Since "global warming" or "climate change" became an "issue" back in the early 70s, it appears to have gained disproportionate, even fashionable, support - without the much-needed balance of debate. It seems to have got to a point where it is viewed as disrespectful to challenge it. I don't think there are many topics where opinions are so firmly entrenched, yet - it seems - often without evidence or scientific basis.
Loads of "facts" are trotted out
ad nauseam - but when carefully examined, bear more resemblance to folklore or old wives' tales. The classic is probably the rise in sea level that will occur when (not, apparently,
if) the polar ice melts. It occurs to me that there is a finite amount of water on the planet, from which the ice formed in the first place. If melting occurs, then the water will replace (in mass) the melting ice - because if the ice does melt, it will leave a void to be filled. When the ice cube melts in your glass (another finite amount of liquid), the glass does not overflow.
My simplistic view is taken in the total absence of anything more believable, to me, than the opinion of the head of the research centre on the ice cap - bearing in mind that I remember the winter of 1963, the view that another Ice Age was on its way in the early 70s, then the summer of 1976 - all climatic "blips" that we will probably see again.
In a nutshell, as a long-term cynic, my view could be summarised as believing the "climate change" issue to be little more than a stealth tax, driven by promoting fear. Does anyone
really believe that, for example, increasing flight prices (via taxation) will
actually lessen air traffic, as it is, supposedly, designed to do?
Of course it makes sense to re-cycle, to make the very best use of all finite resources, to clean up after us for future generations, but then
it always has done. In real terms, this planet has coped with so much already (yet with so minute an evidential impact), that this topic will probably still be running several millenia down the road - without my input, obviously!
Ray.