Global Warming - Las Vegas, NOT

It is hot in Las Vegas, Nevada and the average temperature has increased each decade for the last 30 years. Carbon Dioxide is one of the Green House Gases. And over the last 150 years, atmospheric levels of Carbon Dioxide have increased. In all probability, Man's use of Wood and Fossil Fuels (oil and coal) have been responsible for much of this increase. Therefore, we can conclude that Global Warming is confirmed, right? Not necessarily according to the following National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) graph.



Clearly this graph shows the average temperatures by decade since the 40s are still within normal temperature ranges.

Now consider this article from the AP, Study: Nevada has big temperature gains where this paragraph resides.

"The scientific evidence of global warming is incontrovertible, and Nevada is feeling the heat more intensely than most of the rest of the U.S," said Stephen M. Rowland, Professor of Geology at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. [emphasis mine]

Incontrovertible depends on you point of view, I guess. And that's my point, we need more research evidence before we can responsibly throw around absolute words like incontrovertible.

Global Warming (a better term is Global Climate Change) is still not established in scientific fact as outside the range of natural cycles. There are still sufficient reasons to believe that we need much more scientific research data before we make what the drastic, expensive life-style changes the "chicken little" types demand. The Global Warming supporters use scare and emotional arguments to move us to their side of the debate.

"Unless our elected officials act now to curb global warming pollution, Nevada will see more severe heat waves that increase the risk for wildfires, drought, and heat-related illnesses," she said.

The new report found Reno's average temperature from 2000 to 2006 was 3.4 degrees above the 30-year average, the second-highest reading in the nation for the period. [emphasis mine]

We need to make sure there is water in the pool before we go off the high dive. The current hype tries to make Political Solutions to a possible Scientific problem.

There are at least four immediate problems with these Political Measures.

• Man's controllable part of the Green House Gases are the emissions of Carbon, mainly in the form of Carbon Dioxide (CO₂). However, about half of the atmospheric CO₂ results from natural forces (mainly volcanoes) over which we have no control.
• CO₂ is less than 1% of our atmosphere. CO₂ emission reductions would therefore, have little effect on Global Climate Change.
• Elimination of CO₂ is very expensive and requires Drastic Life-Style Changes. See this post for more information (Cost of Global Warming Action).
• A World-Wide Agreement or Treaty is required but countries like China, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Venezuela and Mexico have economies based on OIL which would likely collapse.