Global Warming - Who's in Control?

Global Warming – Who’s in Control?
The View from the Middle

Mankind’s hubris never ceases to amaze me. Politicians are trying to convince us that we have a little steering wheel, gas pedal and brake somewhere along the equator, I suppose, and we are actually driving the earth around the sun. Some would suggest we also have a little thermostat somewhere that we can turn up or down at will. They want you to believe that they are, or could be, in control and would turn down the temperature and push the “no hurricanes” button on their control panel if we only gave them the power. All we have to do is give them all our money and all our freedoms and they will be our global Uber driver and deliver a smooth ride, no warming (unless you want it, of course), no natural disasters and no wars.

The reality is that the world is a huge place with a mind of its own. We are, in fact, a flea on a dog that is suggesting that it controls the dog. Let me give you an idea of just how insignificant we are. The earth has over 500 million square kilometers of surface area and we could fit the entire population of the planet, all 7.7 billion people, within the city limits of Anchorage, Alaska, with room to spare. We truly are just a flea on the back of this planet. We are a passenger on God’s creation and are just along for the ride. Our only hope is to adapt to this ever changing world and be good stewards of the planet God gave us dominion over.

The fact that we (the flea) have noticed that the world is warming is quite the accomplishment, but to suggest that we can control that temperature is just a lie. And to suggest the dog will die and kill all the fleas is just fearmongering. In 1989, the New York Director of the UN Environment Program said that we had 10 years to solve the CO2 problem or the oceans would rise by three feet (36 inches), the polar ice caps would be gone and New York would be under water. Of course, none of that happened, but does any of that sound familiar?

Most scientists believe that the earth has been around for billions of years, and has sustained life on it for over a billion years. During that time temperatures have risen and fallen with no help from mankind. About 56 million years ago average global temperatures were about 15 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than today, and man was not around to cause it. There have also been at least five ice ages according to Climatologist Cliff Harris and Meteorologist Randy Mann. They also identified a period about 460 million years ago, during the Ordovician Period, when CO2 content in the atmosphere was over 10 times higher than today’s levels while temperatures were the same as our current temps.

And many scientists will admit that they aren’t even sure if CO2 is a cause of warming or a result of it. Even if it is a “cause” it is just one, and a relatively small one, when you compare it to the sun, volcanic activity and El Nino events. If the sun decides to have storms or flares or hot periods there is nothing we can do about it. If the earth’s volcanoes decides to erupt on land or below our oceans, we will just be spectators. If we experience a strong El Nino (warming of the ocean’s waters) there is nothing we can do to prevent it. Our politicians know they can’t convince thinking people that they can control any of these things, so they will try to persuade us that they can tinker with CO2 levels and regulate the world’s temperature level as easily as they control their thermostats.

And even if CO2 contributes to global warming, remember two things. First, if all of the commitments of the Paris Accord are recognized, scientists “hope” to prevent a two degree centigrade (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) rise in temperature over the next 100 years. Given the temperature changes the earth has experienced over the last three or four thousand years, it is ludicrous to make that projection with any amount of certainty. Second, I will guarantee that the earth will still be here in 11 years, despite the threats made by that brilliant climatologist and bar tender Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (AOC). I will also guarantee that in 11 years some politician will suggest, once again, that unless we dramatically change our ways by 2040 or 2050, we will be doomed. And on it will go until we figure out that they are Lucy with the football, and we are Charlie Brown.

Finally, we must remember that we are talking about “global” warming, and the world’s worst offender in terms of CO2 emissions is China! In fact, China releases twice the absolute amount of CO2 into the atmosphere as the United States despite having a much smaller economy. Why should the Paris Accord allow China, the worst emitter of CO2 in the world by far, to continue increasing their emissions until 2030? Isn’t that past “the point of no return” according to AOC and Bernie Sanders? And after 2030 do you really believe China will keep their promises? They’ve done so well in the “promise keeping” area for the last 50 years, haven’t they?

While the rest of the world has increased their emissions by over 60% since 1990, The United States has maintained its emissions at 1990 levels. But Bernie, AOC and the rest of the Democrat party want us to destroy our economy and give up virtually all of our freedoms to get to net zero carbon emissions. This would take us back to the stone ages while China blows past us economically and replaces us as the only Superpower left on the planet. Do we really want to doom our children and grandchildren to a world where China is calling the shots.

Should we be good stewards of our world? Of course we should. Should we encourage other countries to do the same? Of course we should. Should we finance every other country’s efforts and commit economic Hara-kiri in the process? Of course not. But it is amazing what some politicians will promise to get elected today, even if it guarantees national servitude in the future, as long as that future is far enough away for them to be long gone. How many of us will be around in 2100 to measure the actual results vs. the draconian projections?