WARMING: Letter omitted key facts

Janelle Bourget's "Warming: Better safe than extinct" leaves out many important facts about global warming. She fails to mention that it has happened in varying degrees before, and will no doubt continue long after the human race is gone.

When we look at recent geologic history, we see that we are living in a colder than normal environment by several degrees. Even in the "middle ages" temperatures were higher than what they are now. Look at charts and research done in historical geology textbooks: North America is more commonly under water, blanketed by inland seas.

Perhaps we are accelerating a natural event, but claiming we are the cause is a stretch. Many people quote statistics about how carbon dioxide levels are higher than they have been in possibly 800,000 to 20 million years. Twenty million years is nothing on the geologic timescale, barely a drop in the bucket. Humankind was not even a twinkle in the planet's eye 20 million years ago. Why not toss out the accepted fact that 100 million years ago, carbon dioxide levels were many many times higher than they are now; 500 million years ago, the level was approximately 20 times greater. Perhaps it will someday be 20 times greater again, to shift and fall naturally or rise indefinitely. Ms. Bourget says the planet is heating up; history in the rocks say it is chilly, turn the heat up just a few more degrees.

I agree with the need to cut back pollution and greenhouse gasses. If the human race itself is to continue to thrive, things need to change. Writing a long letter with no hard facts while claiming the other side's "proof" is from scientists in the pockets of the big companies does nothing but undercut the entire argument.

Perhaps it is possible that we can slow the progression of global warming until our species can find a way to cope with it. If not, at least we would improve the quality of life for subsequent generations. I do not support the current "go green" trends, as I believe the green campaign is a bandwagon farce. For example, buy a $28,000 Prius that uses big disposable batteries, chunks of processed metal, and chemical based plastic body parts and paint, all while still burning gasoline (albeit a few gallons less)... Brilliant marketing, buy our expensive new car because it's just a tiny bit better for the environment than those other cars.

So we look at all electric cars that plug into the wall, made with the same batteries and plastics, now running off electricity that probably came from burning coal. How about switch to fluorescent lamps, made with more chemicals and gasses? There is a back story to so many "green friendly" materials that people never pay attention to.

I wish I could see more people doing the research into the science and history of global warming and going green, not just quoting what they see in their own favorite news media. Pick up some rocks and really look at what they can teach you. We are more stewards of ourselves than of the Earth; we have not been here since the beginning and probably won't be here at the end. Science teaches that species go extinct, the average rate being 5-10 million years. Perhaps we are just writing the end of our own story, but I guess my final point is does the story need to be shorter than it could be?

BRAD CARTER

Athol