Halon dumps: a data point

From: Eric J. Korpela <korpela_at_ellie.ssl.berkeley.edu>
Date: Thu Sep 14 13:23:57 2000

> In the case of ozone it has
> been shown that CFCs can catalyze ozone given the right conditions, but any
> theory of the ozone layer has to include that umptyzillion terawatt ozone
> generator known to you and I know as the Sun. The same is happening with
> the Global Warming crud. If you assume that we've got tolerable climate
> records for the last 500 years and you assume that it took 15 MILLION years
> after the event that wiped out the dinosaurs for the climate to "settle
> down."

In otherwords, you argue that outside of substantial concrete evidence
that we are affecting the environment we should do whatever the hell we want
regardless of whether there is any reason to believe that it will affect
the environment. Sounds damn short sighted to me. A better course of
action is to work to minimize our impacts regardless of what they might be.
We might not know exactly what the effects of pumping vast amounts of CO2
into the atmosphere will be, but we know there will be effects. Isn't that
a good enough reason to exercise caution?

I think you also underestimate the quality of the data regrading the effects
of stratospheric chlorine compounds on the ozone layer. No one claims
that it is the only thing affecting ozone concentrations, but very few
would deny that it is having an effect.

> I used to marvel at the stories of Mayan priests sacrificing human
> lives so that the seasons would come, now I weep at the stories of
> politicians who, at the behest of modern scientists, are sacrificing entire
> generations to try to stop the earth from proceeding through its natural
> cycles.

I think you're mistaking exactly who it is that is "sacrificing entire
generations." You also have as little evidence to support your claim
that recent global temperature changes are part of a natural cycle (perhaps
less) as those that claim that recent temperature changes are linked to
rising CO2 levels. You are as guilty of letting your pollitics influence
your view of reality as they are.

Eric
Received on Thu Sep 14 2000 - 13:23:57 BST