There are clearly two sides to the climate debate. My letter in the Gazette in December (“Reduce carbon in a serious way,” p. 20, Dec. 25) referred to the recent report from the United Nations International Panel On Climate Change.
In that report the international scientists on the panel said we have only 12 years to turn around our reliance on fossil fuels if we are to avoid permanent serious changes to the earth's climate.
In January B. Bruce replied that “Carbon dioxide is a superfood” (Letter to the Editor, p. 24, Jan. 22) and that the facts don't support the environmental position. Among other errors the letter states that “raising sea levels and flooding” haven't happened.
A few examples: In 2013 we had the Calgary flood. More recently, in 2018 in the Indian state of Kerala more than five million people were affected by floods.
Also in 2018 in Japan hundreds of people were killed by flooding.
B. Bruce also wrote that “...the earth's temperature hasn't changed in the last 10-12 years.” Actually, patterns over recent years show that the earth's temperature is rising steadily, and not over thousands of years.
Studies by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) tell us that the 20 warmest years on record for the globe have been in the past 22 years, with 2015-2018 making up the top four.
In 2016 we had the Fort McMurray fire. And for 2018, there were major wildfires in the U.S. with the California Camp Fire in November claiming the most lives of any fire in over a century in the U.S.; British Columbia broke its record for the most land burned in a fire season; Helsinki saw 25 consecutive days with temperatures above 25 C; in July and August there were numerous record high temperatures north of the Arctic Circle.
And climate change is seen not only as general global warming, it also brings our increasingly erratic severe weather of all kinds.
It may still come down to whom do you believe.
For me it seems that we have many people and countries, along with 97 per cent of climate scientists who publish in journals, who see the need for a real reduction in our use of fossil fuels.
There are also anecdotes, personal opinion, and scientists outside of those published in professional journals and misinformation, such as that in the letter by B. Bruce, who disagree.
To me the use by B. Bruce of the term “the environmental mob” does not show a desire for a discussion based on facts.
Climate change changes our daily lives, our economy and our food production. We should look at what is going on in the world. We should talk with friends, ask questions and examine as much accurately documented information as possible. We need to decide if we want to do what we have always done. Or do we think it is necessary to make a transition.
If a transition is necessary, how do we ensure that our jobs, our neighbours, our society and our economy go on in a successful way? We need to respect the achievements of working people and industry. We should have an idea of what such a transition would look like during and after it for workers, farmers, business and life in general.
- Ross Dabrusin,
Olds
