It is well known that the hydrocarbon industry, by its very nature, is responsible for a large share of the production of products which go on to become greenhouse gases. Some elements of the industry have historically been very conservative in their outlook towards environmental matters, not least in the historical heartland of the industry, the US. Hence telling the hydrocarbon industry that its products are the cause of global warming has been rather like telling a young mother that her baby is ugly. It is undoubtedly difficult to argue the effects of global warming, which has proven to confront the comfort zone of some people in those industries–never an easy task. This is often because the data are not clear-cut but rest on the basis of probabilities but which, in the opinion of experts, indicate that the cause and effects are pretty certain. Too many people make judgments on the micro level (e.g., the weather today), whilst not having access to the macro information on world climate changes (e.g., melting glaciers).
Global warming is a global problem, which requires a global solution, and unless we get the energy industries on board, including those in the US, any attempts to solve this problem are doomed. It is disappointing that, despite substantial and substantiated evidence, we continue to see letters such as that from DeForrest Smouse, which counters the learned (and mostly independent, despite what he wants to think) bodies of opinion (OGJ, June 2, 2008, p. 12). When we outside America hear Americans like Mr. Smouse say, “We need a concerted effort to stop the scare tactics of those whose major purpose is in opposition to the economic stability of the advanced nations of the world,” we are saddened.
America, please wake up. Please remove your prejudices. Please read the huge information available. A good place to start would be with the final Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, found at http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr.pdf. Then please join with the rest of the world to solve this problem. We are waiting for you.
Jeff Temple
Petrokazakhstan Oil Products
Shymkent Refinery, Kazakhstan
