To The Editor,
More warnings about climate change have arrived and appear to be very dire. We must fight this monster with higher taxes, colder homes, very expensive light bulbs and doing laundry at night. Even this is not sufficient. We must do more if we are to win the battle: Only twelve years remain to avoid apocalypse.
But considering that Canada is the second-largest country in the world, and the fifth-coldest, yet only produces about 1.5% of the world’s carbon dioxide output, it would seem that we are already a model for low emissions. At this level, even if Canada closed up shop totally the difference in world carbon dioxide output would be statistically negligible. Hardly worth the effort on the grand scale.
Water vapour makes up about 80% of green house gases, having many times more the heat holding capacity than CO2. This subject is rarely mentioned in the “debate” even though on some otherwise clear days the sky over Parliament Hill is clouded with contrails. Ignore those.
Also ignore natural CO2 sources like the wildfires across the West which spread smoke from Northern BC to California, as far east as Saskatchewan. Or volcanic eruptions. Both of which dwarf human pollution and CO2 output.
The sun is the cause of most, if not all, of Earth’s changing climate. The Roman Empire flourished during a long Solar Maximum. Centuries later, Europe nearly froze to death during the Maunder Solar Minimum. Virtually never in the “debate” on climate is the effect of the sun mentioned, either. Not because it is not understood. The science is well known. Cosmic radiation in Earth’s atmosphere increases during Solar Minimum as the Sun’s output decreases. This can cause temperature extremes as well as many other earthly events from earthquakes and volcanoes to droughts and storms. High levels of cosmic radiation also interfere with electronics. “Bad weather times”, as one solar observer described Minimums. We are entering a Grand Solar Minimum now.
No doubt, the climate changes. The surface of the Earth itself changes as mountains now tower where oceans once roiled. The key to all survival appears to be adaptation to environmental change. Attempts to remain static seem to always fail. History is full of examples of species and civilizations which flourished then disappeared because they could not or did not adapt. If we can now truly see into the future, would it not be wiser to prepare for what lies ahead?
It is said that the only constant on this planet is change — and it is sometimes noted that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Gordon Fraser,
Champlain Township
