Climate Change Relevance

Arnold Kling tends to be a little more reactionary about Climate Change than possibly even he believes. There is a vast sweep of Climate Change which is taking place on account of human activity, but the level of damage from that Change may be incredibly overrated. There have been previous eras of high Carbon Dioxide and other Chemicals in the atmosphere, this basically due to volcanic activity. I am not sure of the Incidence of these Rises, but would imagine there were about 20 equaling Today’s atmospheric mixture, and possibly 4-5 more than doubling the current mixture. I would not lay Odds on the extinction of all life on the Planet, though there may be Cause for worry about the quality of human life on this Earth.

Climate Change may have to align itself alongside of Meteors, Solar plasma splashes, Planet wobble to return Us to the Ice Ages, and sudden Chain-Volcanic eruptions. There is indication that the Sahara was hit by a Solar plasma splash in the Recent Past, but there is no historical evidence of the Sky turning to Fire, though there is Remembrance when the Sahara was a Fertile plain. Undersea volcanic eruptions are far more likely to interrupt the oceanic Current Streams, than are smoking Coal furnaces on land. Shift of Weather patterns are more likely to alter the geographic spread of favorable Housing conditions, than it is to make the Planet unlivable. I personally would enjoy delving into the potential Resource base of the Arctic and Antarctic, but would resent it if Nebraska became the new North Pole.

Am I being somewhat spurious of the great fears of Mankind–almost certainly! This is only in response to the Paranoia existent in the current literature about Climate Change. It all reminds of the Captain going down with his Ship; the Captain being Humanity, and the Ship being all Life on this Earth. Historical and Archeological evidence, though, clarify that Life (and even Humanity) have survived much worse Shots than simple Climate Change. Any Geologist could state that Five continuously active Volcanos could potentially send more Carbon Dioxide, Sulfur, and Nitrates into the atmosphere than Humanity could ever hope to do, pound for pound; Anyone yet found a way to Cap a volcano? Alternate sources of atmospheric, water, and land Pollution exist in so widespread and cumulative a pattern that control of human emissions, while letting other Forces act freely, must be considered a waste of Capital expenditure. Expanded Cost/Benefit analysis would be equally spurious of Climate Change controls of high Expense. This is another reason where I would limit activity to a sliding Scale Carbon taxation, limiting excessive use of Carbon emissions etc., but still allowing for Production activities of high importance with also high emissions. lgl