Global temperature change a non-issue?
Mark Walker’s astonishing opinion piece stating that global temperature has not changed in 16 years prompted me to review the vast Internet literature on climate change denial, which, admittedly, seldom sees the light of day in popular media. The statement seems to have come from an allegedly leaked 5th Assessment Report from the International Panel on Climate Change, not due for final release until 2014. There is no way to determine the validity of origin of this material. There also seems to be disagreement as to whether the gradual short-term rise in temperature over this 16-year interval is significant. The same data does, however, predict very significant warming over the long term.
Other indicators of warming should be obvious to us all. These include sea level rise, increasing ocean heat content, reduction of northern hemisphere snow cover, reduced glacial volume and local extremes of weather. Best evidence indicates these to be a result of rising atmospheric CO2, mainly from combustion of fossil fuels. Governments of all stripes are starting to respond to this evidence belatedly and slowly. Attempts at mitigation such as the carbon tax are a first response, and may already be too delayed and sporadic to be effective. We will then have to go on to attempts to adapt to the consequences of our inaction. This will not bode well for oceanfront real estate or for housing prices in Richmond.
Governments are beginning to understand that inaction on climate issues is likely to have more adverse economic impact than action directed toward reduction in fossil fuel use. It does not take a radical environmentalist to grasp this concept. Our economy is part of our environment. A market economy fails when prices and quantities bought and sold are no longer indicative of their costs and benefits to society. There is indeed a lot of money at stake. Even the government of B.C. understands this, and they will never be mistaken for radical environmentalists.
John Bosomworth
Penticton