Letter: Science not settled by consensus

In response to Janet McCabe’s Viewpoint column [There’s still time to mitigate dangers of climate change, May 10], where she expresses pride in a new survey that shows how many Hoosiers believe in climate change, I must report that science is never settled by consensus.

Among the many things that have kept our climate changing for 4.5 billion years is an 11-year solar cycle, volcanoes and the “North Atlantic Oscillation”—a cold phase that occurs every 20 to 30 years. It began about three years ago and has cooled the Atlantic Ocean to the coolest it’s been since the 1980s.

Antartica had an ice build-up in recent years. The University of Iceland has projected each of their glaciers will expand this year. Greenland and the Arctic have also gained ice over the last three years—45% more than normal, in fact.

One of the largest problems with current predictions are faults in computer models. McCabe predicts changes that are dependent on such models. These rely on old temperature readings with very different equipment than used today. Measurements only go back to 1880, as noted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Also, at that time they only covered 5% of Earth.

Mankind’s endeavors seem to have increased carbon dioxide, but scientific research has yet to prove its negative effects on climate—only computer models have so demonstrated. McCabe’s column did a great disservice to climate science—too bad “climate change” became a political tool. All living things on Earth depend on carbon from CO2, which is now returning to levels it had in past cycles.

Wind turbines and solar panels do not, as McCabe reports, save taxpayers money. The power companies are encouraged to—and do—raise their rates to cover new costs and neither the panels nor turbines net new jobs. There is little talk about the short life spans of turbines and panels.

We should have and will greatly reduce fossil fuel emissions, but the manufacture of today’s batteries is more toxic. Oh, and reportedly there are now more polar bears than ever known.

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Mic Mead
Westfield