by Martin W. Schwartz

Created on: February 14, 2007   Last Updated: April 19, 2007

Climate change is a natural and recurring phenomenon, whose root causes are really unclear other than the way the Earth changes its axial tilt and reverses its magnetic field over geologic time.

All the talk about human activity contributing to climate change is likely correct, BUT, the extent of the impact is clearly unknown. In the last century the average temperature on earth only rose 1.8 degrees F. This is not enough to explain the changes in the polar ice caps, mountain glaciers and other changes that are being bandied about by the news media and Al Gore as the fault of a Western consumers.

Assuming that human production of carbon dioxide is contributing to climate change, what can the EPA, by itself, or even the US Government do to stop or reverse the problem? China puts on line dozens of coal fired power plant every month. Developing countries are using more cars than ever, cows in agricultural nations give off more Methane than all human activity on the planet and oil consumption worldwide is at an all time high. Without a planetary consensus on the effect of human activity on climate change, followed by a plan to deal with it agreed to by all developed and developing nations, throwing money to the EPA is of no more effect than giving the Defense Department more money to increase troop levels in Iraq. A non-starter and a grand waste of taxpayers hard-earned dollars.

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