| At the 2007 Academy Awards, Al Gore's film An | | | | Human kind has little or nothing to do with the |
| Inconvenient Truth, which documents the | | | | recent temperature changes. We are not that |
| supposedly man-made global climate crisis, won | | | | influential." He has also addressed the questionable |
| the Oscar for Best Documentary. If mankind is | | | | motives of certain climatologists: "So many people |
| truly responsible for global warming, then Gore | | | | have a vested interest in this global warming |
| himself is one of the biggest contributors. Public | | | | thing--all these big labs and research and stuff. |
| records show that each month his 20-room | | | | The idea is to frighten the public, to get money to |
| Tennessee mansion uses twice the amount of | | | | study it more." |
| electricity that an average home uses in a year. | | | | - According to Frederick Seitz, former president |
| So much for leading by example. | | | | of the National Academy of Sciences, "We see |
| But Gore may in fact not be to blame for | | | | that the scientific facts indicate that all the |
| fluctuations in global temperature. In the past, | | | | temperature changes observed in the last 100 |
| solar activity has had a huge impact in | | | | years were largely natural changes and were not |
| atmospheric temperatures on the Earth. Perhaps | | | | caused by carbon dioxide produced in human |
| the most famous example of the sun's influence | | | | activities." |
| occurred during the so-called Little Ice Age of | | | | - According to David Deming, geology professor |
| 1645-1715 A.D. Average temperatures dropped | | | | at the University of Oklahoma, "There is no sound |
| dramatically during this period causing rivers to | | | | scientific basis for predicting future climate change |
| freeze and glaciers to overrun European villages. | | | | with any degree of certainty. If the climate does |
| The Little Ice Age corresponded with a period of | | | | warm, it is likely to be beneficial to humanity |
| extremely low sunspot activity, leading many | | | | rather than harmful. In my opinion, it would be |
| scientists to believe that the changes in global | | | | foolish to establish national energy policy on the |
| temperature and solar activity were linked. | | | | basis of misinformation and irrational hysteria." |
| The years of the Little Ice Age also correspond | | | | Few people deny the fact that the Earth's climate |
| with a period of heightened volcanic activity. When | | | | is changing. Global warming skeptics are often the |
| a volcano erupts, it releases enormous amounts | | | | first to point out that the average temperatures |
| of CO2, a greenhouse gas, and sulfuric acid, which | | | | of the Earth are in a constant state of flux. The |
| reflects the sun's rays thus reducing the amount | | | | disagreement is over the cause. Humans often |
| of heat the Earth is able to absorb. | | | | like to believe that they are the cause of and the |
| Far too often, the natural causes of climate | | | | solution to all of the world's problems. In the area |
| change are downplayed or even outright denied | | | | of global climate change, however, that belief is an |
| by global warming alarmists. Clearly, the causes of | | | | arrogant presumption at best. We do not |
| global climate change are still up for debate. | | | | understand the vast array of forces contributing |
| Despite media proclamations of consensus among | | | | to global warming and cooling trends. What's |
| scientists and climatologists on the causes of | | | | worse is that millions of dollars in grant money is |
| global climate change, several dissenting voices are | | | | at stake, thus corrupting the scientific process. |
| struggling to be heard. | | | | Much like proponents of embryonic stem cell |
| - According to William M. Gray, professor of | | | | research (which has yet to produced a single |
| atmospheric science and meteorology at Colorado | | | | medical breakthrough) work to sell their misguided |
| State University, the little warming the Earth has | | | | schemes to the public in order to secure federal |
| been experiencing "is likely a result of the natural | | | | tax funding for research, global warming alarmists |
| alterations in global ocean currents which are | | | | don't see payday unless they sufficiently scare |
| driven by ocean salinity variations. Ocean | | | | the public with their dubious claims. |
| circulation variations are as yet little understood. | | | | |