Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D
In a previous article, I detailed some of the motivation behind the environmental extremists (Greenies) belief that mankind is facing an environmental catastrophe if we continue to use fossil fuels.
The factor the Greenies use to justify their position is CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Let’s take a look at whether CO2 levels are the threat they allege.
First of all, CO2 represents an extremely small percentage of the atmosphere at only .04%. Yet, somehow, the Greenies believe that any increase will be catastrophic and we must achieve carbon neutrality or we are doomed. They do this by alleging a so-called “greenhouse effect” caused by CO2 resulting in excessive warming of the earth. The reality of this pure speculation is that even in laboratory studies, the amount of warming from increasing CO2 levels diminishes as the concentration of CO2 is increased. Assuming this holds true in the real work, increasing CCO2 is not the existential threat the Greenies would have you believe.
Another major factor they do not report is that CO2 itself acts as a plant fertilizer. Meaning that, the greater the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere the faster plants grow thereby removing CO2. This balancing effect may account for evidence that plant life is expanding across the earth. In fact, studies have shown that increasing the CO2 pumped into an enclosed greenhouse greatly accelerates plant growth!
It is important to remember that all the predictions of catastrophic global warming are based on computer modeling–not actual real life observations. Some of the computer model predictions were made over thirty years ago. Let’s see how well the predictions have held up. Professor John Christy, of the University of Alabama, summarized graphically how accurate CO2 climate models were able to predict actual global temperature. He found that all of the computer models over-predicted the actual global temperature change; some by extreme amounts. Do you every hear these facts reported in the media? Of course all we hear is a steady diet of fear mongering by the likes of John Kerry about how we have only a few years to achieve carbon emission neutrality or we are all going to die. He makes these statements, of course, as he is jetting around the work in his private plane! Good for me, not for thee.
What is shocking is how many government leaders are buying into this nonsense. Ireland, for example, is considering killing 200,000 cows because they give off too much CO2. Since humans also exhale CO2, perhaps we will be next.
As we are finding out with many government agencies, the truth is increasingly withheld from the public. If you question the government’s propaganda you are labelled a “climate denier”. What we need is more transparency about the truth. If we do not get it, we will indeed be living in the work in George Orwell’s novel “1984” and destroying our civilization.