Although the House Education Committee voted to approve new science standards for public schools, it rejected five paragraphs pertaining to climate change. Following this action, these comments were made by a State Representative.
“The last three years have been the hottest in human history, and the rate of warming will only increase. Idaho is facing a future of water shortages, record-breaking fire activity, crop loss, and wildlife die-offs. It is deeply disappointing that the Idaho Legislature not only continues to deny basic scientific facts, but now insists that we misinform our youth as well.
School should be a place where facts are shared, not suppressed. 72% of Idahoans and 97% of scientists believe that climate change is happening, and it is past time for the Legislature to join them in facing reality. Not only do we owe it to our children to teach them 21st Century science, but we owe it to the farmers, foresters and citizens of Idaho to take this issue seriously and not bury our heads in the sand. Livelihoods are at stake.”
DRASTIC ACTION REQUIRED FOR CLIMATE CHANGE?
- There have been many comments that the world is going to end unless we take immediate and drastic action to control carbon dioxide. This action will cost billions of dollars. There is another side to this, however, and it would be good if our children knew the other side, the side that depends on the actual science. This is a view which sees an Earth that has changed radically over many years, but continues to support life.
- Have the last three years been the hottest in human history? That all depends on what data you consider. There have been times in the past when it was warmer, and some evidence that the last three years have not been unusually hot. See: The Most Dishonest Year on Record
- Will the rate of warming actually increase? This all depends on computer models which are not trustworthy.
- The problems that Idaho could face are pretty subjective. All these are events that have happened in the past, and the frequency does not appear to be increasing.
- Basic Scientific Facts: What are they? Many scientists insist that the scientific facts do not support the climate alarmist views. See: Global Warming Petition Facts
- Schools should be places where facts are shared. Facts! Of course, the schools have been teaching humanism and United Nations Philosophy for generations. On that basis, it is likely that many teachers would not recognize the truth when they saw it. This is one reason many parents have taken their children out of the Public Schools.
- 97% share the Alarmist Views. Of course, all climate scientists believe that the Earth is warming. Many, however, believe that man is not the chief cause of global warming, or that such warming will lead to disaster. When the statement is made by the President, or the Secretary of State, who is going to check the math. Doing so yields a figure closer to 1%. See: Cooks ‘97% consensus’ disproven by a new peer reviewed paper showing major math errors We owe it to our children to teach them the facts, and we owe it to our farmers and others to share the truth. I believe that is what the Legislature is trying to do.
- Livelihoods are certainly at stake. Most of what the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said on the matter cannot be supported by careful science. If we stop the use of fossil fuels all will suffer, the poor most of all.
OTHER IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
- Carbon dioxide is required for all life. Trees and other plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which is about 0.04%, or 400 parts per million (ppm). Animals eat plants and get their carbon from them.
- The more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere the better plants grow.
- There were times over the past 100 years when carbon dioxide was increasing, but temperatures were not increasing. (About 1940 to 1975) See: Why did climate cool in the mid-20th Century?
- It is far simpler to take measures to compensate for any problems caused by warming, than trying to stop the warming in the first place.
- Any measures we plan to take to stop global warming will only affect it to less than part of one degree.
- Neither solar nor wind can function without another backup power source, usually coal. This must run full time, so there is little savings. There is no electricity at night and no wind power when the wind does not blow.
- Wind farms are really unsightly, and are causing the death of many birds and bats. They are also pretty noisy.
- Solar takes up a lot of land, a lot more than is required for fossil or nuclear power.
- Making gasoline from corn is costing the world a lot of corn which is needed for food. This has made it hard for many poor people in the world. Some places in the world have cleared much land to grow plants for biodiesel, so the world is less green because of it.
- One of the byproducts of producing ethanol is carbon dioxide. So we really are not gaining very much. See: Ethanol fermentation
- We have lots of fossil fuels, enough to last us many years.
- America, and the free world, became prosperous when we learned to use fossil fuels. If we give up the use of these fuels we will return to the Stone Age.
- Most of what the Climate Alarmists believe comes from climate models. These models are not very accurate, and cannot even predict the past with any accuracy. Climate involves many complex factors. See: Climate Models Fail To Predict Past Catastrophes
- Polar Bears. We see many pictures of polar bears playing with their young and assume they are quite harmless. Actually, they are very dangerous and are very similar to grizzlies. Polar bears are not threatened, but have increased from about 5,000 in 1960 to the present of about 32,600. Polar bears are good swimmers and can swim hundreds of miles. Those found dead were likely killed by a heavy storm surge. Polar bears are mostly threatened by native hunters.
- Sea Level Rise. The sea has been rising since the end of the past Ice Age. But the sea is now only rising about a few millimeters a year. Some of that rise is from melting ice and some is from expanding of the ocean as it warms.
- Ocean Acidification. The oceans are basic, not acidic, so they may be becoming less basic. Still being basic they will not erode sea shells.
- The corals may change color but they actually do better in a warmer sea. Corals and a form of algae live together. As the temperature changes so do the species of algae that provide the color for the corals.
SOME IMPORTANT FILMS ON THE SUBJECT
Climate Hustle Feb 5, 2017, 1:18:36 hr., min (Climate Hustle is the best, shown in local theaters.)
Also Dr. Patrick Moore of Greenpeace July 24, 2014, 30:45 min
IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY BOOKS ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Dozens of books have been written on climate change. Anyone who wants to know the truth can find out by searching the internet. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is funded by the United Nations and the United States Government. Their charge was to determine how man was affecting the climate, and what could be done about it; it was not about if he was affecting the climate. No serious effort was made to find out what causes the climate to change. There are lots of scientists in the world today who are working on climate science who do not agree with the IPCC.
Our children are being taught that going green means wind and solar. In actual fact, these are very poor choices, and as mentioned above other generation sources must stand by when it is dark or the wind is not blowing.
We would not even have wind and solar now if not for subsidies. I hope that Idaho lets them stand alone and not provide any such subsidies. Going green is a great idea when it saves us money, personally. But going green makes no sense at all if the government has to provide subsidies to make them work.
