Climate Change Deniers Flawed
Robert Crocker wrote about the (anti) "Climate Change Petition" promoted by the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (April 16, page Main 8, “It’s Time to End War on Carbon Dioxide”). A reported 31,487 "climate experts" signed a petition disagreeing with the community of real climate scientists.
We are told the petition signers were experts, because they all had technical college degrees. Of the total, 63 percent had only a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or equivalent.
Very rarely do holders of BS and MS degrees have the chance to participate in true scientific research, except as data gatherers and digesters. Thirty-one thousand sounds like a lot of scientists. But that is only about 0.3 percent, or roughly one out of every 300 degree holders that supposedly fit OISM's definition of "expert.”
How many real climate scientists were included in the petition? Let's give the benefit of doubt — maybe 1,000, or one out of 10 PhDs, that signed. But consider the results when experts in one field attempt to perform in other fields. I would not have allowed Albert Einstein to remove my appendix, nor asked my physician to explain general relativity. Some experts can cross over — but they are the exception.
For context, this petition was circulated in 1998, 17 years ago. Great changes in climate science have occurred in those 17 years. Vastly more data has been accumulated, including data that bears out some of the early predictions. Climate models have been tremendously improved.
Many previous skeptics in the field have since admitted that they are now convinced the consensus opinion is most likely correct. Several studies conducted independently have shown that 97 percent of climate scientists agree that humans are causing the climate to change, and that anthropogenic greenhouse gases are causing global changes to the climate. That view forms the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change.
The climate change deniers use the same tactics that we old-timers remember from the tobacco corporations — find (or fund) a scientist to deny that smoking is dangerous, and to the news media and to the average person, even in the face of an overwhelming expert consensus that smoking causes cancer and human activity is causing climate change, it appears the issues are "not settled."
Finally, do not worry that cutting carbon dioxide emissions will cause plants to die and animals to starve. There is 29 percent more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today than in 1958 — and it is removed only slowly, so it will continue to rise for a long time no matter what we do. The question is only how fast.
Howard Matthews
Chehalis
Reject Napavine Bond Proposal
Most people in Napavine would agree that our school needs remodeling and some new construction. However, a bond of the magnitude being presented would be devastating to many families in our school district.
A better plan done in stages that we can afford is what is needed. If this bond were to pass, we would be paying $3.46 per $1,000 assessed value starting in 2016 for 20 years. We also have a levy at $2.47 per $1,000, which added to the $3.46 would take us to $5.93 per $1,000. At present time, White Pass is paying $2 per $1,000, which is the highest in lewis County. We would almost double that! Please join me in rejecting this bond. A better affordable one is needed.
Bob Carns
Napavine
