Many believe there is an ulterior motive behind this whole climate change agenda. Without evidence, I will not speculate on what it is. But I do have proof that climate change has happened in the past without any help from human beings.
Geography was one of my best subjects in school and as a former commercial pilot, I had to study weather. That being said, I am not a meteorologist or a climatologist. I am not an electrician either, but I know what “Danger - High Voltage” means because I can read. Let’s move on.
Carbon Dioxide and Climate Change
There has been a lot of talk about carbon dioxide being responsible for climate change. Politicians want to cut emissions and hit polluters with a carbon tax. (China and India are the world’s biggest carbon emitters and both pay no attention to this at all.)
If I remember my high school science, the Earth’s atmosphere contains mostly nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%). The remaining 1% is made up of trace gasses including carbon dioxide at .04% and argon at .9%. That’s right. There’s twice as much argon as there is carbon dioxide.
Thomas Allmendinger, an independent Swiss physicist scholar educated at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, stated in a series of articles published in scientific journals calling into question the principles of the greenhouse gas theory. His experimental research with the thermal absorption of infrared radiation (IR) has proved that “atmospheric trace gases such as carbon dioxide do not have any influence on the climate.”
Of course, there will be nay-sayers who disagree with Allmendinger, but Climate Science News stated: “Thomas Allmendinger’s argument that the CO2 greenhouse gas effect is non-existent bears serious consideration. The global warming argument fails if CO2, a trace element in Earth’s complex atmosphere, can be proven to have no atmosphere warming abilities not equally shared by oxygen and nitrogen.”
You can read the article here: Thomas Allmendinger - Climate Science News
Meteorologist William Kininmonth is among many others who agree with Allmenwith. He authored a new paper on so-called “greenhouse gases,” revealing that carbon dioxide (CO2) does not impact global temperatures as many falsely claim.
At worst, CO2 has a “minimal effect” on temperature and climate, which is constantly in a state of flux due to factors far outside the bounds of anything mankind can control.
Carbon Dioxide News stated: “A former consultant at the World Meteorological Organization’s Commission for Climatology, as well as the former head of the Australian government’s National Climate Centre, Kininmonth knows what he is talking about when it comes to the climate. And he is not convinced that CO2 is anything about which to worry.”
You can read the complete article here: Carbon Dioxide News
Oh, and let’s not forget plants require carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and in exchange, provide us with oxygen. Remember grade school science?
So when you hear any politician or paid-for scientist trying to scare you with carbon bulls**t, you’ll know better. Many scientists believe the carbon tax is just another tax and will do nothing to “save the planet”.
Speaking of politicians and bulls**t, I remember former U.S. Vice President Al Gore’s narration of An Inconvenient Truth (2006). This documentary contained dire predictions for our planet that would occur if we didn’t act immediately to stop climate change.
Good old planet Earth, however, is smarter than Al Gore and ignored him. Earth knew the predictions in the documentary were exaggerated and wouldn’t happen. And, as it turns out, Earth was right. For example, there is still snow on Kilimanjaro and ice in the Arctic. The 2006 documentary also featured a video of a polar bear drowning while Al Gore did a voiceover predicting they would be threatened with extinction in a few years. Since the documentary, the polar bear population has doubled.
Meanwhile in Glacier Bay, Alaska…
This is a map of Glacier Bay in South-East Alaska. What does this have to do with climate change? It’s simple. Glacier Bay is a glaring example of why the two scientists I mentioned above are absolutely right. Human beings and our activities have little or no effect on climate change.
I was fortunate enough to work as a headline entertainer on cruise ships for a number of years. Alaska was one of my favorite cruise destinations. The scenery, the wildlife, the history, the… the… You get the idea. Alaska is a great place to visit on a cruise ship.
Glacier Bay is one of the most spectacular and interesting places in Alaska. As you can see from Map #1 above, the bay stretches sixty-five miles from the Pacific Ocean to the Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers near the U.S./Canadian border in the Yukon. During the cruise in and out, passengers often see humpback and killer whales, grizzly and brown bears, and a wide variety of sea and land birds.
On most cruises, scientists, naturalists, and Glacier Bay National Park staff board the ships via pilot boat and provide lectures and ongoing commentary during the ship’s visit to the bay.
I attended numerous Glacier Bay lectures by eminently qualified scientists on subjects including marine biology, geology, and climatology. This is where I learned the truth about climate change.
The History of Ice in Glacier Bay
Mini-Ice Age - 1680-1750
In 1680, there was no Glacier Bay, only a broad valley with a glacier moving down towards the ocean. The glacier reached its maximum in 1750.
Furthest Extent of Ice - 1750
During this min-ice age, the glacier advanced, overwhelmed the Tlingit homeland, and by 1750 reached its maximum. The ice extended out into Icy Strait almost to Lemesurier Island. (see map #1 above) Then the glacier began to retreat. By 1795, when Captain George Vancouver arrived, the glacier had retreated back five miles into Glacier Bay. Wonder what caused the ice to retreat? I mean there were no cars, buses, trucks, or factories spewing carbon back then.
Further retreat of the ice - 1880
This is what Glacier Bay looked like when conservationist John Muir traveled here in search of active glaciers in 1880. Muir discovered the glacier had retreated 40 more miles up the bay since Vancouver's visit. Once again, how did this happen? At the time, people rode around on horses. Railways were being expanded, but there were no cars or trucks, and the Industrial Revolution was in its infancy. The electric, steel, and automotive industries wouldn’t begin for another 30 years. The climate was obviously changing, but carbon emissions were not to blame.
Glacier Bay - Today
The ice has further retreated 65 miles up the bay. The large glacier that once filled the bay all the way to the ocean has divided into many smaller tributaries. The cruise ships spend the most time at these glaciers. (See map #1 above for the location of each glacier listed below)
John Hopkins
This is the most active tidewater glacier in the park. The glacier is over a mile wide, 300 feet high, and extends 200 feet below the water. The calving here can be spectacular. (Note: “calving” refers to chunks of ice breaking off and entering the water as icebergs)
Grand Pacific
The Tlingit natives of Alaska call this glacier “the old woman” because it is dormant and does not calve. This is due to the fact the glacier is no longer a tidewater glacier and is grounded.
Margerie
As the ice retreated, this glacier became detached from the Grand Pacific. It remains an active tidewater glacier. For that reason, the Tlingit called it “the teenager”. Calving causes huge swells and is quite spectacular to see from the safety of a cruise ship. And, by the way, calving happens most often at low tide.
For more information on Glacier Bay, here’s a link to a brochure you can read or download:
My thoughts
As you can see, Glacier Bay is an excellent example of how climate change can affect our earth. Of that, there is no argument. The real question is what caused the climate to change?
There is irrefutable evidence discovered by scientists confirming the ice in Glacier Bay has advanced and retreated numerous times over the past several thousand years. With no external factors, they concluded, in the absence of humans, this was due to natural factors resulting from the Earth’s climate warming and cooling.
This also caused the two-mile-thick ice to retreat after the last Great Ice Age in the Pleistocene Epoch 10,000 years ago.
One final thought about this climate change political agenda…
You can read the declaration pdf here: World Climate Declaration
Conclusion
I had a coffee with a climatologist after his Glacier Bay lecture on our cruise ship. I asked him if the bay would ever fill up with ice again. His response? “That’s up to Mother Nature.”
So, when someone asks you if climate change is real and if there’s anything we can do to stop it, tell them the answer to their question lies in Glacier Bay, Alaska.
Until next time, remember curious and skeptical is a good place to be.
Steven J. Daniels
The Skeptical Investigator
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