Global warming just a short chapter in long history of climate change

THERE appears to be a lot of alarmist deliberation on climate change by scientists who should know better about the consequences of global warming.

As any earth scientist will understand, our planet has gone through climatic shifts since it was formed 4.5 billion years ago, and will continue to do so.

Emissions caused by human activity may be a contributory factor, but not to the extent envisaged by media and other reports.

Currently, atmospheric carbon dioxide is at or about 330ppm (parts per million) by volume (historically measured at Mount Loa, Hawaii).

Annual oscillations of this value are due to seasonal changes in carbon dioxide concentration resulting from assimilation of carbon dioxide by primary productivity. The latter process is the natural sequestering of carbon dioxide by plants, something which is conveniently forgotten in the global warming debate.

Natural and geophysical processes and planetary alignment are other processes that have occurred in a cyclical manner throughout earth’s history, and will continue to do so.

Climatic aberrations are thus a consequence of any of these processes either singularly or synergistically. Global warming is a useful bandwagon for the doom-and-gloom environmentalists. Burdening an already regulated industry (Integrated Pollution Prevention Control Licensing System) with unnecessary taxes (carbon tax), as well as blighting the countryside with so-called alternative energy sources (windmills) is simply pandering to the global warming adherents and so-called climate experts.

At least the mild winters in the northern hemisphere keep our heating fuel (fossil fuel) costs low, as well as reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Patrick L O’Brien

Woodlands

Kerry Pike

Co Cork