Words matter. Activists, and others in the climate-change crowd consistently misuse important words and have won disproportionate influence on policy..When the environment first became a social and political issue in the 1970s, there was broad bipartisan concern and collaboration. In the US, for example, it was Republican President Nixon who put in place most of today's environmental legislation and in so doing, defined the 1970’s as “the decade of the environment”..The Environmental Policy Agency (EPA) was established and among other significant legislation, the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act were passed and implemented. But the broad consensus soon became a much exploited opportunity for single-issue zealots to advance their agenda of more government control of people and intervention in the economy..This also gave the United Nations a chance to establish its agenda — a set of global governance rules we now see regarding the pending climate change “catastrophe”. As it's so tedious having to persuade lesser people, the bureaucrats at the UN want real bureaucratic power..No one ever said that activists are uneducated or unintelligent. They have cleverly utilized specific language to favourably frame their agenda..Let's start with the never ending siren to “save the planet”. After all, who isn't in favour of a healthy planet?.Today, there are few who do not acknowledge the need for humans to be more discerning and respectful of our Earth..There are also many however, who will never acknowledge incredible progress in that regard. The current “save the planet” characterization is central to the climate change claims, embellished by many in the media, and the fear-mongering that we are 'burning up the planet.'.This is a silly assertion. But it has been effective..Who, after all, can prove or disprove a catastrophe 100 years in the future? Over time, the doomsday time frame has been reduced to 10 years. .Yet, in the 4.5 billion years of the Earth’s existence, the climate has repeatedly experienced extreme cold and warmth. There have been five significant ice ages over the past half a million years alone, some covering North America with ice as much as a mile deep..Between those Ice Ages, there have been intervals averaging 100,000 years that included warming interludes averaging 10,000 years. The current interlude, the Holocene, is now 11,700 years in duration, suggesting perhaps our real fear should be a new Ice Age..However, the point is the Earth has been much warmer than it is today. There are dinosaur bones in the Arctic, and successful oil and gas exploration has confirmed the existence of organic material in the now-frozen north. .These facts put context into the exaggerated hysteria about glaciers that have been melting for thousands of years. This phenomenon is neither recent, nor unusual..We need to understand and adjust to such natural evolutions. But the planet has experienced warm and cold extremes and does not need to be saved by humans; we have only existed for a tiny fraction of Earth's 4.5 billion years..Another misleading use of language is the assertion that carbon dioxide is a pollutant..No. It is fundamental to life..Along with oxygen and water, carbon dioxide is one of the three essential ingredients for plant, animal and human life on earth. In fact, as a geologist pointed out to me, water came first to Earth, followed by CO2, which through photosynthesis, in turn produced a waste product called oxygen..Plant life depends upon photosynthesis, the process by which plants exist and grow — they extract carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen. Carbon dioxide is pumped into greenhouses to advances horticulture, a common practice..The single fact which distinguishes Earth from the other planets, is the warm temperature of our atmosphere supporting plant, animal, and human life. Carbon dioxide is critical to the warming and regulation of the atmosphere, which are unique and essential to our planet..Carbon dioxide is a small component of the atmosphere today — about 420 parts per million — but it plays a critical role radiating back heat from the sun, helping water vapour stabilize the lower atmosphere. So, in a second way, CO2 is needed for life on Earth..There is a third way in which CO2, far from being a pollutant, is vital. The only component making the ocean livable is the enormous amount of CO2 dissolved in it..Life depends on that. Without CO2, the oceans would be uninhabitable. .The save the planet rhetoric and demonization of carbon dioxide narratives are both contrary to simple facts. The level of CO2 is historically low today..Over the billions of years, the level of CO2 has been calculated at as much as 20 times higher than its current low levels. There is no concrete scientific explanation of the tremendous long term volatility of CO2 levels and extreme climate outcomes in either direction..While emphasizing the challenge of scientific certainty concerning billions of years of past warming and cooling and changing levels of CO2, it appears carbon dioxide levels follow, not leading to changing temperatures..It is certain however, that you will again, and probably soon, hear or read that humans are burning up the planet because of that terrible pollutant, carbon dioxide, essential in so many ways to life on an earth. Given the facts of history, our planet is quite comfortable with changing temperatures, even the extremes..So we should be comfortable. In fact, what could be better for Canada than continued moderate warming..When it comes to global warming, evocative words aside, maybe it is best we just... chill out.
Words matter. Activists, and others in the climate-change crowd consistently misuse important words and have won disproportionate influence on policy..When the environment first became a social and political issue in the 1970s, there was broad bipartisan concern and collaboration. In the US, for example, it was Republican President Nixon who put in place most of today's environmental legislation and in so doing, defined the 1970’s as “the decade of the environment”..The Environmental Policy Agency (EPA) was established and among other significant legislation, the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act were passed and implemented. But the broad consensus soon became a much exploited opportunity for single-issue zealots to advance their agenda of more government control of people and intervention in the economy..This also gave the United Nations a chance to establish its agenda — a set of global governance rules we now see regarding the pending climate change “catastrophe”. As it's so tedious having to persuade lesser people, the bureaucrats at the UN want real bureaucratic power..No one ever said that activists are uneducated or unintelligent. They have cleverly utilized specific language to favourably frame their agenda..Let's start with the never ending siren to “save the planet”. After all, who isn't in favour of a healthy planet?.Today, there are few who do not acknowledge the need for humans to be more discerning and respectful of our Earth..There are also many however, who will never acknowledge incredible progress in that regard. The current “save the planet” characterization is central to the climate change claims, embellished by many in the media, and the fear-mongering that we are 'burning up the planet.'.This is a silly assertion. But it has been effective..Who, after all, can prove or disprove a catastrophe 100 years in the future? Over time, the doomsday time frame has been reduced to 10 years. .Yet, in the 4.5 billion years of the Earth’s existence, the climate has repeatedly experienced extreme cold and warmth. There have been five significant ice ages over the past half a million years alone, some covering North America with ice as much as a mile deep..Between those Ice Ages, there have been intervals averaging 100,000 years that included warming interludes averaging 10,000 years. The current interlude, the Holocene, is now 11,700 years in duration, suggesting perhaps our real fear should be a new Ice Age..However, the point is the Earth has been much warmer than it is today. There are dinosaur bones in the Arctic, and successful oil and gas exploration has confirmed the existence of organic material in the now-frozen north. .These facts put context into the exaggerated hysteria about glaciers that have been melting for thousands of years. This phenomenon is neither recent, nor unusual..We need to understand and adjust to such natural evolutions. But the planet has experienced warm and cold extremes and does not need to be saved by humans; we have only existed for a tiny fraction of Earth's 4.5 billion years..Another misleading use of language is the assertion that carbon dioxide is a pollutant..No. It is fundamental to life..Along with oxygen and water, carbon dioxide is one of the three essential ingredients for plant, animal and human life on earth. In fact, as a geologist pointed out to me, water came first to Earth, followed by CO2, which through photosynthesis, in turn produced a waste product called oxygen..Plant life depends upon photosynthesis, the process by which plants exist and grow — they extract carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen. Carbon dioxide is pumped into greenhouses to advances horticulture, a common practice..The single fact which distinguishes Earth from the other planets, is the warm temperature of our atmosphere supporting plant, animal, and human life. Carbon dioxide is critical to the warming and regulation of the atmosphere, which are unique and essential to our planet..Carbon dioxide is a small component of the atmosphere today — about 420 parts per million — but it plays a critical role radiating back heat from the sun, helping water vapour stabilize the lower atmosphere. So, in a second way, CO2 is needed for life on Earth..There is a third way in which CO2, far from being a pollutant, is vital. The only component making the ocean livable is the enormous amount of CO2 dissolved in it..Life depends on that. Without CO2, the oceans would be uninhabitable. .The save the planet rhetoric and demonization of carbon dioxide narratives are both contrary to simple facts. The level of CO2 is historically low today..Over the billions of years, the level of CO2 has been calculated at as much as 20 times higher than its current low levels. There is no concrete scientific explanation of the tremendous long term volatility of CO2 levels and extreme climate outcomes in either direction..While emphasizing the challenge of scientific certainty concerning billions of years of past warming and cooling and changing levels of CO2, it appears carbon dioxide levels follow, not leading to changing temperatures..It is certain however, that you will again, and probably soon, hear or read that humans are burning up the planet because of that terrible pollutant, carbon dioxide, essential in so many ways to life on an earth. Given the facts of history, our planet is quite comfortable with changing temperatures, even the extremes..So we should be comfortable. In fact, what could be better for Canada than continued moderate warming..When it comes to global warming, evocative words aside, maybe it is best we just... chill out.
