Ignoring threats at our own risk

Ignoring threats at our own risk

T o someone who has come to greatly appreciate the natural wonders of this planet and who understands its inherent fragility, the current wave of “skepticism” (more like willful ignorance) regarding climate change is not only disturbing, it is reprehensible. An unholy alliance of corporate lobbyists and their indentured servants in Congress has used a spate of missteps by the international climate change panel and the recent blizzards to discredit genuine evidence of our current climate problems. Given the American public’s noted antipathy towards science, it is not surprising that so many people have fallen for this charade. It’s time to set the record straight.

First of all, climate is not the same thing as weather. Climate is the long-term trend in weather patterns, so even if this winter was colder and snowier than its predecessors, the climate is still increasing in temperature—just look at the increased melting of the ice caps and glaciers. Secondly, the phrase “global warming” is a misnomer. While it is true that the average global temperature is rising, that does not mean that every region will be warming as well. In fact, it could lead to drastically colder temperatures in some places — especially Europe — if the melting Arctic ice shuts off the Gulf Stream that keeps the climate there so mild. Thirdly, while there have been spikes and slumps in Earth’s climate since the planet’s formation, human activity has greatly accelerated the process and made matters far worse.

It’s a sad truth that people only wake up to serious problems after a serious catastrophe has occurred. I hope this time will be different, but if it isn’t, a lot of people are in for a very rude (and possibly wet if they live near the sea) awakening.

Luke Tochtenhagen, McDonald