It is unfortunate that the San Mateo Daily Journal persists in publishing letters (“Higher levels of CO2 are better” by Ed Kahl in the May 14 edition of the SMDJ and “Climate change” by Bob Cohen, in the May 21 edition) that promote fringe notions that deny the reality of human-caused global warming and its consequences. The time for debating this issue is over. The overwhelming scientific consensus, based on hard, verifiable data, is that human-caused global warming is real, it is serious and we need to do something about it. For the most compelling summaries of research that support these conclusions, I refer readers to the most recent (2018) report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5 oC, Summary for Policymakers (ipcc.ch/sr15/chapter/summary-for-policy-makers/) and the Fourth National Climate Assessment 2017: Executive Summary, (science2017.globalchange.gov).
I also refer readers to the work of distinguished UC Berkeley Professor of Physics Richard Muller and his research group. Originally a global warming skeptic, Muller received a research grant (ironically from the Koch brothers) to do an in-depth examination of historical global temperature measurements. His group concluded that the measurements were accurate, and their most recent 2018 findings confirm that the earth has warmed by 1.16 degrees Celsius (2.09 degrees Fahrenheit) since the late 19th century. They also concluded that this degree of warming could only be explained by human-caused increases of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
The message is clear. The earth is warming. We humans are the cause. But we can also be the solution if we can find the political will to take the necessary actions now.
Great reposte' Robert. Should tell folks all they need to know if they are serious about leaving something for their grand kids. If not then as some of the foolish ones suggest, they should take their own advice and 'live it up' for the next 12 years and then jump off a cliff. I wouldn't beat up on the Journal for printing silly letters as they are in the entertainment as well as the news business after all.
Yet another letter about the global warming hoax, Mr. Steele? You never answered my previous question of why we should be concerned, since the world is ending in 12 years? And as per Mr. Caggiano’s comment, why aren’t you living it up for the next 12 years, if you’re such a rabid believer? Maybe if you led by example, you could earn some credibility with some of the people on the fence. By the way, 3 million years ago, temperatures and CO2 levels were higher, but wait, there were no humans driving cars, no plastic, no air conditioning, no aerosols, so obviously, the Earth will do what the Earth will do, regardless of man.
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Great reposte' Robert. Should tell folks all they need to know if they are serious about leaving something for their grand kids. If not then as some of the foolish ones suggest, they should take their own advice and 'live it up' for the next 12 years and then jump off a cliff. I wouldn't beat up on the Journal for printing silly letters as they are in the entertainment as well as the news business after all.
Yet another letter about the global warming hoax, Mr. Steele? You never answered my previous question of why we should be concerned, since the world is ending in 12 years? And as per Mr. Caggiano’s comment, why aren’t you living it up for the next 12 years, if you’re such a rabid believer? Maybe if you led by example, you could earn some credibility with some of the people on the fence. By the way, 3 million years ago, temperatures and CO2 levels were higher, but wait, there were no humans driving cars, no plastic, no air conditioning, no aerosols, so obviously, the Earth will do what the Earth will do, regardless of man.
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