Re-examining assumptions
By Lethbridge Herald Opinon on June 30, 2020.
Data shows CO2 increases aren’t all mankind’s doing
Cosmos Voutsinos
They say that every crisis has a “silver lining.” The silver lining of the pandemic we are just going through may reveal a significant message for humanity.
We have all just taken part in what is effectively the largest scientific experiment in humanity’s history – the temporary shutdown of the global economy. We grounded all those greenhouse gas-emitting airlines; we closed all those polluting factories; locked all our gas-guzzling vehicles in the garage, restricted our individual movement and activities … and so on.
We have done exactly what the UN and the climate alarmists have been demanding us to do and we did it for more than a quarter of a year. Humanity put industry and our way of life on PAUSE and in the process, we slashed our daily emissions of carbon dioxide for more than three months – for what? What was the impact, besides flattening the COVID curve?
On May 20, Bob Webber of the Canadian Press wrote in the Lethbridge Herald that “Greenhouse gas emissions (were) dropping”; however, this conclusion was based on the number of grounded flights re: information from the airlines, electricity generation not consumed from electric utilities and other guestimates on greenhouse gases not released. In all it was concluded that COVID-19 lockdown had reduced our worldwide greenhouse gas emissions by 17 per cent.
The implied conclusion here would mean a proof and confirmation of the alarmist’s unproven contention – that humanity’s CO2 emissions are significant enough to control the Earth’s thermostat – thereby justifying all their climate alarmism.
On the other hand, we must appreciate that so far, sciences have identified some 20 naturally occurring cyclical mechanisms that influence our Earth’s temperature. Most of these mechanisms are not included in IPCC’s models. In addition, the oceans and the land masses of the world exchange naturally with the atmosphere significantly more CO2 than humans emit. However, somehow the relatively small anthropogenic CO2 contribution has been thought to control the Earth’s thermostat. (https://www.drroyspencer.com/, Global Warming 101). The issue here is to decide the correct actions for humanity. Should this be “mitigation” or “adaptation?” Any error will be very costly. This is one of the major points of disagreement amongst professionals, and this is where the COVID-19 silver lining becomes relevant.
According to the world’s official CO2 measuring station located on top of Hawaii’s Mona Loa volcano, all measurements showed that CO2 kept increasing steadily this year to the end of May 2020 without the slightest decrease or change of pace. In other words, not only our 17 per cent CO2 savings, during social isolation, have most likely contributed nothing to improving our environment, but also, our atmosphere found enough CO2 from elsewhere to actually increase its CO2 content to 417.2 parts per million (ppm). This data point from Mona Loa has inflicted some serious damage on the widely held belief that increasing CO2 levels are man’s doing and man’s doing alone. This has happened before our very own eyes and warrants re-examination of the assumptions made in the sciences of IPCC’s computer models.
A group of 800 signitatories, most of them scientists under the name CLINTEL (Climate Inteligence Group), has called on UN’s Chief Guterres to “Halt Green Energy Push and Open Climate Debate.” Also, the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, the NOAA Earth Systems Research Laboratory and NASA have given indications that inspite of increasing CO2 we may be heading for a cooling climate period. This is based on the coinciding of natural cycles with the names: “Solar Cycle 25,” “400-year Sunspot observations,” “Pole shift” and the “Maunder Minimum temperature.” In North America and in Europe we have been experiencing a cooler spring this year and in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand they are experiencing their first Canadian-style winter in 80 years. Are all these localized weather or a climate pattern?
Stay tuned, and keep an open mind unpolluted by political agendas. It will not be fun shutting down our oil industry while heading towards cooler decades.
Cosmos Voutsinos is a Lethbridge-based professional engineer whose career included work ranging from system designs in the Canadian nuclear industry to construction management of U.S. power plants in Taiwan.
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Cosmos Voutsinos and his 0.005% colleagues should undergo an experiment; lock themselves into a room with diesel powered heater running and see how long they last. The invisible gases will alter the natural state of the room they entered into and have them running in no time gasping for air. Our planet is surrounded by an atmosphere and like an enclosure its been in balance sustaining us with the right amounts of oxygen, C02 and so on that allows us to enjoy the abundant life we have. Human intervention has polluted the atmosphere impregnating it with so much C02 and other noxious gases to the point where oceans are warming, climate is changing and becoming more extreme etc. While Mr. Voutsinos no doubt understands ocean pollution because is mostly visible and tangible; plants and animals dying, he can’t seem to grasp the fact that the troposphere is polluted no less than the ocean and its all due to non stop burning of fossil fuel for over 300 years (the most concentrated form of energy we have on the planet next to nuclear which is another problem).
nice contribution, chinook.
well done using 3 long months of covid anomaly as a basis to your position. marvelous! if we cannot effect change in 3 forever months, bring on the c02 party!
once again, it is astonishing that those who support, and even idolise, c02 emissions do not seem to acknowledge, or simply do not care about, the damage humans have wrought to the living planet. they rest their case on the idea that curbing pollution and waste will endanger our false economy – rather than recognise how our economic approach undermines the living planet. as well, they will defend their ways by pointing to a despicable, arrogant and stupid sense of privilege: because one can, then one has the right to do.
whether it is c02 or sundry of the unnecessary poisonous gases and chemicals our approach to life infects the planet with, we are inundated with evidence that tells us we need to clean up our act. and yet, we still have too many unenlightened people that do not care about the fallout from the folly upon which our consumer/consumption, ego-selfish-greed rewarding wants driven approach to life is based. they erroneously see that as freedom, and so fail to acknowledge it actually is toxic, stifling, and suffocating.
Indeed biff.
Another well considered opinion. (https://environmentalprogress.org/big-news/2020/6/29/on-behalf-of-environmentalists-i-apologize-for-the-climate-scare)
Cleaning up one’s act does not have to include bankrupting provinces, or deleting jobs faster than any economy can bare! I am all for cleaning up the planet and producing a comprehensive alternative energy program. But its only the people with no brain that are running the show now. So every knee jerk money spending opportunity to highlight inefficient solar, or bird killing windmills, are the only answers as far as the pipeline hating, train hauling bitumen crowd, are concerned.
In the end COVID indeed may have a silver lining, perhaps people will think longer harder and do things with a longer end date to solve the problem.