Ziptrek Ecotours

Choices

January 2010

As this is being written, the Copenhagen Climate Conference is in its first day.

The conference had hoped to be the moment the world took true, tangible initiatives in reducing carbon emissions. At the very least, the conference’s scope implied that at least 192 countries recognized the legitimacy of climate change, and the need to take steps to reduce human impact on our atmosphere. In the wake of some of the more questionable discourse of 2009,  this may not be such a meagre goal.

Copenhagen opens with the spectre of "Climate-Gate" hanging over it. Pilfered emails that appear to indicate researchers tampered with scientific data to provide the results they felt best suited the case for global warming. The indiscretion of this one institution was arrogant, irresponsible and unprofessional, and is providing skeptics and naysayers with just enough rope to hang the entire overwhelming scientific consensus on the matter. The data fudging appears to be an effort to cover-up some of the weaker points in an argument with overall sweeping evidence, but it has single handedly given the crackpots an equal voice in a "fair and balanced” media debate, dismissing for many a half century of discovery and accumulation of scientific knowledge on climate systems. Perhaps this controversy might lead to a more in-depth public examination of the scientific data, which would serve to reinforce the evidence in the public’s eye, but that's an optimistic outlook.

There’s denying climatic change, then there's denying the need to do anything meaningful about it. Why ignore science, when you can use it to leap all the way into science fiction? Attacking common sense from the other side are the best-selling authors Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner in their new book “SuperFreakenomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life lnsurance". Without any apparent scientific basis, these two think the problem of global warming is likely exaggerated, but should the time come we can re-engineer the planet. Among many cooling solutions that all sound like the work of cartoon supervillains, they suggest mimicking volcanoes, by using an eighteen mile hose to pump sulphur dioxide into the stratosphere; 'Once you eliminate the moralism and the angst, the task of reversing global warming boils down to a straightforward engineering problem." Yikes. The planet's atmosphere is filled with too much CO2. so let’s shoot up enough SO2 to counteract that? Is that even earth anymore? The ideas aren’t as terrifying as the notion that even some of their millions of eventual readers will find this type of solution to our planet's crisis more reasonable than lowering emissions of greenhouse gases.

If you consider yourself positioned in that hopefully wide space between science denial and science fantasy, you might consider reading through "Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis”. AI Gore’s latest book deals with practical, sustainable solutions. If we recognize the facts, and work towards sensible goals, this crisis is a remarkable opportunity to build a cleaner energized world for generations to come. Al Gore's new book is enlightening and well documented, Al Gore's lifestyle under scrutiny - undermined credibility.