Many of you are too young to remember, but in 1975 our government pushed "the coming ice age."I remember a TV show from the 70's called "In Search Of..." starring Leonard Nimoy as the host. The show went "in search of" various interesting topics, and one that I remember was "In Search Of the Coming Global Ice Age". Global cooling was all the rage back then, just as global warming was all the rage...at least until the earth stopped warming in 1998.
Random House dutifully printed "THE WEATHER CONSPIRACY … coming of the New Ice Age." This may be the only book ever written by 18 authors. All 18 lived just a short sled ride from Washington, D.C. Newsweek fell in line and did a cover issue warning us of global cooling on April 28, 1975. And The New York Times, Aug. 14, 1976, reported "many signs that Earth may be headed for another ice age."
OK, you say, that's media. But what did our rational scientists say?
In 1974, the National Science Board announced: "During the last 20 to 30 years, world temperature has fallen, irregularly at first but more sharply over the last decade. Judging from the record of the past interglacial ages, the present time of high temperatures should be drawing to an end…leading into the next ice age."
You can't blame these scientists for sucking up to the fed's mantra du jour. Scientists live off grants. Remember how Galileo recanted his preaching about the earth revolving around the sun? He, of course, was about to be barbecued by his leaders. Today's scientists merely lose their cash flow. Threats work.
In 2002 I stood in a room of the Smithsonian. One entire wall charted the cooling of our globe over the last 60 million years. This was no straight line. The curve had two steep dips followed by leveling. There were no significant warming periods. Smithsonian scientists inscribed it across some 20 feet of plaster, with timelines.
What if your are wrong and there is instead an ice age coming? Wouldn't we be aiding that end and killing everyone on the planet by "taking action"?
Last year, I went back. That fresco is painted over. The same curve hides behind smoked glass, shrunk to three feet but showing the same cooling trend. Hey, why should the Smithsonian put its tax-free status at risk? If the politicians decide to whip up public fear in a different direction, get with it, oh ye subsidized servants. Downplay that embarrassing old chart and maybe nobody will notice.
Mankind has no control over earth's climate. Only arrogant pinheads who think themselves gods would presume to believe they could alter that planet's temperature through their actions.
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4 comments:
My class of 6th grade science students are learning about the various theories that have evolved over the last 50 years in regards to climate. Your blog helped use to identify a theory that we had been unaware of. It is interesting to follow how our source of doom evolves as things "naturally" change in our environment. This evolution of opinion is very much a part of a kids and teens world as well. As kids quickly change their views and belief systems to fit in with their peers. It is just funny the science organization are just as susceptible to their peers' pressure as kids and teens are.
Wish it were just "funny" that scientists were susceptible to peer pressure.
Unfortunately many governments, including our own in the USA, are making plans that will have detrimental effects on our economy in the name of saving the planet from what amounts to a non-existent threat.
Not so funny.
A teacher willing to show kids this folly gives me hope.
The point to be learned is that climate is not yet understood in sufficient depth to enable prediction of future trends with any certainty. In particular the overarching contribution of solar activity is not under man's control or predictive ability.
I remember, vividly, the harsh winters we had during this period of time in western PA. As we were continually baraged with talk of global cooling and snow was several feet deep. Seemed real enough. And, then, it was announced on the radio that as of 4:00 p.m. on Thursday there would be no more heat in the homes or offices. That was it -- we were out of energy in Pittsburgh. Not only energy but also toilet paper and cranberries were in short supply. Everyone was in a state of panic. However, 4:00 p.m. Thursday came and to our surprise we still had heat in the house. And, to this day, heat, toilet paper and cranberries have always been available in the western PA homes.
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