1
Introduction
Earth Watters has existed for over 4.65 billion years and has been through many chemical
and physical changes. In the beginning, Earth started as a molten ball of iron. This ball of
iron solidified, resulting in the formation of an atmosphere and the rising of oceans. Land
soon began to take shape. Land masses, called continents, began a cyclical habit of being
torn apart and merged together over periods of time. Oceans had a habit of their own. The
change in position of land masses and change in ocean currents have much to do with the
climate of the planet. Scientists agree that there are areas that are presently underwater
were once dry land and that some areas of dry land were once under water. This was a
result of two things. Firstly, ten thousand years ago, Earth was almost entirely covered in
ice. This lowered see levels exposing more land mass. Secondly, there was a point in time
when there were no ice caps. The sea level was higher than present day levels causing
many present day coastal areas to be submerged under water. There is no question about
it; the Earth goes through cycles.
Despite this fact, the government is accusing the human race for the cause of
present global warming. While they are dumping billions of dollars into research on how
to stop it, they are not investigating the other possibilities or causes of global warming.
There is hard evidence that ice cores have shown that the Earth goes through global
warming and cooling periods. This evidence demonstrates that there is nothing the
government can do to stop it. Instead of putting forth efforts, policies, programs, and
funds towards trying to stop global warming, the government must simply put in policies
to help America prepare for the temperature, weather, and ocean level changes.
Watters 2
Issue Background
The American public began to grow strong interest in global warming around the
time Al Gore swept the world with his documentary, Inconvenient Truth, creating mass
hysteria. Gores data was built from an assortment of figures dating from several hundred
thousand years rather than the billions of years the Earth has existed. Growth of hysteria
from inaccurate data like this has had the United States government spending 32 billion
dollars on climate change research and 36 billion on climate related technologies in the
last twenty years 1. The government has spent zero dollars on anti-global warming
programs. These anti-global warming programs prove that climate change will happen
regardless.
With all the hype, attention grew towards carbon dioxide emissions. The number
one complaint for the cause of global warming is the carbon dioxide emitted into the air.
Carbon trading has become one of the largest commodities traded 1. With all the
government research taking place, there is no proof that climate change is even affected
by carbon dioxide. Geologists have already proven that carbon dioxide does not affect
temperature. If anything, temperature affects carbon dioxide 2. Geologists have drilled
and collected ice core samples dating back to millions of years ago showing that the
carbon dioxide levels were almost ten times the amount of carbon dioxide today 2.
Policy Measures
In an effort to slow down the rate of climate change, the government has created
three programs: Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), Climate Change Technology
Program (CCTP), and U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). All of these
programs are run by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and several other
Watters 3
agencies 4. The USGCRP was created through the Global Change Research Act of 1990 5.
The USGCRP performs research and documents for the United States government and
the United Nations 5. The CCTP works with multiple agencies to create technologies that
lower greenhouse gas admissions 4. The CCSP helps increase the knowledge and
education of global climate change and the effects of greenhouse gases 4. Without global
warming scares, these programs would cease to exist. The global warming scares not
only create programs, but they also create jobs. This vested interest makes these
programs bias 1. Each of these programs receives billions of dollars from the government
for research. However, there is no money funding research that climate change will
happen no matter how hard we try to regulate it. To this day, the government continues to
throw money at one side of the issue rather than looking at both sides.
Congress has reflected the views and attitude of the United Nations, trying to
quickly fund programs like the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC). The
IPCC is a very bias program because it was created by the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) 3. Meteorologists have a large stake in the global warming issue.
They most receive of their grants and funding by participating in global warming
research. If they were to come out with a report stating that they have found no link
between temperature change and carbon dioxide, they would lose most of their funding.
IPCCs main evidence used for the global climate crisis is their Hockey Stick graph. This
graph shows the amount of temperature change from the last one thousand years.
However, their graph contains many flaws within its data. Much of its data came from
trees 1. The IPCC used tree rings to find the temperature change over the last one
thousand years 1. The problem with this research is that tree rings are extremely sensitive
Watters 4
and susceptible to nutrition and rainfall 1. This leads to a skewed reading and makes their
findings highly inaccurate. Many of the government policies are based off of this
erroneous information.
The United States has thirteen government agencies involved with the present
programs. These programs include the United States Department of Commerce, the
United States Department of Defense, the United States Department of Energy, the
United States Department of the Interior, the United States Department of State, the
United States Department of Transportation, the United States Department of Health and
Human Services, NASA, National Science Foundation, Smithsonian Institution, the
United States Agency for International Development, the United States Department of
Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency 5. The Environmental Protection
Agency has had most of the influence overseeing all of these programs.
Policy Evaluation
With the creation of these programs, the government has achieved small
milestones in the process of limiting the release of greenhouse gases. However, there is a
strong need to limit the amount of toxic gases, such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide,
methane, sulfates, and nitrates for the health of the human race. The information from
studies produced by government agencies and programs has brought the environmental
and health hazards to light. Many corporations have begun to lower their carbon
emissions due to tax breaks offered by the government through the numerous agencies 1.
Advances in technology have raised the bar in emission standards from cars all the way
to massive industrial factories.
Watters 5
Conclusion
Instead of trying to regulate carbon dioxide emissions, the United States
government needs to take action in formulating programs for the chance that humans
cannot stop climate change. Money and research must be allocated to the opposite side of
the global warming issue. The scientists who have data to support the idea that climate
change is not affected by humans and that the government cannot stop it need to be
heard. It is proven that climate change is a cycle and there is nothing that can be done to
stop it. The government must prepare for the sea levels to rise causing many of the
coastal cities to be underwater. It will be hundreds to thousands of years before it happens
but all they can do is prepare rather than prevent.
More money would be available if the policy makers would centralize both sides.
There is no need for several programs to deal with the same issue. Instead of having three
programs taking care of one issue, the government can combine all the programs,
alleviating the amount on money to each program. By combining the programs into one,
the government could save a lot of money by reducing the number of employees. These
government programs are branch from research. To create new technology you need
research. To educate you need research. Instead of having separate programs doing single
jobs, the government should have one program doing all the research, education, and
technology. One program could handle the job of research affects of greenhouse gases,
developing technology for limiting the emissions of greenhouse gases, and education on
the affects of greenhouse gases. Another program could help put measures in to help the
government implement policies that prepare the nation for the possibility that there is
nothing that can be done to change the change in climate.
Watters 6
References
1. Nova, Joanne. "Climate Money." Science and Public Policy. Science and Public
Policy, 21 July 2009. Web. 23 July 2009. <scienceandpublicpolicy.org>.
2. Stanley, Steven M. Earth System History. 2nd ed. New York: W.H. Freeman and
Company, 2005.
3. IPCC. World Meteorological Organization, 2009. Web. 25 July 2009.
<www.ipcc.ch>.
4. Climat Change. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 23 July 2009. Web. 25
July 2009. <www.epa.gov>.
5. U.S. Global Change Research Program. U.S. Global Change Research Program.
Web. 25 July 2009. <www.globalchange.gov>.