Re: Facts matter in confronting climate crisis, Opinion, March 28.
In his Science Matters column, David Suzuki writes, “It’s increasingly clear we can’t rely on politicians to get us out of the mess we’ve created,” global warming.
The greater truth that needs to be gleaned is the reason why politicians cannot be relied upon for the solutions we need: politicians are the product of the rhetorical sophistry (electioneering) which dominates the majority of the political landscape in combination with an electoral system which gives representative credence only to that same, confused portion of the electorate; as such, the mindset of elected politicians will lag behind the intellect and mood of the populace they are supposedly representing and, in the worst of situations, when the fictions of sophistry go unchecked, become substitutes for facts, government can do naught but effect another example of a positive feedback loop … plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.
David S. Dunaway
South Wellington
Re: Facts matter in confronting climate crisis, Opinion, March 28.
James Hansen coined the words ‘global warming’ in 1988 and based on computer models, its dire effects should be apparent today. Yet none are evident. The arctic is not ice free. Britain continues to experience snow. Populations have not had to relocate due to sea rise and storms and catastrophic weather are not beyond historic norms.
In dismissing sceptics, David Suzuki refers to ‘junk science,’ but after 30 years, one would think observations should somewhat resemble the computer models. Given history’s warm period of 950-1250 and cooler era of 1300-1850, what exactly is the ‘perfect temperature’ of the Earth? And perfect for whom?
Randy O’Donnell
Nanaimo