The Democratic Voice

By William Crandell

For years now I’ve been listening to claims from conservative soothsayers that global warming wasn’t happening or at least it wasn’t being caused by mankind.

That it was nothing more than some sort of EPA conspiracy designed to destroy jobs and the American way of life by forcing businesses to be environmentally conscious.

As if caring about clean air and water was anti-American and deserving of ridicule.  Last year Fred Upton,  who is the chair of the House Energy Committee,  introduced legislation to limit EPA regulations on greenhouse gases claiming that removal of these regulations would boost the economy.

But all of these critics of the EPA appear to be ignoring the data that is right in front of them and are burying their heads in the sand hoping that the facts will go away.  Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists now agree that global warming is happening and is a forgone conclusion.

The debate is over and it is the time to deal with the fact that our damaged environment will lead to catastrophic events which could eventually lead to our demise. If CO2 levels continue to rise due to human pollutants we can expect devastating water shortages, raging wildfires, expanding deserts and possibly an inability for much of the world to grow enough food to feed their populations.  For instance, The North American grain belt is already being threatened with drought and there may not be enough water to maintain its current rate of agricultural production.

Since scientists began recording the surface temperature in 1880, the 2000-2009 decade was the warmest on record due to CO2 emissions. Also, a heat wave in July of last year melted 97 percent of Greenland’s ice sheet surface.  Scientists are currently evaluating the affect this melting will have upon the environment, but it is further proof that our planet is heating up to dangerous levels.  Recently, scientists have gathered evidence that Hurricane Sandy was worsened by a rise in sea level of over a foot that has occurred over the last century due to the melting of our ice caps.  Sandy is now considered the worse Atlantic storm in the history of the United States and is a prime example of the difficulties that lie ahead.

The devastation that Hurricane Sandy wrought upon the east coast proves that climate change is already here.  Denying the facts and the opinions of our most gifted scientists will not make it go away.  It’s time that our politicians and the rest of the world learn to work together on the issue of global warming.

Pollution levels must be restricted now in order to save our planet and save us all from a fate that can be controlled.