To the Editor,
Re: Planet in peril a sad legacy and Renewable energy sources the answer, Letters, June 9.
Twenty-five years ago, governments around the world reversed many of the gains of the ‘green revolution’.
Thanks to the use of hybrid seeds, fertilizers and pesticides world food prodution had soared in previous decades. The ‘green revolution’ meant that for the first time there was enough food for everybody.
But governments put a stop to that. They announced that refrigerants were destroying the ozone layer. The authorities warned all life risked death from radiation.
Cheap refrigerants were banned. Food spoiled in record amounts. People again died needlessly. The UN says we lose 24,000 people each day from malnutrition.
How good was the science behind the hole in the ozone layer? The hole was discovered using satellites that had only recently been put in orbit. Nobody knew whether this was a new problem or a natural condition.
Today there is strong evidence that thinning of ozone over the poles is entirely natural. Earth’s magnetic field redirects solar and cosmic rays to the poles. The amount of ozone in in the air is reduced as the rays enter the Earth’s core.
Does this mean we can have cheap refrigerants back? Certainly not. Governments depend on the taxes they impose on refrigerants. Scientists are in no hurry to admit they made a mistake.
Expect no different from the global warmers. Money and prestige are at stake.
What I ask of the letter writers is that they use their own judgment. Do the snow packs on the mountains last longer each year? Do the roses bloom later?
Do not be discouraged by reports that global warming is happening somewhere far away. Global warmers abroad claim the temperature in Canada is soaring.
In addition to humility, try a little faith. We do not know everthing. But we have gotten this far.
Gordon Pratt
Nanaimo