Submitted: Goldendale Sentinel, 2.8.2024
"Two Falsehoods" underscored the need for fact-checking. Mr. Hansen’s opinion demonstrates an astonishing disregard for the facts I cite; for decades of well-documented, worldwide scientific climatology research; and for easily observed climate issues.
In fact, although Mr. Hansen references a 2016 paper, “Carbon Dioxide Fertilization Greening Earth,” he misconstrues it to imply greening of the earth as a desirable side effect of rising levels of CO2. However, readers are misled by his omitting the part of the article that states, “While rising carbon dioxide concentrations in the air can be beneficial for plants, it is also the chief culprit of climate change [boldface mine]. The gas, which traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere, has been increasing since the industrial age due to the burning of oil, gas, coal and wood for energy and is continuing to reach concentrations not seen in at least 500,000 years. The impacts of climate change include global warming, rising sea levels, melting glaciers and sea ice as well as more severe weather events.”
Mr. Hanson references a Forbes article https://bit.ly/3OGagga, “Excessive Heat Can Kill, But Extreme Cold Still Causes More Fatalities” to assert "Fewer deaths related to cold weather". The article clearly describes rising death rates due to climate-change, from heat and cold. It clearly states that deaths due to cold are even greater than due to heat.
Mr. Hanson referenced the University of Alabama-Huntsville satellite data to assert “temperature data showed that the slight amount of warming stopped, and temperatures might be declining now.“ Here is a graph of the data: https://www.nsstc.uah.edu/climate/. It clearly shows, not cooling, but increasing upper atmospheric (Troposphere) warming from 1978 to January 2024 (baseline 1991-2020).
Although Mr. Hansen disagrees with the facts I present, he even disagrees with his own references. Further, he doesn't seem to know that since 1975, climatology scientists have consistently referred to "global warming" induced “climate change.” And it’s a well understood fact that the use of fossil fuels is the primary driver of this phenomena.
As the article Mr. Hansen cites points out, “global warming” refers to atmospheric warming caused by the sun in combination with heat-retaining “greenhouse gases” (carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor). "Climate change" refers to how this atmospheric warming is changing Earth's climate aka weather patterns and weather extremes, including extreme cold and heat. The most obvious changes are the increased strength of hurricanes; abnormal flooding, atmospheric rivers, snowstorms, droughts, and extensive wildfires; accelerated ice and glacial melt; dying coral reefs; and increasingly unlivable temperatures in some parts of the world.
Mr. Hanson asks, “In what way or ways?” is climate change increasingly disastrous.” In the last 5 years, with every year setting a new record high, we've seen:
Deadly heat, every year the hottest on record and 2024 is forecast to be the hottest yet [1].
U.S. wildfires burning over 32 million acres [2] which is projected to increase [3]. Wildfires in Europe burn area equivalent to one-fifth of Belgium (1.6 million acres) [4].
Major weather disasters, causing nearly 2,000 deaths and over $600 billion in damage. [5]
The western half of the U.S. experienced the worst drought in over 1,200 years [6]. A record-breaking drought has caused some rivers in China to dry up– including parts of the Yangtze, the third largest river in world providing drinking water to 400 million people – affecting hydropower, halting shipping, and forcing major companies to suspend operations [7]
Deadly heat waves have caused strange infrastructural events around the world: For example, historically hot temperatures in London and China have buckled bridges and airport runways. In Texas, water mains have burst. [8]
Due to sea-level rise, eastern coastal cities from Florida to Massachusetts regularly experience drainpipe flooding, which causes costly damage.[9][10]
And if all of this is not sobering enough, a glacier in Antarctica that scientists have dubbed “the doomsday glacier” has been in “rapid retreat” and is melting much faster than previous predictions. Without this glacier and its supporting ice shelves, sea levels could rise by three to ten feet globally, causing entire coastal communities to flood . Major cities around the United States and across the globe could be partially underwater in the coming decades. Think about the mass dislocation, turmoil and international tensions that these displacements will cause.[11]
California received the typical 9 months of rain in 36 hours due to an abnormal “atmospheric river” causing millions in damages and lost lives [12]
If Mr. Hansen doesn’t consider these events disastrous, that’s semantics. The worldwide effects of global-warming-induced climate change is real and costly in its impact on human lives and infrastructure.
In my opinion, especially regarding such critical issues as climate change, we writers have a responsibility to readers to convey factual information, even when it’s presented as part of an “opinion.”