It’s not ‘settled’
“Religion is a culture of faith, science is a culture of doubt.” — Richard Feynman, Nobel Prize, physics
Climate change has become the world’s new religion. In only 40 years, many people have become convinced that this movement is the best hope for the salvation of our planet.
Large carbon polluters like Al Gore and John Kerry buy indulgences (carbon offsets) to absolve their climate sins while the rest of us pay more for gas and electricity. These new preachers, with their huge carbon footprints, would have us believe that the world is in grave danger unless we do what they say.
Mr. Kerry is the “climate envoy” in President Biden’s Cabinet. Mr. Kerry has said, “The science is absolutely certain.”
He is not aware that absolute certainty is not scientific. While Mr. Kerry has not acquired any degree in science, he has acquired 12 cars, six homes, one yacht and a very large private jet. Why should we believe what he has to say about reducing our carbon emissions? He does not appear to lead by example.
While anthropogenic increases in temperature are likely, the degree of increase is not certain. However, the United Nations Panel on Climate Change is always certain, never in doubt. They make wild speculations on the future of Earth’s temperature, constantly changing their predictions to scare more money out of the taxpayer.
Now, they even assure us that current weather events are more extreme than in the past! This claim is easily disproved with facts.
Here are some undisputed facts about the most extreme weather events in the United States in the last 121 years. None of these record events have been surpassed since they occurred.
1899 — Coldest temperature in Texas; minus 23 degrees; Tulia; Feb. 12.
1910 — The Big Burn; 3 million acres burned in 48 hours; Washington, Idaho and Montana; Aug. 20-21.
1913 — Hottest temperature; 134 degrees; Death Valley; July 10.
1915 — Hottest temperature in Alaska; 100 degrees; Fort Yukon (8 miles North of the Arctic Circle); June 27.
1925 — Tri-State Tornado; largest tornado on record; Missouri, Illinois and Indiana; March 18.
1927 — Great Mississippi Flood; 27,000 square miles flooded, 30 feet deep; April.
1930’s — Dust Bowl; the worst drought.
1935 — Labor Day Hurricane; strongest on record; lowest barometric pressure, 892 mbar; Florida Keys; Sept. 2.
1954 — Coldest temperature in the continental United States; minus 70 degrees; Roger’s Pass, Montana; Jan. 20.
Weather changes frequently. Climate changes over longer periods of time.
A megadrought in the 16th century resulted in native people leaving large areas of the southwest United States.
Fifteen thousand years ago, 25% of the Earth’s land surface was covered with ice. Today, that has shrunk to 11%.
Most of that ice melted long before the Egyptian pyramids were built. The Great Lakes are puddles from that melted ice. It is not surprising that the ice continues to melt.
Calling climate science “settled” and silencing those who would disagree is dangerously unscientific. Einstein, Copernicus and Galileo were all deniers of “settled science” in their time.
The global environment is in deep pilikia (trouble). Our oceans, forests and wildlife are rapidly degrading. We are devouring the planet.
Climate alarmism, masquerading as science, only evades taking meaningful action on these crucial issues while enriching timber companies, billionaires and Wall Street. It’s past time to put our limited resources where they will do the most good for the people of our islands.
Dan Knowlton
Pahoa
EMP threat
We must do more to strengthen our power grid against an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) event.
Such an event can result from an attack by terrorists or by another country (e.g. China may already have the capability, which it may use in an economic crisis) or it can occur naturally.
It could result in devastating loss of life. There is disagreement on this, but why take chances?
We should also have a ground-based GPS backup system, (like Russia has) or we could lose internet at the least in an anti-satellite attack.
Alvin Blake
Hilo