The Big Thaw
I have to disagree with Ms. Lennox’s letter about the Global Climate (December 12). She claims that “Global Warming is a natural change and, thus, Earth will continue to change no matter what we may or may not do”. I am fed up with people that link global warming and natural change. To deny that we are influencing that “natural cycle” and foolishly speeding up the process of melting of the ice masses is, simply, ignorance.
Ms Lennox quotes Darwin to say that “It is not the strongest of species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most adaptable to change”. Now, humans have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by more than a third since the industrial revolution. Changes this large have historically taken thousands of years, but are now happening over the course of decades. This, in terms of geologic time, is unbearable. The rapid rise in greenhouse gases is a problem because it is changing the climate faster than some living things may be able to adapt –mankind amongst them?. Also, a new and more unpredictable climate poses unique challenges to all life. Ms. Lennox, it is crystal clear that those who deny that global warming is caused by mankind have an obvious ulterior motive: to carry on comfortable and profit-motivated lifestyles.
In my view, it is not persisting deniers like Ms Lennox that are to fear; after all, I am sure there are some harmless folks out there who still believe evolution played no role in shaping us and that "God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so." (Are they really harmless?) But it is apathy and disbelief about climate change that are far from harmless, for they affect governmental policy (what about the Bali Summit?) and our ability to take action. The real challenge is to make people aware: What sacrifices am I ready to make?
I have to disagree with Ms. Lennox’s letter about the Global Climate (December 12). She claims that “Global Warming is a natural change and, thus, Earth will continue to change no matter what we may or may not do”. I am fed up with people that link global warming and natural change. To deny that we are influencing that “natural cycle” and foolishly speeding up the process of melting of the ice masses is, simply, ignorance.
Ms Lennox quotes Darwin to say that “It is not the strongest of species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most adaptable to change”. Now, humans have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by more than a third since the industrial revolution. Changes this large have historically taken thousands of years, but are now happening over the course of decades. This, in terms of geologic time, is unbearable. The rapid rise in greenhouse gases is a problem because it is changing the climate faster than some living things may be able to adapt –mankind amongst them?. Also, a new and more unpredictable climate poses unique challenges to all life. Ms. Lennox, it is crystal clear that those who deny that global warming is caused by mankind have an obvious ulterior motive: to carry on comfortable and profit-motivated lifestyles.
In my view, it is not persisting deniers like Ms Lennox that are to fear; after all, I am sure there are some harmless folks out there who still believe evolution played no role in shaping us and that "God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so." (Are they really harmless?) But it is apathy and disbelief about climate change that are far from harmless, for they affect governmental policy (what about the Bali Summit?) and our ability to take action. The real challenge is to make people aware: What sacrifices am I ready to make?
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