Climate Changes Continue

Conn Carroll / March 03, 2008

From New York, The Heritage Foundation’s Mark Kelly checks in from The International Conference on Climate Change:

Thus far has demonstrated that the only consensus on global climate change is that climate does indeed change. Early in the 20th century, the climate warmed. Then, it cooled again. Late in the 20th century, it warmed again – peaking in 1998. Now there is evidence temperatures are cooling again. Across the world, we are experiencing a very cold winter. There are record snowfalls and Antarctica had more ice last winter than at any time since satellites started measuring in 1979.

Much has also been made of the loss of ice in the arctic, though as of today, the ice has regained most of the loss of recent years. There is also evidence of tree growth, found over 60 miles north of the current tree line – indicating a much warmer period centuries ago.

So it seems scientific evidence points to an open debate on the past and future impacts of climate change – despite environmentalists saying the matter is settled.

During a panel discussion this morning, Myron Ebell from the Competitive Enterprise Institute said, “Reality is on our side.”

Not only does the scientific reality favor further debate and discussion, the economic reality must be considered as well. And that reality is, if the environmental activist agenda is codified into law, it will have a devastating impact on our economy. For example, according to Sandy Liddy Bourne with the Heartland Institute, the Lieberman-Warner cap and trade legislation would cost the average American household between $1000 and $2300 per year. Imagine what that would do to winter home heating bills, particularly to the lowest income Americans. This says nothing of the costs of energy that will be passed on to consumers of all the products that depend on energy for production or transportation.