It happened again this week; one of the most infuriating misuses of English language reared its ugly head. However unlike just about every other political scandal to have coined this vile term, this one actually had some bearing on my life. By attaching the word “Gate” to the end of a sentence this in some way helps create a higher level of panic, spreads fear at a greater rate and has Daily Mail readers reaching for their shot guns across the country.
Whether this particular scandal started in a small hidden town in Russia or with a scientist in East Anglia one thing is very apparent- IT did NOT start in the Watergate Hotel.
If you think increasing carbon dioxide and consequently polluting the atmosphere is in some way a good thing then I can see your point for jumping on the band wagon. Let’s all turn around now and forget about Copenhagen, and possibly save on a few air miles. While we are at it let’s stop saving rain forests, forget about renewable energy and enjoy the warm weather while it’s still bearable.
However if you have ever even opened a text book, journal or presentation on climate change I think you might just find sources of research other than the IPCC. They are obviously the dominant force within this close knit community; however they are certainly not the only one. People have been measuring ice sheets, tree rings, sea temperatures, land temperatures and atmospheric temperatures for years. Just look what the ice sheets have been doing for the past 56 years.
Or take a look at glacial retraction over the past decade. Having studied both glaciations and climate change at university within the last 10 years I am perhaps better qualified than most lazy journalists who add the word ‘gate’ to their copy for maximum impact rather than a balanced argument.
Sadly Sinicism and global conspiracies sell considerably more copies, than fact.
So after momentarily questioning my business, my degree, my past academic mentors and ultimately my life I now stand tall and remember all those interesting lectures and field trips that led me to pursue a career in sustainable investment.
Despite the e-mail scandal, the evidence that human activity is largely responsible for climate change during the last 50 years is still very strong.
For those of you still adamant it’s all a great hoax on the same scale as the emperor’s new clothes
Pascal’s Wager suggested that even though the existence of God (substitute for climate change) cannot be determined through reason, a person should wager as though God/(Climate change) exists, because living life accordingly has everything to gain, and nothing to lose.
Category : Climate Change