| Global Warming Prelude To New Ice Age? | | | | He examined data that Cambridge University |
| "The trouble with most folks ain't so much their | | | | biologists Shackleton and Opdyke reported in 1973. |
| ignorance, as knowing so much that ain't so." | | | | They found global temperatures have oscillated - |
| Philosopher Henry Wheeler Shaw - a.k.a. Josh Billings - | | | | with an average less than one degree rising gradually |
| in 1880 seems to have anticipated Al Gore, former | | | | over the last million years. The 100-year oscillations |
| vice-president and presidential candidate. | | | | varied 5 to 10 degrees, |
| Gore has refurbished his climate spook show for | | | | Concludes Essenhigh: "Today, we are simply near a |
| another stab at the brass ring. Friendly media say he | | | | peak in the current cycle that started about 25,000 |
| wows Hollywood and tree huggers. Maybe, but | | | | years ago with retreat of the last ice age." He says |
| respected scientists replace politics with facts. | | | | the Arctic Ocean acts as a giant temperature |
| Robert Essenhigh, professor of Energy Conservation | | | | regulator. |
| at Ohio State University says, "Global warming is a | | | | "When the Arctic Ocean is frozen over, as it is |
| natural geological process that could begin to reverse | | | | today, it prevents evaporation of water that would |
| itself within 10 to 20 years." | | | | otherwise escape to the atmosphere and then return |
| He expands his premise in the current issue of | | | | as snow. When there is less snow, the cap may start |
| "Chemical Innovation" published by the American | | | | to shrink - as it is doing today. |
| Chemical Society: "Many blame global warming on | | | | "Once enough water is available by evaporation from |
| carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from burning fossil | | | | the ocean, snows begin to replenish the ice cap. As |
| fuels in automobiles and power plants. | | | | Arctic ice expands, global temperature starts to |
| "People fail to account for the much greater amount | | | | reverse, and the earth can start re-entry to a new |
| of carbon dioxide that enters and leaves the | | | | ice age. Essenhigh estimates Earth may reach a peak |
| atmosphere in the natural cycle of water exchange | | | | in the current temperature profile within the next 10 |
| from - and back into - the sea and vegetation." | | | | to 20 years. |
| "Many scientists have vastly underestimated the | | | | Human history supports the fluctuating cold and |
| significance of water in the atmosphere as a | | | | warm periods between tropical and ice-age periods. |
| radiation-absorbing gas," states Essenhigh. | | | | The Medieval Warm Period 1000 to 1200 - when |
| Essenhigh blames a 1977 report on carbon dioxide | | | | Vikings farmed Iceland and Greenland - was followed |
| levels by the National Academy of Sciences that | | | | by the Little Ice Age. During that time, farming and |
| identified water as a "vapor" of too little | | | | herding on Iceland nearly ceased for lack of |
| concentration to affect global warming. | | | | vegetation. Relief ships could not penetrate the |
| For his hypothesis, Essenhigh examined | | | | frozen sea there and most inhabitants starved to |
| measurements of ocean evaporation, man-made | | | | death. |
| sources of carbon dioxide and global temperature | | | | Scientists acknowledge that many factors contribute |
| data for the last million years. | | | | to earth warming and cooling. Chief among them are |
| He cites a 1995 report by the Intergovernmental | | | | fluctuating heat output by the Sun, changing |
| Panel on Climate Change by the United Nations | | | | continental positions and small changes in Earth's orbit. |
| Environment Program to assess human-induced | | | | The Max Planck Institute reported in the January |
| climate change. It found that 90 billion tons of carbon | | | | issue of "Nature" that trees and other plants emit 10 |
| - as carbon dioxide - annually circulate between the | | | | to 30 percent of global methane into the |
| earth's oceans and the atmosphere. Another 60-billion | | | | atmosphere. |
| tons exchange between vegetation and the | | | | Until we better understand these phenomena, we |
| atmosphere. | | | | don't need Chicken Little Gore running around |
| Conclusion: "Compared to man-made emissions of 5 | | | | screaming the sky is falling. |
| to 6 billion tons per year, natural sources account for | | | | Josh Billings reminds us; "As scarce as truth is, the |
| more than 95 percent of all atmospheric carbon | | | | supply always seems to be in excess of demand." |
| dioxide." | | | | May 28, 2006 |
| Thus, atmospheric carbon dioxide is an "indicator" or | | | | . |
| rising temperatures - not the "cause." Eissenhigh | | | | Click here to see this article on Lindsey Williams's |
| attributes the reported rise in temperatures to a | | | | website |
| natural cycle of warming and cooling. | | | | . |