Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2018 06:50:12 -0500
From: Kpet
Subject: Taylor_doesn=E2=80=99t_
I had to do a face palm reading Taylor Kish’s rant about climate change.
Fifth graders learn Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere acts as an insulator not a “poison” – the reason it is called a greenhouse gas. Like a greenhouse traps the warmth of the sun, carbon dioxide helps the atmosphere trap that warmth for the Earth. While the levels of carbon dioxide and thus the temperature of the Earth have and do fluctuate over the centuries, it is a fact that the increase in the rate of temperature increase has significantly gone up since the Industrial Revolution when human use of fossil fuels increased.
The fact that is snowed or didn’t snow is weather not climate. Weather is a local phenomenon, climate is a regional average over more than 30 years. Weather prediction relies on so many factors and tiny little differences in local areas make it an art that relies on science. For example, here on Bennett Mt, when others are getting a nice rain, we are dry as a bone yet when Wale County got their dusting of snow, we had 12 full inches. Our little microcosm does funky things to the weather.
The climate is changing globally. When it is warmer in Alaska and they have to bring in snow for the Iditarod race and polar bears are starving because they have no ice to hunt seals, there is something happening and it is aggravated by human activities. Storms are getting stronger and more frequent globally – you can’t look at our little neighborhood of the United States and say because we are okay that the world is okay.
Are there scientists who don’t believe humans are accelerating the climate change, naturally. Science is about questioning and testing. The majority of reputable scientists have been calling for us to look at our practices for many years now. Did some call for global cooling in the 70s, yes. That’s the other neat thing about science. Ideas change when more information is collected. Science is not a static study. The best scientists are always questioning, collecting data, and making recommendations on that data.
Think global and act local still works, but the thinking part seems to be lacking nowadays.
A seemingly civilized way of name calling is nonetheless exactly that. Defining some terms is a good means of education. However, presenting no data, data references, statistics is disrespect for the reader, who can make up his/her/its own mind.
Why not quote the square miles of South Pole ice mass over fifty years? Sea temperatures worldwide? Total rainfall average for 100 years?
Science is a nice word. If you use it as a bludgeon, then, acting locally is no more than manipulation for personal stimulation.
Oh, and use a real name, not a pet name