The 'BIG' question is whether man's activities are the main contributory factors to Climate Change or whether there are more natural occurring explanations?
My position is quite clear, as summarised in this quote from one of the increasing numbers of 'Climate Realists' who do not accept that the Climate Change debate is settled:
"There is no reproducible empirical scientific evidence* that the extra carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere by the human population burning fossil fuels since the beginning of the industrial revolution has had, or will have, an effect on the Earth's climate that is detrimental to the human population.
*Empirical scientific evidence: data obtained by observation and measurement, processed transparently including full documentation of uncertainty levels."
So that is not to say humans aren't having an impact only that there is no evidence that the very small amount of CO2 we produce, as opposed that which is produced naturally, is having a detrimental effect.
However, what is abundantly clear, but a completely separate issue, is that man is TOTALLY responsible for polluting the land, rivers, seas and oceans with various types of 'litter' although it should be noted that the main culprits are NOT found in the 'Western World' which is something the Green Movement should acknowledge and respond to accordingly.
2. Climate change is cyclical
Even the briefest study of history proves that climates have changed before man discovered oil or invented the combustion engine. Our planet's climate has a 4.5-billion-year history yet man has only recorded our weather since 1861.
The most likely culprit for the regular changes to our climate are the impact of 'sunspots' which are storms on the sun's surface that are marked by intense magnetic activity and play host to solar flares and hot gassy ejections from the sun's corona. Scientists believe that the number of spots on the sun cycles over time, reaching a peak — the so-called Solar Maximum — every 11 years or so. There is also another less known theory based on the movement of the tectonic plates. This theory is called 'The Plate Climatology Theory' which explains how geological forces influence, alter, or control Earth's climate and climate related events as explained in the book by James Kamis referenced below. That you are probably unfamiliar with both theories only goes to show the power of the media who have in the main totally brought into anthropological climate change.
However, despite the above the climate alarmists forecast doomsday scenarios for our future based on 'climate models' which, basic common sense should tell you that if the input is guess work, then the output is also guesswork! And these predictions are for years to come when they still cannot guarantee the weather for a weekend bar-b-que! A further point worthy of note is that ALL the alarmists' predictions, of floods, droughts, sea level rises etc., over the last 50 years have NEVER materialised and have thus been wrong.
For example, many in the scientific community were predicting another ice age in the 1970s which they then backtracked on to predict Global Warming which is now called Climate Change as the predicted increases in temperature failed to materialise!
3. The politics of the Green Movement
This is a complicated subject with many twists and turns, as politics does, and covered in detail in the book 'Green Tyranny' from my reading list below. Suffice to say the first serious headline environmental issue was the 'Acid Rain' scare in the 1960's, since well documented as being false. 'Environmentalists' then switched their concerns to the dangers of nuclear power despite there being plenty of evidence how clean and safe it is. Sweden and Germany were in the forefront of the early Green Movements with the German 'Energiewende' program pushing wind and solar power over all other energy sources for mainly political considerations due to the influence of the Green Party who were in coalition. However, a recent report by Germany's Federal Audit Office has concluded with a catastrophic assessment of the government's energy policy with the country's energy prices now being the highest in the EU and the real danger of their country generating insufficient power for their needs.
Green politics has a great deal to do with power, money, employment and an undeniable anti-capitalist agenda which is why some call Green politicians 'Watermelons' as they are green on the outside and red on the inside!
Governments are also attracted to increasing 'Green employment' although the reality is that much of the work, like for solar panels, is outsourced to China!
Sadly, the increasingly militant and anti-social demonstrations campaigning to reduce the natural substance 'Carbon', in our world, is based on dogma, ignorance and not scientific facts.
4. A few points for you to consider and check
Climate modelling/forecasting – All depend on the level of accuracy of the information put in. Guesswork IN = Guesswork OUT!
Polar bears – Are not on the decline but increasing. Photographs of lone polar bears on small icebergs are pure propaganda!
CO2 – Is a natural substance and essential for plant growth with the fact that today the world has never been greener. The more CO2 the greener the planet gets!
Warmer weather – Has made the Sahara greener on its edges due to increased moisture.
Greenhouse gases - Account for only 2% of the atmosphere and of that 2% only 4% is CO2. So overall the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is pretty insignificant.
Weather stations – 85% of the earth's surface is not covered by weather stations with virtually none in mountains, grasslands deserts or the oceans thus corrupting weather statistics and making 'Climate Modelling' risibly inaccurate.
Temperature rise – records show conclusively temperature rises occur BEFORE CO2 rises.
CO2 emissions – China (29%) USA (16%) India (7%) account for 53% of the world's emissions with the UK only responsible for just 1% of the total.
Ice melt – Every year an area the size of the USA melts and then re-freezes. Most if not all films of glaciers breaking off into the sea are annual natural events. There are few if any photographs showing falls of snow and the creation of ice at the start of glaciers.
Water vapour – most film shots of the emissions from industrial chimney stacks shows harmless water vapour being emitted. Clouds, being water vapour, create a natural greenhouse effect.
Petrol/diesel - Old leaded petrol released less CO2 into the air than unleaded. Despite government assurances in the past petrol is generally cleaner than diesel.
Water levels – More land is sinking than at risk from sea levels rising.
Natural disasters - There is no evidence that the likes of hurricanes, rainfall and flooding are increasing but what is undoubtedly true is that more people now live in the path of these natural events.
The 'Hockey Stick' graph – Michael Mann's famous hockey stick graph, used by Al Gore so dramatically, was proved to have been faked by selective use of data.
Australian fires – There have been worse fires in in the past (1897,1939 &1975) than those of 2019/20 with the current damage made far worse due to 'green' policy interference due to 'biodiversity' issues like preventing the maintenance of fire breaks and a ban on collecting and burning leaves and fallen timbers in woodlands. Amazingly there is strong evidence that Black Kites actually spread fires to drive out their prey an evolved skill learnt over many years.
Solar and wind – Generate no power when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow and only exist due to HUGE government subsidies taken from us in taxes. They also both damage the environment and need huge container sized diesel generation back up.
BBC – In 2006 the BBC held a secret conference, now disclosed under a FOI request, which decide that the science of CC was settled and so they issued an instruction to all employees that in future they would ONLY report man-made CC as a fact with no airtime given to any counter view.
Tectonic Plate theory – There is new evidence emerging that the earth's tectonic plates effect climate change.
Bad news – When have you ever heard any good news reports of the advantages of climate change? I can assure you there are many to be had like warmer winters just for starters!
Who benefits – You should ask yourself who benefits from climate alarmism and what they have to lose if the main causes to climate changes are simply cyclical natural occurrences?
5. Summary
Those heading up the Green Movements and Climate Change lobbying organisations, are now seriously gripped by 'Group Think', and have all invested a great deal of time and effort to promote their cause despite the increasing evidence that their beliefs are more about politics, power and money than scientific facts. In fact, there is evidence that the alarmist predictions are designed to keep the public on board as the media endlessly report the future scenarios of doom as undisputable facts. Interestingly all the previous deadlines for the end of world, as we know it, have come and gone without incident!
The more militant Environmentalists like nothing more than to wrap themselves up with self-righteous indignation about their desire to 'Save the Planet' which they are prepared to protest for in often a violent and destructive way. Man-made Climate Change has for many supporters become virtually a 'New Religion' and many of the protestors have a very limited understanding of the facts and simply major on the doomsday rhetoric which they have learnt by heart.
My own wish is that the 'Green Movement' would concentrate on the twin ills of the litter pollution of our land, rivers, seas and oceans and the illegal poaching of wild animals and direct their fire to the countries that are the real culprits for both.
Bibliography
Books
All 17 books below build up a comprehensive picture of why the 'Green Movement' is so predominant but also clearly point out how they are victims of 'Group Think'.
1. Human caused Global Warming – The biggest deception in history – Dr Tim Ball – 120 pages and easy to understand.
2. Green Tyranny – Rupert Darwall – Charts the history of the Green Movement.
3. The Real Global Warming Disaster – Christopher Booker -Well written and clearly explains the Climate Alarmist's deception.
4. Watermelons – James Delingpole – On similar lines to Booker's book.
5. The Skeptical Environmentalist – Bjorn Lomborg – a weighty book from one of the first realists.
6. The False Crisis of Rachel Carson 'Silent Spring at 50' – Roger E Meiners – Disproves the famous 'Silent Spring' book of the 60s.
7. Heaven and Earth – Global warming the missing science – Ian Plimer – Australian author very technical.
8. Climate Confusion – Roy Spencer – Challenges the alarmists.
9. The Great Global Warming Blunder – Roy Spencer – Again challenges the alarmists.
10. All you need to know about Climate Change... in cartoons – Josh - Aimed at children but is not that easy to follow.
11. The Polar Bear Catastrophe that never happened – Susan J Crockford – Clearly shows how polar bears are not endangered but thriving.
12. Disasters and Climate Change – Roger Pielke Jr. – Explains why disasters are natural.
13. Confessions of a Greenpeace dropout – Patrick Moore – Ex-Green a good read explaining his conversion.
14. Apocalypse Never – Michael Shellenberger – Ex- Green now CC realist very thought provoking.
15. The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels – Alex Epstein -Explains how fossil fuels have improved the quality of life on our planet.
16. Fake Invisible Catastrophes and Threats of Doom – Patrick Moore – Separates fact from fiction.
17. The Plate Climatology Theory – James E. Kamis – How geological forces influence, alter and control earth's climate related events.
Blogsites
1. https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/
2. https://www.cfact.org/
3. https://www.thegwpf.org/
