John Varner wrote:
>
> Mike, Bob and John, this prevarication is odd stuff.
>
> First:  There is a lot of "non-controversial" information in the report
> on rising CO2 that might be of interest regarding the geography, weather
> patterns, faunal distribution, etc. of the Indo Pacific.  Dismissing it
> en toto because of  doubts about global warming and its impact seems a
> bit unfortunate.......
>
> Second:  Temperature fluctuation was not the major thrust of the report
> on CO2, it was acidification of the oceans and the impact it and other
> development activities (clearing of mangroves, discharge of sewage,
> over-fishing etc.) are having on the health of coral & sea grass
> habitats world wide and especially in the Coral Triangle.  The data on
> CO2 concentrations over time spans a much longer time frame and is much
> more reliable than temperature data, and it shows a dramatic, decidedly
> unnatural rise since the dawn of the industrial age.  Whether or not one
> believes in the notion that this will result in warming (and those who
> doubt this are a small and shrinking minority) the chemistry of the
> situation is that increased CO2 is rapidly acidifying the oceans to a
> degree that organisms that rely on calcium carbonate deposition will not
> survive.
>
> John Varner

I don't deny that increasing CO2 is man-caused and has potential
negative consequences.

What bothers me is the "sky is falling" panic which, when proven not
panic-worthy, results in abandonment of the problem and loss of public
interest in a solution.

We started talking about a national energy policy in the Carter days.
Except for a few weeks when gas prices spike or supplies fall, it has
never been taken seriously. We've had a huge increase in the number of
nuclear plants, but every one of them is powering a naval vessel; none
are generating electricity, none are producing hydrogen, none are
reducing our dependence on the fossil fuels that produce the CO2. And
our latest president is promoting coal. COAL! How short-sighted can we
be????

Unless our people, our media, our scientists, and our government can
tackle big problems with long term solutions, there will be no progress.
Our people have severe ADD. Our media focuses on the sensation of the
day. Our scientists just want a piece of the latest grant stream. Our
government is too busy getting re-elected.

CO2 is far too big a problem for species sapiens to deal with. Perhaps
the species that supplants us will have better luck.

m

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