important reason for the turning of the tide is that the effects of climate change are now so obvious and on display in so many places that it is simply impossible to make the claim that it isn’t happening. In fact, even most of the people who used to dispute the truth about climate change now accept the fact (or more correctly have been forced to accept that fact) that it is now occurring.
By no means is the battle over. Those who once denied climate change have not given up; delusion dies hard and money speaks loudly. We are now seeing a number of amended climate change ‘skepticism’ theories being bandied about in an effort to thwart coherent action on the issue. Among the disingenuous claims being made are…
- It’s not yet understood exactly how the climate works
- It’s not yet well understood what the negative impacts of climate change will be, if any at all
- (Brian’s personal favorite) Climate change might actually have some positive effects!
- The gloom and doom scenarios of climate change advocates are always exaggerated, damaging their credibility
- Laws and regulations enacted to combat climate change will have worse effects than climate change itself.
None of those is true. The mechanisms of climate – different than the weather, which is hard to predict – is well understood by climate scientists. There is virtually no dissent that the effects of climate change will be widespread, detrimental and will have serious impacts on human civilization, and could result in some very bad things happening (droughts, famines, plagues, increasingly severe storms, flooding of coastal areas, expansion of deserts, wars and mass extinctions of much of the worlds plant and animal life.) While the gloom and doom scenarios envisioned by some have not come to pass, most of the more sober predictions of climatologists HAVE come true, exactly as predicted. Rising temperatures, vanishing glaciers, sinking islands, melting global ice, elevated sea temperatures and levels, mass deaths of animal populations – all of these are happening right now. It’s there for anyone to see if the wish to look. And it is the opponents of regulation and legislation who almost always indulge in the most unhinged gloom and doom scenarios, of which there is simply no evidence to support.
The fact that any of this COULD happen should scare anyone. Alas, up until recently, it hasn’t scared people nearly enough.
Do not be fooled by the continued efforts of climate change ‘skeptics’ attempting to dissuade the public from taking the necessary actions that must be taken to combat dire consequences. This is nothing more than the final holding actions of a pathetic, routed army equipped with falsehoods, which is being forced to occupy and defend one untenable position after another as the truth behind their own lies is exposed.
Sylvia and Brian have witnessed the effects of global warming firsthand. Nowhere was it more glaring than our trip in 2015 to Peru’s Patoruri Glacier. Sylvia had visited some twenty years previous, and the reduction is size of the glacier was clearly visible to the naked eye…the glacier has lost 22% of its size and 15% of its mass in three decades.
When we toured to Pastaruri glacier huge blocks of ice, some the size of kitchen appliances, could be seen marooned and melting on the rocks.
And much the same is happening everywhere around the world. We saw it again on the Tour Du Mont Blanc last year…trains and cable cars built in the last century to transport people up to the foot of glaciers now terminate hundreds or thousands of fee short of one. The train tracks and the cables did not move, so it must have been the glaciers that retreated.
There is no longer any reasonable excuse for denial…the only debate now should be on what is the best way to act. It’s time to act on climate change. This week, we’ll publish some articles on the subject, inspired by the recent School Strike for Climate.
Don’t be one of the losers in the debate that isn’t a debate…stand up for truth. It’s not too late to act, but we need to get moving on climate change!
