Duncan - Scientific evidence linking human activity to climate change - how much do you need?
While I appreciate Don Graham's letter (July 10) and would never doubt his credentials as a geologist, he does postulate a very one-sided argument, which I would counter by saying it's a "minority view" and needs a more "realistic balance."May I suggest he (and indeed all your readers) do a very simple Google search at www.ipcc. ch and scan down the menu to AR5 Fifth Assessment Report which, and I quote, "...provides a clear and up to date view of the current state of scientific knowledge relevant to climate change, it consists of three Working Group Report (WGR) and a Synthesis Report (SR)."If you care to check the Methodology Report at the above URL you can check the science for yourself. Over 2,000 scientists from 154 countries (endorsed by Science Academies in 16 countries) are independently nominated for participation in the panel by their own governments.Having said all this, I again would suggest to anyone sincerely looking for some facts in this matter that they develop what I would call a "realistic balance".What I mean by that is instead of dividing the issue into an "either/or" or even worse a "them and us" argument, I would rather look at your facts regarding solar winds, sunspots (or any other opposing factors you can find) and say: "yes, they may well be happening and probably are contributing facts."However, and here is the crunch! So are facts regarding excessive (Al Gore in his latest book The Future says "already full") increase in the upper atmosphere of CO2 emissions from aviation fuel, gasoline engines, coal burning, industrial smoke stacks and the list goes on...and on.So, we don't have to end up on opposing sides of a situation; we can, and should, be able to work at our local, provincial or even federal levels together for the greater good of all.Pointing fingers and crying foul does nothing positive.Now, if you put these fact together with your facts we have a situation which is now completely out of control!Or is it?If what I have said above is true, then, all the more reason for us to look especially carefully at our responsibility for this problem.We are all involved in this whether we wish to see it or off-handedly cast the problem away as none of our business or a purely natural event. This latter view would ignore another fact that our lifestyles in the global north are totally unsustainable, often at the terrible expense of those countries and people in the global south. (But that's another letter!) I trust that I have given you enough food for thought.Peter ElliottDuncan