Changing view on Climate Change

If you have been a reader of this blog for a length of time, you know that I am what some would label as a climate change skeptic. It's not that I don't think the climate is changing, I just didn't accept the theory that it was man-made. I based my belief on scientific evidence that the greenhouse gas levels in our atmosphere have been at the same levels they are now, except that man did not exist when those levels did, so therefore, man's activity did not contribute to those levels then, and so we didn't have to assume that man's activity contributes to it now.

Unlike most self-proclaimed Liberals, I actually will listen to opposing arguments, and if the evidence warrants it, I will change my stance. In this case, some new scientific evidence has arisen that changes things for me. And because of this new evidence, I have to reassess my standing on the issue.

The evidence that showed the prior greenhouse gas levels came from studying bubbles trapped in ice core samples. It has now been discovered that Antarctic ice caps melt and refreeze from the bottom as well as the top. This throws the accuracy of the dating of the ice cores into question. What if those previous levels were after man's appearance on Earth? Do the new dates coincide with say, volcanic activity? And what about the possibility that maybe this time, it actually might be man's activity contributing?

Regardless of whether or not the greenhouse gasses are man-made or not is almost moot. The greater point is this: they exist, and the high levels are dangerous. Scientist keep studying climate change-shouldn't they focus on alternative energies instead? Or finding other methods of reducing the gasses? It's kind of like a shell game...but they are looking for the wrong answers. Stop trying to find the cause, and start working on the cure. Otherwise, Earth's prognosis won't be very good.

Take care my friends.