Letter: Economist rebuts critical letter
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On the Oct. 15 editorial page Haywood Martin of the Sierra Club took issue with my comments in a speech about the negative impacts of the proposed cap-and-trade carbon tax and referred to me and Claude Culross being a part of the “global warming skeptic mythology” and to an “ideology masquerading as science.” (It is almost amusing to read of a member of the Sierra Club accusing others of being ideologues.)
Is it a myth to be skeptical about man-made global warming?
A couple of facts for your readers to consider: Fact No. 1: Google the headlines on the first Earth Day 30 years ago. At that time Mr. Martin and his ilk were warning us of the dire consequences to the planet of man-made global COOLING. Fact No. 2: In the mid-’90s to late ’90s, Mr. Martin and his club were warning us of the dire consequences to the Earth of global WARMING.
Did you notice in his letter he only used the term “global warming” once? After that he had to revert to using the phrase “climate change” because the temperature of the globe has flat-lined to cooled since at least 2001! Forecasts of global-warming models have been grossly, embarrassingly wrong.
“Climate change” is a handy phrase isn’t it? You can blame any climate event that ever happens on man!
The myth that is worthy of consideration is that there is a scientific consensus on man-made climate change. This is a myth perpetrated by the extreme greens, Hollywood and the far left, abetted by a press that will not do simple investigatory work.
On my desk is an 800-plus-page book titled “Climate Change Reconsidered: The Report of the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change.” It contains facts, analysis and data that refute the idea that climate change is based on human activity. It is written by scientists from all over the world at the very best universities.
University of Wisconsin-trained meteorologist Dr. Roy Spencer has a great Web site, http://www.drroyspencer.com, debunking this myth. A group of 54 noted physicists, led by Princeton’s Will Happer, is demanding that the American Physical Society revise its position that the science is settled.
Mr. Martin accused me of being anti-environment. Thirty-five years’ worth of students at LSU would challenge him on that point. I recycle and clean up my own messes. However, I do not believe in levying on our citizens heavy costs (1) to correct a possible nonproblem or (2) that may generate only trivial benefits.
Finally, when Dr. Stephen Schneider appeared at LSU, did anyone ask if the source of his funding is the EPA, and is it fair to ask if that funding source biased his findings?
Loren Scott
economist
Baton Rouge
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