Mark Trahant: Doom and gloom on global warming

Monday, February 12, 2007  

"Ready for some gloom and doom?

All I have to do is type the words 'global warming' and critics will dismiss the rest of the column because of expected gloom and doom.

The gloom part I get.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change section on the physical science of global warming is full of dire warnings, ranging from increased droughts to more intense cyclone activity. Most of the increased temperatures, the scientists found, are 'very likely' the result of human activity and greenhouse gas concentrations. The report projects that even if we kept greenhouse gas and aerosol levels constant at year 2000 levels, we still could expect 'a further warming of about .01 degree centigrade per decade.'

But we are not constant; we add greenhouse gases constantly.

'Continued greenhouse gas emissions at or above current rates would cause further warming and induce many changes in the climate system during the 21st century that would very likely be larger than those observed during the 20th century,' the report projects.

But enough gloom because if it's doom you want, read what the critics of global warming science write. If you dismiss the (overwhelming) science, then the narrative framework is, essentially, sigh and die."

Get the Story:
Mark Trahant: The human spirit seeks solutions (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer 2/11)

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