Attack of the Killer Climate Change

Beware of those who profess that climate change and global warming are harbingers of doom which will destroy the Earth and life as we know it.  Maybe that’s a good plot for a dramatic action movie but it is not real life.

Yes, the Earth’s climate is changing, but it is always changing! Climate/weather and the atmosphere are always changing, moving, adjusting in an attempt to balance the excess energy in the tropics (and at the surface) with a deficit of energy at the Poles (and at higher altitudes).  It is the collisions of this check and balance system that create the weather we experience.  Think about it, have you ever observed weather to be exactly the same 2 hours in a row, 2 days in a row, 2 months in a row etc. etc.? 

Yes, the Earth’s global temperatures are rising over the last 100 years or so but the amount of warming is well within the natural variation of the Earth’s temperature.  See the global temperature chart below to see what I mean. 

This chart shows an estimate of the Earth’s temperature over the last 4,500 years or so. It was created by credible scientists so it is a good estimate.

Notice the swings in temperature from cold periods to warm periods, one following the other (the balance thing). Also note that the Earth has been much colder and warmer than it is currently and that the Planet and its living creatures and vegetation have adapted and survived just fine (some better than others).

Keep in mind there is evidence of tropical plants once living in Greenland (mostly covered in ice now) and the Great Lakes were formed when glaciers retreated north (The northern hemisphere polar ice cap once extended that far south).  

So, the next time you hear someone tell you there is no more polar ice or the polar bears are becoming extinct or this summer’s high temperatures are going to reach 150F, don’t be alarmed.  These trends are within the normal climate change of the Earth. When you hear there is a need for money to study this warming trend, be very suspicious.

There have been much greater extremes (warm and cold) in the Earth’s temperatures over the last 4,500 years or so than what is currently happening now and humans, animals, and plants have adapted to those changes. The Planet has survived just fine without human intervention or global politics and will continue to do so.