Giving the earth and humanity the benefit of the doubt

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In recent days “giving the earth the benefit of the doubt”  has been the mantra in a certain Liberal sector of Australian politics. Not only has my local parliamentarian (Scott Morrison) repeatedly reiterated this in his recent speeches, but Joe Hockey, Ian McFarlane, Malcolm Turnbull and the other warmist faithful have all uttered this phrase as though somehow it gives them a mandate for their behavior and stance on climate change.

So what does giving the earth the benefit of the doubt mean? What I understand they are saying is we really aren’t that sure about global warming so its better to err on the side of caution. In other words they are following what is recently called the precautionary principle. The precautionary principle in terms of the environment was defined at the Rio Declaration (1992) and says “Where there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation.” It is now enshrined in law in Australia.

There are however key words here – 1. threats of damage (in terms of the environment), 2. full scientific certainty and 3.measures to prevent environmental degradation. Lets look at them each;

1. Threats of damage. When the environment is an evolutionary system that is based on adaption and survival of the fittest them how do you define damage? In terms of toxins/poisons its easy to do but in terms of temperature change then life has always adapted to it and either survived or perished depending depending on the ability to relocate. There is also the argument that if you help a species, make it easier then, like man you make them weaker. We are much less physiologically able to adapt than we have ever been because the comforts of our technologies have meant many of our evolutionary traits for survival are not being used. A variation in temperature could cause a change in habitats for many species. For some it will be a reduction of habitat and others an increase in habitat. Historically speaking there is no evidence that any warm period wiped out the earth or life on it. Rather the warm periods of the earth are when life has flourished on earth, vegetation has proliferated and habitats have increased. Whilst much has been made in global warming alarmism about cuddly polar bears becoming extinct (in fact polar bear numbers have increased fivefold), there has been little mention of all the species that would extend and increase their habits further poleward as the earth warmed and thus proliferate. Man likewise has been called a child of the tropics, look at how all our houses are heated to tropical temperatures and again history shows us during the warm periods civilizations flourish as does food supply.

However when we look at the cold this is quite a different story. The cold decimates nearly all life on earth as habitats are restricted, growing seasons reduce, vegetation is covered in snow and civilisations perish – history has given us ample examples of this. If we simply look at a microcosm of nature we see that animals living in cold areas often have to hibernate, their bodies adapted to the lack of food for a large part of the year. This is what the cold is all about.

2. Full scientific certainty. In terms of the climate there has been considerable debate going on for years about what the climate is actually doing and we have an establishment of scientists, media and politicians who are now advocates of the warming view. The theory that man is causing the climate to warm has been pushed but as yet never proven. Whilst much attention has been focused on mans emissions of CO2 the salient point is that  CO2 is a trace gas that historically follows temperatures and not precedes them. Increased CO2 also increases plant production and not reduces it. Scientists who have disputed the man made warming claims have been derided by this new establishment, stonewalled and discriminated against. Yet actual temperature records as has recently been exposed by climategate have been shown to have been doctored to make it look like there is a warming when none has really existed. The reality is the world is not warming but cooling.

This would fit in with established science that precedes the warming claims. Natural cycles of the environment support a cooling world. For example around the turn of the century (2000) the earth entered a cooling PDO which lasts 20-30 years which is a cooling signal where we will see prevalent La Ninas (cold wet) instead of El Ninos. We are also historically overdue for an ice age. Additionally the sun is inactive, solar cycle 24 has gone into hibernation with few if any sunspots for extended periods. Low sunspot activity historically correlates with a cooling world – for example the little ice age in the middle ages. Whilst the mechanisms for this are still being understood the correlation is there nontheless.

3. Measures to prevent environmental degradation. So if we consider the above that 1. threats of damage to both man and the environment are more serious during cold periods, 2. That scientific evidence supports future cooling rather than warming then the conclusion we must reach is that we should be taking measures to prevent environmental degradation from the cold and not the warmth.

Under the precautionary principle then, legally we have an obligation to ensure humanity and the environment is prevented from damage from the cold. The reality is our governments aren’t doing anything about this. As we are experiencing record cold around the world with it likely to deepen year by year the precautionary principle in terms of the earth and humanity is being ignored.  I have written to the Department of Climate Change in Australia over six months ago asking what measures are they taking to prepare the populace and the environment for the deepening cold – to date I have not received a response. I doubt also whether you would find any policy on it also. I wonder as we had a cold winter in the southern hemisphere and the northern hemisphere faces a brutal one, how many of the homeless and poor are unnecessarily dying from the cold. And all because of Government’s and green groups gravy train that ignores their plight focusing instead on their rabid push of global warming alarmism.

To answer the question how can we in this current time give the earth the benefit of the doubt we find the answer is to not to prepare for warming – but to prepare for the cold. Humanity (we are part of the environment) and the earth will face serious challenges as the world cools – most notably countries like Canada – which once was under a 2km thick ice sheet and Russia/Northern Europe which have historically seen large areas of habitation previously buried under snow and civilisations wiped out from the cold. The longer we prepare for a warming world whilst the world cools, the less prepared we will be and the more likely we will stand accused of not giving the earth (and humanity) the benefit of the doubt.

Criminal charges against alarmist scientists filed, Alarmist scientist steps down, Alarmist fraud exposed yet again, Climategate continues, being green gives you a licence to lie, making money out of a corrupt premise, copenhagen corruption.

Global warming science fiction not in the Public interest, Disastrous snow in Mexico, Snowing in Texas, Whistler smashes November snowfall record, Antarctica sea ice continues above average, Floods, rain and now snow.

If you would like to email these politicians and talk to them about giving the earth and humanity the benefit of the doubt you can do so here;

Malcolm.Turnbull.MP@aph.gov.au, Ian.Macfarlane.MP@aph.gov.au, J.Hockey.MP@aph.gov.au,

Filed under: Nature, benefit, Climate, climategate, copenhagen, earth, green, humanity