Editorial

Jaynee Hanson
Another Side to Global Warming
Global Warming is a scientific debate; however the debate part has been largely ignored by the media. Today’s media is ignoring the history. In 1975 Newsweek Magazine included an article alarming its readers about Global Cooling. Today, it seems the facts people believe are coming directly out of politician’s mouths. Too bad scientists are not publicists. Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth includes facts. These facts come from Al Gore, who has no meteorology of climatology degrees. Another movie on the same subject; The Great Global Warming Swindle also includes facts. These facts come from climatologists who have PhD’s in the subject which they are addressing. With the media blasting in everyone’s faces it is hard to see what to believe and what not to believe.
First of all, there was an industrial boom in the 1960’s and 70’s. This put more amounts of carbon dioxide in the air from humans than ever before. This must have been a shock to our atmosphere and unbalanced the greenhouse effect right? Well the facts show that our climate was actually cooling during this time. The media even took this climate change and tried to alarm the public by calling it “Global Cooling.” Why would the earth be cooling if we were putting more carbon dioxide into the air than ever before? An Inconvenient Truth shows this time as part of global warming. If the earth’s temperature was rising during this time why would Newsweek include an article titled “Welcome to the new Ice Age”? This is just another example of the media blowing science out of proportion to alarm the public and sell. Could we be going through another one of these instances today with Global Warming?
Many people supporting Global Warming use the IPCC report as a reference. Thousands of scientists signed this report… well their piece of the report anyway. However when some scientists read the entire report, they discovered they didn’t agree with the entire thing, and had to sue to get their name off of the report. Why would people have to manipulate scientists? Next to all of these scientists supporting Global Warming, there are also thousands of scientists who say the climate is changing, but it isn’t something humans are largely contributing to. Some scientists even say, including those in The Great Global Warming Swindle, that using the proof of the cooling of Earth’s temperature in the 70’s, that the link between carbon dioxide and temperature is false. I want to hear a scientist, as opposed to a politician argue that.
Our climate is changing right now. However it has been changing for millions of years. So why is everybody so excited about it now? Maybe it is because temperatures are higher than ever before. Or maybe it is because people are so desperate to make a name for themselves, and some money, that alarming people will do this for them. Our climate is warming right now. Average temperatures are higher. Although if this is an exponential warming period, then why did this past summer seem cooler than some other recent summers? Even though thousands of facts support Global Warming, one fact not supporting it would take away its fact label.
There is nothing better for science than to have somebody disagree, and for the two groups to have a healthy argument. These arguments have become more and more excessive with ad hominem remarks, because the spokespeople are arguing rather than the scientists. One argument over the matter between Glenn Beck and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a great example. This was supposed to be in question-answer form about global warming and its deniers. What it turned into was RFK Jr. calling Beck and other “question-askers,” supporters of fascism, because of people using Exxon Mobil employees as examples of scientists who don’t go along with Global Warming. Why would anyone want to ask questions if they’re just going to get their character stabbed at? It’s hard to get unbiased references because it seems everyone’s paycheck runs their conscience. As hard as it may be to believe, there are scientist who aren’t getting paid off. Its finding these scientists and going public with their ideas that’s the hard part. Even if you get past the media, it is still sometimes hard to know what to believe. There are non-believers in Global Warming. There are people who don’t think it is caused by carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. There are facts to back up all of these people. The problem is that they are the non-alarmists trying to calm people down and that doesn’t exactly go along with the scheme of things with the media. It’s the credibility of the people into Global Warming that trips some people up. Why listen to a politician saying one thing, while there are doctors saying another? The media may confuse people, or make things crystal-clear for close-minded people, but people need to see past people with big mouths, look at the facts, and start asking questions.