The letter titled "Climate change" (OGJ, July 30, 2001, p. 10) from engineering consultant T.S. Dickerman reminds us that no matter how diligently the Society of Petroleum Engineers seeks to educate its members to apply geology effectively, some engineers still avoid this message. The idea that a mere five scientists downplay manmade climatic changes, and oil companies pay the few that do, is absurd-stated mainly by ignorant political hacks.
Whether we become professional engineers, writers, or geologists, we must first study engineering, writing, or geology. Thousands of geologists of various subdisciplines have long studied huge volumes of surface glacial deposits (e.g., Long Island, NY, an enormous glacial terminal moraine).
Elementary geology textbooks document the many episodes of global warming and cooling, separated by geologic time periods when man's influence on climate was necessarily zero. To correlate with glacial deposits, geologists have long accessed the findings of fellow scientists, the astronomers. Astronomy is the original applied science-having developed both our accurate modern calendars and original navigation systems to enable mariners, including ancient ones, to get to where they wanted to go.
As was known at least as long ago as Galileo, 1564-1642 AD, the sun's energy output varies considerably, such that most of the earth's climate unaffected by volcanism is caused some 95% by solar energy output variations. Even unscientific newspaper writers should not ignore the occasionally spectacular Northern Lights and garbled telegrams that result from varying solar storms. We should at least urge all newspapers named the Sun (e.g., Baltimore, Vancouver) to show some sophistication in solar phenomena in their news coverage.
Now comes information from Tucson, Ariz.-based Doctors for Disaster Preparedness (DDP), noting that some extraordinarily charlatan computer programmers actually factor a "solar constant" into their climate modeling. What willful fraud! Garbage in, garbage out. One can ignore petroleum professionals and developers if one so chooses. But only fools ignore medical professionals.
Please keep up the good work.
Harrison T. Brundage
Petroleum Geologist (Retired)
Houston