30 Fairmont Park Lane S
Lethbridge, AB
T1K 7H7
Phone: (403) 328-1804
Sunday, September 28, 2008
The Editor
The Lethbridge Herald
P.O. Box 670
Lethbridge, AB, T1J 3Z7
Dear Editor,
I sense Canadians are becoming quite jaded with respect to stories on carbon dioxide, global warming and climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions are increasing. Atmospheric carbon dioxide continues to rise. Frantic and expensive efforts to reduce emissions through such initiatives as Kyoto have been totally ineffective. In the meantime sceptics have been quietly pointing out warming as evidenced by temperature monitoring has been stalled, apparently by nature, for the past decade. After twenty years of exposure to a continual barrage of dire predictions, modest climate change, and expensive and ineffective action, it’s not much wonder Canadians can digest all this only with a large grain of salt.
Lisa Arrowsmith and Gwynne Dyer (Herald, Sunday, September 28) have seized on recent observations of methane bubbles released from the ocean to stir up some fresh interest. Lisa, unfortunately, consults with the Suzuki Foundation and inadvertently reminds us of the ineffective advice we’ve had from the scare mongers. Gwynne moves forward to postulate that it might be possible for humans to come up with engineering schemes to counter climate change – whether warming or cooling – and mentions a couple.
Humans are having discernable effects on the planet. Some degree of global warming might be one of these. Climate change, whether induced by human activity or other natural forces is something to contemplate as a potential risk to our society. We may be able to do something about it through so-called geo or mega engineering. One pre-requisite to such action will surely be a bounteous source of energy. While keeping a “weather eye” on climate change, effective action can be achieved by redirecting our human energy and effort to make sure an enduring physical energy supply is in place.
My website provides access to more information on energy and geo-engineering at http://www.computare.org/publications.htm
Yours truly,
Duane Pendergast