[Winona Online Democracy]
What I find the most disturbing in all of the climate/energy debate is how
seldom conservation of resources and increased efficiency are mentioned as
necessary or even viable measures that should be pursued in the U.S. Europe
is very far advanced in technology to reduce energy consumption. Surely, in
the U.S. we could be doing at least as much as Europe is doing in terms of
efficiency.
In my opinion, many strategies must be pursued and implemented to reduce our
consumption of energy. This is true whether we believe that humans are
creating climate change or whether we believe that dependence on foreign oil
is bad for our political and economic future or whether we are just plain
looking to reduce the costs of living for our own family. Or all of the
above.
Terri Hyle
From: "Leslie Hittner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: [Winona] Global Warming
Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2007 06:22:44 -0600
[Winona Online Democracy]
Re: [Winona] Why Get Involved?Here's a rather long post. The forum doesn't
look too busy these days, so I thought I would put it out there.
Apparently the Daily News didn't like it.
This is not an exact copy of the email sent to Jerome (Each time I read
something I write, I tend to make changes.)
February 25, 2007
Jerome Christenson
Winona Daily News Opinion Page Editor
PO BOX 5147
601 Franklin St.
Winona, MN 55987
Dear Jerome,
The following is a response to the editorial by Stan Gudmundson that was
published on Sunday, February 25:
-------------------
According to Stan Gudmundson the global warming theory is silly. Whether
Stan believes humans are contributing to global warming or not, the issues
surrounding the current discussion of global warming certainly are not
"silly."
While Stan offered a very nice lesson on the complexities of global heating
cycles in his editorial of Sunday February 25, he missed the point. These
facts are not disputed by scientists, whether or not they believe humans
are contributing to global warming. As an argument for or against the human
factor these facts are red herrings. They are relevant to the study of the
CO2 cycle's role in global warming but not to the argument Stan was trying
to make.
In my experience, support for the "global warming theory" is politically
neither conservative nor liberal. It seems to me that if people are
belief-driven, they insist that humans could not possibly have such an
impact on the global climate. People who look at facts and data, on the
other hand, seem more willing to accept the premise that we indeed are now
able to have an impact on global climate.
Stan and others for whom the following "facts" might prove to be
inconvenient need read no further.
A gallon of gasoline weighs approximately 6.25 pounds. Many cars have fuel
tanks that will hold 15 gallons or more. Fifteen gallons of gasoline weigh
94 pounds. This tank of gasoline when burned creates carbon dioxide (CO2),
water, and a bit of carbon monoxide (CO). The CO2 produced by burning this
one tank of gasoline weighs approximately 300 pounds! Remember, the
gasoline is mixed with Oxygen from the atmosphere at the time that it is
burned.
It has been estimated that the average American family with two cars tosses
20,000 pounds of CO2 into the air each year. In fact, 314 million metric
tons of CO2 are released into the atmosphere every year by automobiles in
the United States alone!
Belief-driven people have often argued that what we do is miniscule
compared to what Mother Nature does and they often talk of the CO2 released
by volcanoes as evidence of this fact. Well, just for the record here is
one more fact: Volcanoes in total are estimated to release only 130-230
million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year!
Belief-driven people also have their "theory killer" statement that CO2
levels lag the increase in atmospheric temperatures. In reality ice core
curves correlate closely for temperature rise. True, there is a slight lag
between CO2 levels and arctic temperature increases but this fact is not a
theory killer because;
(1) the lag is not observed in every cycle,
(2) the CO2 cycle is enormously complex (as Stan himself has stated), and
(3) the arctic temperatures are the very first to respond to changing CO2
levels.
In his editorial Stan goes on to state, "...manmade carbon dioxide
production cannot account for the climate variability described above [in
his letter]." That is a "belief" statement not supported by the facts.
Next Stan says, "...most of the recent warming began before 1940." That's
not surprising, considering the complexities of global heating cycles and
it disproves nothing.
Finally, Stan plays his "trump" card and states, "...frightening scenarios
forecast by the theory haven't occurred." While it may be an "Inconvenient
Truth" I urge "believers" like Stan to continue to ignore the data if they
wish. But please, join the rest of us and look around. Experience the
changes. Whether or not you "believe" the temperatures in the arctic
regions are increasing or decreasing, the ice is still melting. The
glaciers are still disappearing. Minnesota winters have become wimpy (even
after two feet of snow). Novembers are now sunny and dry. Summers are hot.
I could go on and on describing things that are happening right now here
and elsewhere.
But that might be a tad too inconvenient.
-Leslie Hittner
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