Guest Editorial: Don Francis
There is little truth in “An Inconvenient Truth”
By Don Francis | May 13, 2009
It is distressing to recognize how much economic damage is currently being done in the United States and elsewhere because of the belief that man-made carbon dioxide is the main or significant cause of global warning. It is more distressing to think of the amount of economic harm that will be caused if the “cap and trade” program is legislated to bear on the American Economy. It is really distressing to think about the damage that will occur if the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proceeds to pursue its finding that CO2 is a hazardous pollutant and must be regulated. It is ironic that the prime motivation for the idea that man-made CO2 is the main cause of global warming is the film “An Inconvenient Truth” by Al Gore because there is little truth in the film.
To evaluate the veracity of the statements above is to read a very interesting book “Unstoppable Global Warming, every 1500 Years” by S. Fred Singer and Dennis T. Avery, Rowan and Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2007. A large portion of the world’s scientists agree with Dr. Singer which refutes the contention that there is scientific consensus with Gore’s position. The book develops the facts with solid physical evidence and data that the Earth’s climate has warmed every 1,500 years for at least the last 4,500 years due to the variation in the energy from the Sun and other Sun related effects.
It might be humorous if it was not so tragic the consequences of all of the programs to reduce CO2 into the atmosphere. It is not very helpful to be only against something; therefore it is incumbent on me to say what I am in favor of:
1. Set aside all “cap and trade” proposals
2. Repeal the EPA finding that CO2 is a hazardous material
3. Rescind the whole corn-ethanol program. It is costly, consumes a lot of water, makes gasoline at the pump more costly and increases the cost of food.
4. Convert coal into liquid fuel, the so-called coal to liquid (CTL) program. This would reduce our dependency on foreign oil, reduce our balance of payments and generate jobs in the U.S.
5. Increase nuclear electric generation. We currently have more than 100 nuclear electric plants in the U.S., generating approximately 20 percent of our electric power. It is reassuring to know that France generates more than 80 percent of its electric power from nuclear plants.
It is thus apparent that accepting a false premise (man-made CO2 causes global warning) is causing our energy policy to be misguided. Getting the facts straight would clarify our thinking a great deal. Perhaps this is a more important consideration than the real and potential damage economically of accepting the false premise any further.