The Loud Talker

Phil Jones is the director of the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia. The CRU is one of the primary sources of ammunition for global-warming alarmists. Jones also maintains the time series of the “instrumental temperature record.” This document heavily influenced the authors of the “2001 IPCC Third Assessment Report Summary for Policymakers.”  This assessment concluded the following:

1. An increasing body of observations gives a collective picture of a warming world and other changes in the climate system
2. Emissions of greenhouse gases and aerosols due to human activities continue to alter the atmosphere in ways that are expected to affect the climate
3. Confidence in the ability of models to project future climate has increased
4. There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities
5. Human influences will continue to change atmospheric composition throughout the 21st century
6. Global average temperature and sea level are projected to rise

Why is this important? This report is supposed to show scientific consensus on the subject of global warming. It is also the foundation on which the Copenhagen Treaty is built upon. The Copenhagen Treaty endorses the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol, and in no uncertain terms, blames industrialized nations for causing global warming. I’ve read the draft document and draft amendments and it is truly a political document that blames developed nations for causing global warming. Furthermore, it seeks to punish these nations financially and to redistribute wealth to developing nations. We are talking trillions of dollars.

Does this affect America? Of course it does. Cap and Trade, carbon credits, and other legislation is the direct result of the past decade or so of man-made global warming hysteria led by the likes of Al Gore and Phil Jones. Gore stands to become a carbon billionaire due to his ownership of and association with various carbon offset/trading companies. Other companies like GE stand to make billions or trillions of dollars thanks to the mandated sale of climate-friendly products such as re-engineered light bulbs. Global Warming fears are the basis of a multi-trillion dollar industry.

Here are some quotes from the leaders of the AGW movement:

• “We will face a string of terrible catastrophes unless we act to prepare ourselves and deal with the underlying causes of global warming.” Al Gore
• “Not only is it real, it’s here, and its effects are giving rise to a frighteningly new global phenomenon: the man-made natural disaster.” Barack Obama
• “We are facing a global climate crisis. It is deepening. We are entering a period of consequences.” Al Gore
• “We stand warned by serious and credible scientists across the world that time is short and the dangers are great.” John McCain

As you can see, world leaders have been buying what Phil Jones is selling. Al Gore will tell you that the science is proven, the debate is over. He will not hear that there are plenty of scientists that disagree with him. But things seem to be changing. In a recent BBC interview Jones — one of the leading voices in the man-made global warming movement — happened to admit a few things.  Jones said:

• there has been no statistically significant warming in recent years
• he acknowledged the likelihood of warmer periods in the past (such as the Medieval Warm Period)
• he admitted to manipulating key data to support global warming hysteria.

In other words, he has admitted that everything that the press and governments all over the world have bought hook, line and sinker, is a lie. The world has been warmer before.  There has been no warming in recent years. And data was manipulated.

Yet for some reason my friends that believe man is causing temperatures to rise cannot accept the possibility that they are on the wrong side of the argument. Scientists have shown that human impact on greenhouse gases is statistically insignificant. I’ve argued for years that the bright yellow thing in the sky has more to do with temperature fluctuations than anything humans could do. But they refuse to listen to opinions other than their own. “What do you mean dude? Are you against conservation?” “What’s the worst that could happen? We will get a better planet out of all of these recommendations, right?”

Wrong.

Pursuit of global warming legislation will add an unbearable load an already massively stressed American financial condition. The taxes and penalties imposed on companies under a cap and trade scheme will cause greater unemployment and price increases.  Al Gore and his ilk need to sit back and shut the hell up for a while. President Obama needs to open up his ears and listen to the idea that man-made global warming is NOT a foregone proven scientific fact. He said in his first State of the Union speech “I know that there are those who disagree with the overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change.” Overwhelming? I’d like to see the data on that.

He continued: “But here’s the thing — even if you doubt the evidence, providing incentives for energy-efficiency and clean energy are the right thing to do for our future.”

I think most Americans can agree that energy efficiency, conservation, recycling and the like are good things to do. I also think that most Americans can agree that committing trillions of dollars to an unproven concept is a bad thing. Liberals cannot separate the two, conservatives can. We CAN be environmentally conscious AND fiscally responsible. It’s not an all or nothing situation.