The data grows stronger year by year. Our scientific projections have in fact been under-shooting the effects we are seeing.

I personally think of the issue of climate change not as a sole issue in itself, but as one more reason, if not the strongest reason, to take action on most major environmental concerns, as the solutions are often cross-beneficial.

There is indeed overwhelming scientific evidence to support that humans are changing the global climate. To be frank, to think otherwise in this day and age surprises me. That is clear primarily through the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which, to my knowledge, is the most reputable source of climate change information. I do not know of another body that takes all peer-reviewed climate science and then compiles that information into summarized reports, citing the full range of probability for each projection. If there is another body of work that has been compiled with such fervor, I would be very much interested in seeing it.

Yes, humans are flawed. Yes, we know relatively little. And yes, this level of scientific knowledge is as good as we have.

I am quite sorry you feel that way about Elizabeth May. As her colleague and friend, I know that she approaches all her work from a point of passion with a goal to created positive environmental change in the world.

There is NOT overwhelming scientific evidence to support that humans are changing global climate. Quite the opposite. There is substantial evidence that there are more things influencing climate than we even know about, never mind have the ability to control. While our effect on local environment is a concrete issue that can be addressed, our effect on global climate is negligible. There is climate change. There is no human induced climate change. Our effect on global climate is so tiny, it would, in a sane world, be considered “statistically insignificant.” Sadly, we don’t seem to be living in a sane world, but then, perhaps, we never have.

It doesn’t help that an alarming amount of data is corrupted and incomplete. Revisionist history, fudging of computer models until the desired results emerge, manipulation of historical data and a politicization of science increases the confusion. Even to say there’s “95% certainty” is meaningless, not to mention a questionable claim. If you’re referring to the IPCC reports, it’s even more meaningless, they are so badly flawed.

Truth is, we don’t even fully understand our climate (or a great many other things about our earth). We have a good working knowledge, and that knowledge has increased by leaps and bounds in recent years. This is a good thing. Unfortunately, I think we’ve been so blinded by how much we’ve learned, we’re forgetting how little we know. This is a pattern that has repeated itself throughout human history, so it’s no surprise to see it now. As an example, “In the first century AD, Roman naturalist and historian, Pliny the Elder, believed that already the sea was understood, that the definitive list of marine fauna was complete – totally 176 species! – and that ‘by Hercules, in the ocean … nothing exists which is unknown for us.’” (The Deep by Claire Nouvian). Today, 5-7 new species are being discovered in the Mariana Trench EVERY DAY. When it comes to climate, we’re not much more knowledgeable then Pliny the Elder was about the oceans in the first century AD.

Oh, and just as an aside, I used to vote Green. Until Elizabeth May became the leader. I am saddened by the direction she has been taking the party, and her misguided, alarmist views on climate change play a large part in that.

You are correct – climate changes. There is natural climate change, and there is human-caused climate change. I am referring to the latter.

There is overwhelming scientific evidence to support the fact that humans are indeed changing the global climate. It is with 95% certainty that the climate changes we are seeing cannot be explained by non-human factors alone. I’m more than happy to discuss this at length should there be particular questions that you have.

My pride wells from the fact that I’ve worked with amazing groups of people that have created substantial change in their communities and on their campuses. The community in which I work ranges from youth to the most-experienced business managers and directors whom have been working on climate change and environmental issues for over 30 years.

Yes, I believe that my generation quite literally woke up to climate change – but we would in no way be as effective and successful as many of us are today without the intensive work of those who came before us. That almost goes without saying.

I do hope you’ll get the chance to pick up my recent co-authored publication, Global Warming for Dummies (written with Elizabeth May) – it compares and contrasts natural and human-caused climate change, and also addresses youth work on a local and international scale.

Sincerely,

Zoe

Ah, the smug arrogance of youth. I remember those days. Of course, when I was a youth, we were told we were heading for the next Ice Age. We were also supposed to run out of oil by the mid-80’s. When that didn’t happen, we were supposed to run out in the 90’s. Not to mention the mass starvation and war we were supposed to go through because by now, as we were supposed to have run out of food and potable water to feed the world’s population. We were all incensed that our parent’s generation wasn’t taking things seriously enough, too.

How my parents must’ve been rolling their eyes at me – that is, when they weren’t having to use the front end loader attachment on our tractor to open a path from our house to the various buildings on our farm, so we could make sure our animals were fed, watered and didn’t freeze to death.

Here’s a memo for you: Climate changes. It always has, it always will. We can adapt to it, but we can’t control it. To suggest we humans are powerful enough to control global climate is a bit like claiming the bacteria on our eyelashes can control, our bodies.

If you’re goint to be active about making the world a better place, more power to you. There are plenty of real concerns out there. Just please make sure you’re doing something that will actually make a difference, instead of the equivalent of trying to stop the tide.

Interesting graph that you posted. It certainly is a great example of how short term trends of 5 to 10 years can tell a different story than long term trends of 850,000 years.

The long term consequences of rising temperatures resulting from increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gas emissions) is indeed around what the urgency of climate change is centered.

I do hope that graph is taken with a grain of salt.

All my best,

Zoë

http://tinyurl.com/54v4je