To The Editor,
To be clear: I firmly believe that the climate changes. I have read the records and even found evidence. I also believe that human activity is only one of many factors which influences weather, and certainly not the most potent. That status belongs to the sun.
The term greenhouse gases seems to infer one greenhouse, as a global affair. Not many greenhouses with one over Canada, another over Macao, etc. So it would reason that what happens under one part of the global greenhouse affects all within. Canada’s contribution of CO2 is less than 2% of total, spread across .5% of world population occupying the second largest country. Statistically, that volume over the total sample size would be tossed as insignificant. Our output could theoretically be replaced by any number of random events across the remainder. If all Canadian activity were to cease the odds are about 100 to1 that our demise would make no measurable difference in total current emissions. Let alone future.
While Canada goes ahead with a plan to cripple itself with a ‘sin’ tax on carbon, China is building the world’s largest ever industrial and trade initiative known as the Belt and Road. Part of which is the construction of more than three hundred new coal burning plants; on top of the thousands which already exist. None of which have intention or obligation to pay special levies for what goes into their furnaces or comes out of the smoke stacks. Will Canadians benefit anything more than lighter pocketbooks from our added burdens? I think not.
All warnings on the disastrous effects of warm temperatures are based on hypothetical situations; computer models. On the other side, evidence of the hardships brought on by cold are well documented in fact. The Little Ice Age, from mid 1600’s to the early 1800’s; the pre-industrial era upon which today’s warming comparisons are based, were hard times.
Historical evidence shows that the periods with the most extreme weather coincided with long-duration solar minimums. We are in such now. 2019 is on track to set a modern record for low sun activity with few if any signs of new in the forecast. If the next solar maximum cycle is delayed, as it was during the 1700’s, the results might not be pretty. The story line for Hansel and Gretel was set in reality.
The capacity to adapt to change is and always was the key to survival. The evidence for that statement is obvious. Therefore the most dangerous part of climate change comes with government and special interests taking over, making use of the situation for their own gain, leaving the remainder ill equipped to cope with events as they might arise.
In Canada’s case, even the most stringent laws on emissions will have no noticeable effect on the global greenhouse gas situation and certainly none on solar conditions.
Cui bono?
Gordon Fraser
Champlain
