Friday, April 23, 2010

The Real Global Warming Disaster

Is the planet Earth warming? If so, what is the cause? What are the consequences? If one listens to the mainstream media, the answers are clear. The planet is warming. It is caused by man. The end result will be disaster.

I have always been fascinated with the power of nature as manifest in earthquakes, volcanoes, and weather. So I have followed the climate change discussion with some interest. Admittedly, I am not a scientist, but a lot of this climate change hype has not make sense. For instance, I am sure it can be argued that the planet's weather has always been dynamic, not static. There have been periods when the planet was warm and then there have been ice ages. All of this occurred without the influence of man. It seems reasonable then that the earth should be either warming or cooling. Frankly, I would be concerned if it was cooling. I've seen pictures from the north country and it doesn't look pleasant.

As the years have marched on and the fervor of climate change has ratcheted up, I have looked upon the whole thing wondering if there is anything to all this noise being made by Al Gore and his followers. My skepticism has caused me to look at some of the alternative voices. Most recently, I completed a book published just last year, The Real Global Warming Disaster by Christopher Booker. Booker traces the history of the the global warming discussion, documenting its most significant events. It is a chilling (no pun intended) read as you begin to understand the course that the world is heading (particularly the U.S. and Britain) when most of the evidence is not scientifically sustainable.

One of the most graphic representations of man-made climate change is the "hockey stick" graph (posted at Wikipedia - source: Intergovermental Panel on Climate Change Third Assessment Report 2001).

The graph displays temperatures for the past 1000 years. What is remarkable is the sharp increase shown in the 20th Century, much like a hockey stick. Booker reviews the science surround the hockey stock, then the challenges from other scientists and statisticians. It is clear that the data has been manipulated to show a marked increase in recent years.

Booker reviews many of the governmental initiatives and clear illustrates the impossibility of meeting targets utilizing current technology, including the use of wind turbines and solar power. Since developing countries such as China, India, and Russia refuse to comply with the targets without huge subsidies from the west, the U.S. and the European Union will be sinking their economic ships by continuing on their current course.

The Real Global Warming Disaster is a must read for any citizen that cares about the future of our country. Forces are pushing us into an economic disaster without a justifiable reason. The book is well documented and deserves attention.