Atmosphere of Denial on Climate Change

James Schlesinger writes that there is a growing view that “the science is settled” in the global warming debate (Commentary, Jan. 22). He’s right. Both the American Geophysical Union and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have taken positions unequivocally stating that humans are increasingly altering the Earth’s climate. Contrary to Schlesinger’s implication, our scientific understanding is deep enough to accommodate natural variability, disparate data and regional differences along with climate changes caused by emission of greenhouse gases.

Americans should seek out reputable sources of information about the science behind global climate change and its potentially devastating effects. The vast majority of scientists -- scientists, not radical environmentalists -- are passionate about giving policymakers the information they need. Yet Schlesinger dismisses these attempts as “scare tactics.” What is he so scared of?

Ashwin R. Vasavada

Professor, UCLA Department

of Earth and Space Sciences

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Scientists predict that as global warming takes place, the planet will endure more “extreme weather.” So, to pose a question to Mr. Schlesinger, what do you think it means when Europe experiences an unprecedented heat wave in summer 2003, when a freak storm parks itself over Los Angeles and drops so much hail that it stays on the ground for two days, and when the Eastern U.S. feels the deepest winter freeze in years? And what about those pieces of the Antarctic ice shelves that have broken off in recent years?

The list could go on, but I suspect the answers would still be the same: natural process; coincidence; it’s happened before. The effects of global warming are devastating, and ignoring the problem will be catastrophic. These aren’t cold facts, but they are rather bracing -- most certainly sobering.

Edgar Kaskla

Long Beach