Climate Change

For maybe 2 months,  I have been following a thread on LinkedIn concerning global climate change.  The original question was "How we can stop global climate change." I have been following climate change as a topic of intrest since the late 70's.  At that time there were some who thought the earth was cooling.  Now, we think it is warming.  I know some will question the idea that the climate is warming, but I point to the Arctic Ocean melting as the only evidence I need.

 The next question is "Is the global climate change man induced?"  I really do not know.  Some say yes and some say no.  Atmospheric carbon dioxide has increased almost 3 fold in the past 500 years.  Many say the increase is because of burning fossil fuels.  I had a professor who said that more carbon dioxide was released into the atmosphere by plowing than by burning fossil fuels.  Denial of climate change seems to be silly, it seems we are starting on valid questioning when we ask is it man induced.  After all wild swings in global climate are a big part of the earth's geological record. 

In 1995, in Kyoto, agreement was reached on taking steps toward reducing the effects of emissions on climate change.  As I look at the steps to be taken, a 5% reduction looks like spitting in the wind.   How is that reduction going to change the effects of a 3 fold increase in carbon dioxide?  My first reaction to the whole thing is that we do not have the will to take the measures needed to have a significant effect on the climate. Who wants to stop using automobiles and trucks?  Who wants to turn off the air conditioner?  Who wants to heat with wood?  I could go on but you get the idea. 

Do we even know what will happen if we reduce emissions?  Many in the discussion I was following think that it is foolish to think we know.  Some think we are already past the tipping point and we can do nothing to stop the move in the current direction.

Now lets think about carbon trading.  Who pays for that?  We do in higher energy bills.  I am not sure how buying rain forest is going to reverse the trend.  That only maintains the status quo.  What about no-till?  My friend Ken Olson, says that his research so far shows that No-till does not increase soil organic matter as so many claim.  It does increase organic matter in the surface, but it continues to decline over all.  Be sure and read the comment in this blog too.  Even if there is some slow increase in soil organic matter, is it enough to stem the tide in climate change?   This article by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont discusses conservation measure typical of many proposals.  Pretty much it seems to say we should maintain the status quo in energy consumption by conservation.  That does nothing to remove greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere. 

The one idea that emerged from the LinkedIn discussion that makes sense, is that we need to do what humans have done throughout our million year history; we need to adapt.  What can we do to mitigate the effects of a sea level rise.  Can we develop crops to take advantage of the extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?  Can we develop drought tolerant crops?  Can we mange drainage to offset wet periods?  We know we can do all these things and much more.  Adaptive management of climate change seems to be the way to go.  We need to find other ways to save the rainforest.