Global Warming

1/7/07

I thing the people in Colorado would be concerned about the idea that global warming might not be a fact. New York, on the other hand is sure that it is a reality. New York had temps in the upper 60’s and low 70’s this past week. Oh horror! That hasn’t happened since the 30’s. It must therefore be true. The question I ask is: Was it global warming in the 30’s? Of course not. I don’t know what is causing the temperature to increase now but it is NOT an isolated incident.
I have heard that the sun’s output has increased and that man is causing the increase. Who is right? I don’t know. I do know that the man made global warming advocates want us to give up the trappings of our lifestyle. The most enlightened and prosperous lifestyle ever. Most of these people are the same ones that see man as the most serious threat to the environment ever. (If you doubt that, see Al Gore’s book. Earth in the Balance. in which he makes that exact statement.)
I have a serious problem believing that a SUV could be killing the poor polar bears.
It is obvious that we need to lower our usage of foreign supplied oil. I would agree with even the kooks on that. My reasoning is much different, though. I think this country will sooner or later be placed in serious jeopardy because of that dependence. As we fight the poorly named War on Terror, the sorry fact is that most of the oil is in the hands of our enemies and their supporters.
We must take steps to lower that dependency. I do not agree with the concept of the government mandating that car makers increase gas mileage. I think that will happen on it’s own as the price of gas goes up. I think there should be drilling in all domestic locations that have significant deposits. By significant deposits, I do not mean Saudi Arabia volumes. I think we should be looking at alternatives. Ethanol is not THE solution but is a part of the whole. We need more refineries. We need more windmills. We need more of lots of different solutions. Fuel cells? I don’t know. We need to start now. I could be convinced that incentives from the government will help but not completely solve the problem.
Some people want only this way and other want that way. Let’s get together and find a lot of little solutions. Global Warming? If you believe mankind is causing global warming then this ought to at least be a start to you. If you believe mankind has little or no affect on global warming then this should at least be a start to you as well.
I have enjoyed the warmer temperatures but I know that a month or even a winter does not global warming make. Just remember, the temperatures have only been accurately taken for the last 100 or so years. The earth has been here a long time. Just have good sense when you examine the history of climate change.