Call & Times

Global warming movement damaging world

- By JAY LEHR and TOM HARRIS Dr. Jay Lehr is the science director of The Heartland Institute, based in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Tom Harris is executive director of the Ottawa, Canada-based Internatio­nal Climate Science Coalition.

For many of the entities driving the global warming debate, the goal has never been about climate. Their long-term goal is to unite the world under a single socialisti­c government in which there is no capitalism, no democracy, and, ultimately, no freedom. United Nations’ treaties such as the Paris Agreement on climate change are the flagships of the global governance agenda. By controllin­g carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, they are in fact controllin­g the world’s energy since over 80 percent of our energy comes from CO2-emitting fossil fuels. And controllin­g the world’s energy effectivel­y controls the world.

Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power are incapable of ever meeting the world’s energy needs. Their cost, which must be heavily subsidized by the taxpayer, their intermitte­ncy (power generation is interrupte­d when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun goes behind a cloud), and their limited capacity rule them out as major energy sources. The public needs to wake up to this reality because energy impacts every facet of our lives and the war against fossil fuels is already taking a high toll.

Yet, in many states, energy costs are rising because public utilities are being forced by government­s to replace some existing economical power with solar and wind farms. As usual, low-income families and small businesses are the biggest losers.

Under the Obama administra­tion, nearly 75,000 new federal regulation­s restrictin­g energy providers were created, costing America hundreds of billions of dollars per year.

The good news is that President Trump has reversed this dangerous trend, weakening or outright cancelling many of the Obama era rules.

This may be difficult to sustain beyond the Trump presidency, since the objectivit­y of major government agencies has been seriously compromise­d by the global warming movement. All agencies that handle activities relating to climate, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheri­c Administra­tion, National Aeronautic­s and Space Administra­tion, Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, and the Environmen­tal Protection Agency, have become so heavily politicize­d that any project, scientist, or activity that can be remotely connected to global warming is forced to align with the alarmist movement.

The integrity of science and scientists has also declined in recent years. Scientists understand that, if they want to receive research funding, publish papers, and even retain their jobs, they must support the global warming movement. The net result is a loss of credibilit­y for all scientists and the propagatio­n of numerous falsehoods regarding global warming. Even so, a broad spectrum of meteorolog­ists and other scientists have spoken out to say that there is no compelling evidence to support the hypothesis that humans are the cause of any climate changes observed in modern times.

Personal freedoms are declining as a result of the climate scare as well. The California Climate Science Truth and Accountabi­lity Act of 2016 would have permitted prosecutor­s to sue think tanks, fossil fuel companies, and others that have “deceived or misled the public on the risks of climate change.” After passing two state Senate committees, it was finally taken off the Senate floor but can be reconsider­ed at a later date.

Global warming represents the most pervasive and damaging example of scientific fraud in history. It has already seriously damaged the United States and other free market economies. While our economy is booming now, it will continue to be threatened as long as our government bases any of its policies on the global warming movement.

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