Tracking yearly temperature data is relatively easy and hard to refute. Scientists tracking the earth’s temperatures agree that for the past 11 years our earth has been cooling. What is more difficult is modeling the future of our climate based on information from the past. This requires scientists to use the best available data and then adjust their predictions as data changes.

Junk science is different: when new data becomes available that doesn’t support the predictions, the data is changed or distorted. In the climate change debate, this is fairly easy to do, as very few people outside an inner circle are privy to the computer modeling of this data.

Unfortunately for this inner circle, namely Phil Jones, director of the Climatic Research Unit, along with Tom Wigley of the same agency, they have been caught manipulating data in what is now being called “Climategate.” It appears that plenty of the original climate data that reinforced Al Gore’s Nobel Peace Prize winning efforts has been rigged. It’s junk, to echo Myron Ebell.

Two challenges on this from TuCARE: to the Union Democrat to aggressively report on this huge development in the climate change debate, and to our critics…next time come to the Summit…you won’t be attacked and may be surprised at what you learn.

Mike Albrecht, President
TuCARE

1.) Plants thrive on CO2. Plants store carbon and release oxygen into the atmosphere. Reducing levels of CO2 is not scientifically or theoretically good for plants. Thus, less plants, less oxygen, less carbon sequestration.

2.) Global warming is not the result of industrialization, nor is it because of farting cows, or black-topped surfaces. Rising temperatures are a result of irrigation on once arid land. Moisture holds heat and therefore recorded temperatures have risen over time as more of the earth’s surface has been turned to agriculture uses. Furthermore, the Big Picture tells us that this warming is not enough to create the future that misguided, fear-mongering Al Gore predicts. Although we may have slightly higher seasonal temperature readings, overall, the earth is in a cooling cycle.

In the future, it might be a good idea for the Democrat to actually quote people who attend events and hear the speakers. Then Democrat readers like Mr. Ferrell would get educated instead of indoctrinated.

Melinda Fleming, Executive Director
TuCARE