It's a shame for API members, EPA bureaucrats, and others to waste their efforts in trying to slow down global warming by limiting carbon dioxide emissions ("US firms press greenhouse initiatives," OGJ, Jan. 31, 2000, p. 37).
It's a shame because the evidence shows that human activities have very little effect on warming. The best temperature measurements show no warming over the last 20 years when most of the carbon dioxide increase has occurred. This invalidates the computer models that have caused all the fuss.
Over a longer time period there has been appreciable warming as the earth recovers from the Little Ice Age (about 1600 AD). Before that there was a period much warmer than today (about 1000 AD). Apparently there were no catastrophic climatic effects then. Warmer is better.
Global temperatures have gone up and down before there was any significant human activity. What caused those changes? There is persuasive evidence that changes in the activity of the sun produce climate changes.
In my opinion, the plan to attemp to delay global warming by limiting the use of fossil fuels is one of the worst ideas to come down the pike.
With the power of the government to regulate, I guess it's not surprising that when the government says "jump," some in the industry ask "how high?" But it's still embarrassing.
William E. Morris
Wilmington, Del.
