Dear editor:
In reply to Mr. Larry Bauer writing here July 23, concerning his views on climate change, I offer this research which appears to have escaped him.
He offers Mr. Joe Bastardi as an expert witness. Cursory research shows Bastardi to be a meteorologist with no background in climate research, climatology, physics or anything remotely related to climate studies. His expertise in these matters is widely disputed among the legitimate scientific community. Mr. Bastardi is reputed to be a private meteorologist whose clients are "energy companies." In addition, he is senior adviser and Fellow of American Tradition Institute, a "free-market" environmental policy think tank. That organization has been accused of death threats, harassment and frivolous legal challenges of the scientific community. In addition, he frequently appears on a reputed TV "news" channel as a climate change expert. He reliably provides controversial conspiracy theories favoring energy industry policies. He can by no means be considered an objective or knowledgeable scholar in this area.
Mr. Bauer then attempts to claim water temperature, hence climate, is due to "saline filled super-chilled water" moving north in a cycle of approximately 500 years. But he then attempts to isolate a moment in time citing only that moment as evidence for his conspiracy theory. And places ideological blame on a political party not to his liking.
I offer the following as an intellectual exercise so you may examine Mr. Bauer's honesty and sincerity for yourself.
Science is nonpartisan, objectively neutral. It does not place blame. Because the Earth is a "system," most scientists reject theories of "single causality." If it is a cycle, it is dynamic and not static, so cannot be isolated to a single period. Five hundred years ago was 1514, so it would seem those to blame by Mr. Bauer's fantasy are the Lakota, Cree and Cherokee who lived some distance from the Antarctic and reportedly in a state of harmony with nature. I doubt if many were registered Democrats.
I can only presume Mr. Bauer was attempting to be humorous.
Stephen Orr Manning
Hot Springs
Editorial on 07/30/2014