In the Age of Information that we live in today, it is increasingly difficult to disseminate what to believe, especially on those topics for which we ourselves are not an expert. The pervasiveness of “facts” crowd through the airwaves, internet, and the daily papers at an ever increasing speed, and seem to confuse more than clarify issues that are hard to grasp. Among the topics most debated back and forth has to be global warming.
Three points that come up most commonly in regard to global warming: is it weather or climate, is it man-made or not and should we act or not act. Here in North Carolina, arguments also rage over whether global warming is or isn’t a major concern. Perhaps stepping back a few paces and considering a different tack is wise at this point.
Arguments against global warming are common this time of year. It just takes a Spring day or two with unusually high temperatures to start the knowing winks to each other about its existence, then as soon as we have a cold day again, you hear a ‘yeah right, global warming!’ comment around every corner.
However, both of these presumptions are wrong. You can’t make an argument for or against global warming based on recent weather. Although we experience weather every day and week-to-week, climate happens over a long period of time. According to NASA “weather can change from minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour, day-to-day, and season-to-season. Climate, however, is the average of weather over time and space.” Space refers to the global perspective of global warming. The fact that it may be a cold day in Asheville this winter doesn’t mean a lot to Australians battling severe drought and raging wildfires.
The scientific community understands this distinction and the vast majority believes global warming is real. According to a poll conducted in January, 96.2% of climatologists who are active in climate research believe that mean global temperatures have risen compared to pre-1800 levels. (Doran and Zimmerman, University of Illinois at Chicago)
If global warming is happening, then is it manmade from the pollution we create, or is it a natural occurrence that we have no control over? The poll mentioned above found that 97.4% of climatologists who are active in climate research believe that human activity is a significant factor in changing mean global temperatures. Frankly, even without the experts weighing in, this argument doesn’t matter. We all agree that manmade pollution is unhealthy, we all know that the fossil fuels used to create this pollution will run out, and we all know that we need to transition the economy.
There is opportunity in renewable energy to reduce pollution and jumpstart the economy. With unemployment rising to 9.7% last month in our state and reaching similar all-time highs across the country, now is the best time to invest in this opportunity. By creating domestic renewable energy production capacity, North Carolina could become a leader in manufacturing once again. And with substantial offshore wind energy capacity on our coasts and in our mountains, we could cut the costs of importing oil, and help make America energy independent.
On the question of should we try to do anything about global warming, maybe it’s best to listen to some experts who rarely get any notice. Environmentalists for and non-believers against get caught up in too many false debates about the situation, but some experts are worth taking note of.
The Pentagon commissioned a study on the impact of global warming on our national security which concluded that global warming “should be elevated beyond a scientific debate to a U.S. national security concern.” The report includes findings that regard projected climate change as a serious threat to America's national security and views national security and energy dependence as a related set of challenges.
According to another study, “National Security and the Threat of Climate Change,” conducted by a blue-ribbon panel of retired admirals and generals from all branches of the armed services:
“Global warming is one of the most serious long-term threats to our national and personal security. It represents a serious national security threat which could impact Americans at home, impact United States military operations around the world through heightened global tensions, and resource wars.”
The panel recommends dramatic cuts in fossil fuel emissions that could prevent much of the harm of global warming they are predicting. But they said the U.S. government - and the rest of the world - has to act now.
For so many reasons, it is time to stop arguing about the existence of global warming and focus our efforts on what really matters: the solution. Our leaders will be forced to listen if more Americans call on Congress to craft a new energy policy that will revive our economy, end our dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels, and, oh yeah, solve the climate crisis, too.
Three points that come up most commonly in regard to global warming: is it weather or climate, is it man-made or not and should we act or not act. Here in North Carolina, arguments also rage over whether global warming is or isn’t a major concern. Perhaps stepping back a few paces and considering a different tack is wise at this point.
Arguments against global warming are common this time of year. It just takes a Spring day or two with unusually high temperatures to start the knowing winks to each other about its existence, then as soon as we have a cold day again, you hear a ‘yeah right, global warming!’ comment around every corner.
However, both of these presumptions are wrong. You can’t make an argument for or against global warming based on recent weather. Although we experience weather every day and week-to-week, climate happens over a long period of time. According to NASA “weather can change from minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour, day-to-day, and season-to-season. Climate, however, is the average of weather over time and space.” Space refers to the global perspective of global warming. The fact that it may be a cold day in Asheville this winter doesn’t mean a lot to Australians battling severe drought and raging wildfires.
The scientific community understands this distinction and the vast majority believes global warming is real. According to a poll conducted in January, 96.2% of climatologists who are active in climate research believe that mean global temperatures have risen compared to pre-1800 levels. (Doran and Zimmerman, University of Illinois at Chicago)
If global warming is happening, then is it manmade from the pollution we create, or is it a natural occurrence that we have no control over? The poll mentioned above found that 97.4% of climatologists who are active in climate research believe that human activity is a significant factor in changing mean global temperatures. Frankly, even without the experts weighing in, this argument doesn’t matter. We all agree that manmade pollution is unhealthy, we all know that the fossil fuels used to create this pollution will run out, and we all know that we need to transition the economy.
There is opportunity in renewable energy to reduce pollution and jumpstart the economy. With unemployment rising to 9.7% last month in our state and reaching similar all-time highs across the country, now is the best time to invest in this opportunity. By creating domestic renewable energy production capacity, North Carolina could become a leader in manufacturing once again. And with substantial offshore wind energy capacity on our coasts and in our mountains, we could cut the costs of importing oil, and help make America energy independent.
On the question of should we try to do anything about global warming, maybe it’s best to listen to some experts who rarely get any notice. Environmentalists for and non-believers against get caught up in too many false debates about the situation, but some experts are worth taking note of.
The Pentagon commissioned a study on the impact of global warming on our national security which concluded that global warming “should be elevated beyond a scientific debate to a U.S. national security concern.” The report includes findings that regard projected climate change as a serious threat to America's national security and views national security and energy dependence as a related set of challenges.
According to another study, “National Security and the Threat of Climate Change,” conducted by a blue-ribbon panel of retired admirals and generals from all branches of the armed services:
“Global warming is one of the most serious long-term threats to our national and personal security. It represents a serious national security threat which could impact Americans at home, impact United States military operations around the world through heightened global tensions, and resource wars.”
The panel recommends dramatic cuts in fossil fuel emissions that could prevent much of the harm of global warming they are predicting. But they said the U.S. government - and the rest of the world - has to act now.
For so many reasons, it is time to stop arguing about the existence of global warming and focus our efforts on what really matters: the solution. Our leaders will be forced to listen if more Americans call on Congress to craft a new energy policy that will revive our economy, end our dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels, and, oh yeah, solve the climate crisis, too.
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