Tammy Bruce: Global Warming: Threat or Menace?

Global Warming: Threat or Menace?

(A Post by Maynard)

Al Gore has been back in the news lately with his Inconvenient Truth movie. It's worth taking a moment to review the facts and fantasies of the global warming scare.

The basic fact is that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been growing since the onset of the industrial revolution, when we started to burn stuff. The current figure is 380 ppm ("parts per million") and rising, which is about a 40% increase over the pre-industry base. This is actually a very small percentage of the atmosphere (380 ppm is .038%), meaning that 99.962% of the atmosphere is other stuff, like oxygen (21%) and nitrogen (78%)). But the carbon dioxide tends to absorb the sun's energy, just like the glass on a greenhouse holds in the heat from the sun. Hence the term, "greenhouse gas".

The recent increase in carbon dioxide is clearly the result of burning fuel. There are also natural sources of carbon dioxide, of course, such as volcanoes and natural fires, not to mention the air you exhale. Atmospheric carbon dioxide has varied over the eons, running high (maybe 300 ppm) during warm periods and low (maybe 180 ppm) during ice ages. So on the face of it, the concern about increasing carbon dioxide concentration appears legitimate. It's fair to assume that if we tamper with a fundamental ecological parameter like this, we risk serious consequences.

But what consequences? In spite of the dire warnings, nobody really knows. Keep in mind that the problem of global warming isn't that the temperature may rise by a degree or two; the problem is that the weather patterns could change drastically. For example, the existing ocean current pushes warm water from the tropics towards the North Atlantic, keeping Europe warmer than it would otherwise be. If those currents slow down, as they show some signs of doing, then Europe could freeze. The weather systems are much too complicated to be completely understood. Computer models are getting better as computers get more powerful, but the mystery remains. Will our climate prove resilient and dynamically self-correcting, or will it spin into wild extremes? All we can do is make our best educated guesses. By the time we know for sure, it will be too late.

So the claims of the doomsayers cannot be lightly dismissed, and caution is in order. It seems to me that, even setting aside the potential global interest in burning less stuff, we've got a national interest at stake as well. The more oil we burn, the more we become dependent upon the Middle East, which is, like it or not, the world's gas tank. The oil reserves of the world are not in friendly or stable hands.

Even so, we have good reason to recoil at Al Gore's warning. Leftists are naturally inclined to curtail our economic freedoms, and so the global warming scare dovetails nicely with the Leftist agenda. The governments of the world are being given an excuse to exert frightening new controls over every one of us. This threat should disturb freedom-loving people.

So feel free to reject the solutions of the Leftists of the world who are ready to enslave us in pursuit of their notion of salvation. But the problem may be real, and we may have to deal with it, one way or another.

Update: Today Bill Clinton, speaking in Florida, linked the uptick in Caribbean hurricanes to Republican policies. This is nonsense. Hurricane activity has historically cycled up and down, and Clinton's allegations of a clear linkage between CO2 and the storm season is pure political opportunism. Again, the rapid increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide is a fact, as is its man-made cause. The exact consequences are uncertain, although it's a reasonable possibility that they will not be entirely benign. Unfortunately, the Democrats often seek to scare us into submission, while Republicans may thoughtlessly dismiss the possible consequences. Being smart Tammy fans, let's try to acknowledge the facts without losing our heads.

UPDATE from Tammy 6/14:

Scientists respond to Gore's warnings of climate catastrophe

Posted by Maynard · June 12, 2006 11:30 AM · Permalink
Hollywood/Films | Maynard Post | Science & Technology

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if "Atmospheric carbon dioxide has varied over the eons" then how is it "clearly the result of burning fuel" that atmospheric carbon dioxide has risen now? That does not seem clear to me at all.

What caused it to rise from 180 ppm during the ice age(s) to as high as 300 ppm during warmer periods prior to mans burning of fuel?

Posted by: pastorgary at June 12, 2006 11:55 AM

Pasto, the cycle of the ice ages, and the associated CO2 fluctuations, were on the order of 100,000 years per ice age, and seemed to max out at about 300 ppm. The rise from below 300 ppm towards the present 380 ppm (and rising) started about 200 years ago, coincident with the dawn of the industrial revolution. We've quickly moved beyond the scope of the slow cycles of nature, which is why there's concern about how nature will react.

Posted by: Maynard at June 12, 2006 12:58 PM

Coincidental occurrence does not demonstrate a cause and effect relationship. If industrial activity could cause climate change all over the planet, wouldn't it be right to assume that the local weather conditions over heavily industrialized areas of the planet would be changing from what they were before industrialization? Can you demonstrate that has happened? It might be a first step.

Posted by: robert108 at June 12, 2006 03:48 PM

Since Algore was trying to represent a hurricane spewing from the smokestacks, he could have at least gotten the rotation correct. Hurricanes rotate counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere.

Posted by: albydam at June 13, 2006 10:19 AM

I always love how as soon as we get a heat wave, it's because of global warming. Then, we get a blizzard, and it's because of global warming.

The south has a drought, and it's because of global warming. We have an over-active hurricane season, and it's because of global warming.

When I get agita, is that ALSO because of global warming?

Perhaps it's the noxious emissions from Algore himself that is causing all this.

Posted by: PeteRFNY at June 13, 2006 11:06 AM

I have recently seen an article by a reputable group of scientists (though Al Gore would probably not recognize them as such) who have found unexpectedly large amounts of underwater volcanic activity in the far north. This activity is pumping GREAT amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, with no help from SUV's.

These scientists did not say that they had found any link to Halliburton, either, if memory serves me correctly.

Sorry -- I can't provide a link -- it was a few months ago, but it was on a reputable site (the only kind I access).

Posted by: BigDana at June 13, 2006 12:30 PM

There seems to be a general consensus among scientists, a connection between carbon emissions and global warming. I'd rather decide in favor of caution in this matter and not wait to effects of global warming are readily apparent to the average man walking down the street. Perhaps about ten years off.

Pressure to change seems to be directed primarily toward private citizens. I wonder how citizens can have any real responsibility or impact when there are no meaningful alternatives to fossil fuel. Responsibility requires choice and we really have too few. Citizens may make sacrifices to use less fossil fuel, but all must use at least SOME. What is the real option?

The onus lies with the government in this matter. Failure to provide tax breaks for alternative/renewable fuel source development, all the while failing to reduce tax breaks for oil corporations, is the heart of the matter. There is much the government can do to move us in a cleaner, greener direction, with real limits on what private citizens can accomplish without choice.

Posted by: Vicki at June 13, 2006 04:48 PM

Before WW I, there was a "general consensus among scientists" that eugenics would help to improve the human race, too.

In the 19th century, there was a "general consensus among scientists" that phrenology could accurately predict human behavior and brain functioning, too.

When atmospheric scientists can accurately predict what the weather will be like 10 days hence, they may have taken their first baby step toward predicting what "global warming" or "global cooling" (or whatever the next great, trumped up scare is) will cause in the next 5, 10 or 50 years. If we worry about what every false prophet claims to be "true," we'll never get anything done.

Posted by: Bachbone at June 13, 2006 06:10 PM

Listen, science is not prophecy. It is about inquiry and investigation based on natural relationships and controlled experimentation. Religion/prophecy is based on mystery and a sense of "truth" imparted to the select few.

Tell me why Mount Kilijmanjaro is melting? Check it out.

Posted by: Vicki at June 13, 2006 09:40 PM

Back during the early Devonian CO2 was up around 700ppm. Meant it was hot and steamy.

Course, life hadn't penetrated the land much at that time, and even aquatic life was notable for its scarcity compared to now. Multicellular life was still rather new, and had yet to try out a few things. I mean legs were still experimental.

Posted by: mythusmage at June 14, 2006 12:54 AM

Mr. Gore and his friends are using their "science" to predict/prophesy (they mean the same thing)about the future. (Ann Coulter would even say their "science" is their "religion.") For several decades, at least, scientists of one persuasion or another have been predicting cataclysm. When none occurs, they push back their predictions by another decade or two, or find another group of "scientists" or another theory, and predict anew. Earth has undergone extremely dramatic changes forever. Even before man was on it.

I have no idea why Kilamanjaro's snowcap is melting. But if it is due to global warming, no one knows when that phenomenon will end and global cooling start anew. We are not able to predict weather accurately three days ahead.

Try this one on for size. Scientists say the south polar ice cap on Mars is "receding' or melting. How many humans are on Mars? Check it out.

Posted by: Bachbone at June 14, 2006 07:52 AM

I wanted to respond to Vicki, but her link is dead. Vicki: You are right-on about the little guy not being able to do much about this issue.
And until the rest of the countries in the world get it right (coal consumption abusers like China) it won't matter if we drive little midget cars or Mack trucks. Here's my latest blog on the subject:
http://blogresponder.blogspot.com/2006/06/for-al-gore-real-truth-is-inconvenient.html

Posted by: Craig C at June 16, 2006 07:56 PM

Thanks for reaching out Craig. Honestly, I've never had a link (?) (it sounds like work) though I am thinking about it. My son says I need a blog. I think he means I should transfer my journal from the page to the screen. This will probably sound crazy, but ... how can I caress the screen?

Craig, I completely mistrust Gore and the government generally with this matter. I'll email you at your site. Blessings.

Posted by: Vicki at June 17, 2006 06:42 PM

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