“Civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.”
—Will Durant (1885–1981), American historian, philosopher, and author
Greenhouse gases have received the lion’s share of publicity in the press and in political speeches of politicians because this segment of the environmental pollution problem has become a political football. Politicians see global warming as a way to drastically raise taxes and at the same time increase their power base. Many reputable scientists dispute the effect of these gases on global warming and believe that climate change is a natural cyclic occurrence and not due to emissions of carbon dioxide and similar gases.
One needs only to look at the geologic history of the midwestern United States to realize that climate change is an ongoing phenomenon. Ten thousand years ago the area was covered with massive glaciers. Then there was a gradual warming period during which the glaciers melted and the Great Lakes were formed. The point is that the earth’s climate is always changing. Pick any spot on the globe and you will find extensive changes in climate patterns over the millennia. There were no industrial carbon dioxide emissions back then. Climate change is a natural phenomenon and it is going to happen regardless of what mankind does. Those who study it and accurately project what will happen in certain areas will be able to prepare for what is to come.
