On June First, our president continued his pledge to undo the damage Barrack Obama did to our nation. This time President Trump announced the United States would withdraw from the Paris Climate Change Agreement. Well, almost withdraw. Under terms of the agreement, we will not actually be able to completely withdraw until 2020, after Trump’s first presidential term. Until then the US will still be expected to be an active member, as well as a significant financial contributor.
Even though we won’t actually abandon the Paris accord, the Democrats, and their lap dogs, the mainstream media continue their campaign to discredit President Trump. Of course, this should not be much of a surprise. Our President can’t go to the restroom without the media throwing a negative spin on it and the Democrats calling for an investigation of the smell.
It is no secret that President Trump believes climate change is a hoax. He has said that on several occasions. But what, exactly, does that mean?
There can be no denying that the climate is changing. The climate has been changing since this planet finally cooled enough for there to be a climate. We have gone through extreme cold ice ages to warm, dry desertification periods like the one that created the Great Sahara.
Ah, but scientists have identified humans as being the cause of our latest climate change. Okay, maybe not all scientists. In fact, those that have condemned humans for creating the “greenhouse effect” have been revealed for creating slanted, if not actual false, data to support their cause.
Here are a few points to consider. First, the greenhouse effect is real ... thankfully. Without the greenhouse effect, we would be fried crisp, life could not exist on this planet. But did we cause it, and more importantly, can we control it?
Obviously, we didn’t create the greenhouse effect. Have we placed the greenhouse gasses out of balance? Climate change believers say we have. The primary greenhouse gasses are, in order of magnitude, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone. There are others but these are the major contributors.
Water vapor makes up the largest portion of greenhouse gas, from 36% to 72%. This is a very effective component, as evidenced by the effect of clouds. Has water vapor increased? How can that be quantified? Can we control it? If we could control -- create or reduce -- water vapor in the air, there would be no droughts. No, we aren’t creating water vapor, nor can we control it.
Carbon dioxide makes up anywhere from 9% to 26%. There is no doubt that humans are generating carbon dioxide. But we are not the only contributor of this gas. At any given time there are on average anywhere from 50 to 70 volcanic eruptions every year. Besides the caustic gasses and lava spewed out by these beasts, there is a significant amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. Then there are also thousands of wildfires raging continually throughout the world all generating, guess what, carbon dioxide. Do we contribute to this greenhouse gas? Undoubtedly, but how significant is our contribution within that 9 to 26 percent range?
Next, comes methane making up from 4% to 9% of the greenhouse gas. Methane is a natural substance on our planet. There are massive glaciers of methane in the oceans. It also rests in fissures within the earth’s crust. In fact, methane, aka natural gas, is being promoted by the Green people as a viable alternative energy source. But true to form these Greens point to the smelly methane in the flatulence of cows as the source of the nasty greenhouse gas. C’mon, cows? What about beans? They always give me gas. Should we do away with beans?
Rounding out the greenhouse gas is ozone, which makes up from 3% to 7% of the total. Remember a few years back when the lack of ozone created hysteria about a hole in the ozone layer over Antartica? The whole world had to change refrigerant to keep from killing the ozone. Now we have too much of it? C’mon, you can’t have it both ways. We either have too much or too little ozone. Take your pick.
Climate change is a natural occurrence and has been throughout the history of this planet. With or without humans the climate will change. Wouldn’t a wiser strategy be to devise ways to adapt to those changes? When the ice age was upon us, humans adapted to the cold by donning clothing and heating with fire. When the heat became overbearing, humans invented air conditioning and refrigeration. When glaciers melted and formed lakes and rivers, people moved to drier land. When the lush, verdant savannas of the Sahara turned to desert, most of the inhabitants moved to a friendlier climate. Those that remained learned to adapt to the hot, dry climate.
Humans are masters of adaptation. Yet we deplete our economies and stifle businesses in a futile effort to control the climate -- to change nature. We should be placing those resources in measures for adaptation to the changing climate. The Paris accord has no provisions for adaptation. We are wise not to be part of an enterprise that is doomed to failure.
