Positions on climate change divide the Republican contenders for the presidency. Jon Huntsman is a strong proponent for the need to address the human contributions to climate change. Mitt Romney, in a recent New Hampshire speech, said that humans are at least somewhat responsible for climate change, and that “It’s important for us to reduce our emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases.”
On the other hand, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., has argued that the very concept of global warming is faulty because “carbon dioxide is a natural by-product of nature.” Texas Gov. Rick Perry claims that “daily, scientists … are coming forward and questioning the original idea that man-made global warming is what’s causing the climate to change.”
They can’t all be right, so what is the science? The National Academy of Sciences studied “1,372 climate researchers and their publication and citation data, [and found that] 97-98% of the climate researchers most actively publishing in the field support” the position that human action is accelerating climate change. The study also revealed that the few scientists in denial exhibited a relatively lower level of scientific expertise and professional publication than did those supporting the majority position.
I’ll go with the science.
Chris Langlois
Vancouver
