"Global Warming" CRAP? There is a noticeable pattern in the evolution of environmental scares. A scientist starts things off by discovering a potential threat. Then, the media picks it up, and oversimplifies and exaggerates the situation. Next, the environmentalists polarize the issue—one either agrees with the prediction of coming doom, or one must be in the pocket of uncaring big business. Soon, the bureaucrats get into the act, setting up regulations to avert the coming disaster. The skeptics then jump in, claiming that the scare is exaggerated. Finally, the official consensus is that the magnitude of the disaster has greatly shrunk.
Let's just look at the predictions from 1970 "EnvironMENTALists shall we?
• “...civilization will end within 15 or 30 years unless immediate action is taken against problems facing mankind,” biologist George Wald, Harvard University, April 19, 1970.
• By 1995, “...somewhere between 75 and 85 percent of all the species of living animals will be extinct.” Sen. Gaylord Nelson, quoting Dr. S. Dillon Ripley, Look magazine, April 1970.
• Because of increased dust, cloud cover and water vapor “...the planet will cool, the water vapor will fall and freeze, and a new Ice Age will be born,” Newsweek magazine, January 26, 1970.
• The world will be “...eleven degrees colder in the year 2000. This is about twice what it would take to put us into an ice age,” Kenneth Watt, speaking at Swarthmore University, April 19, 1970.
• “We are in an environmental crisis which threatens the survival of this nation, and of the world as a suitable place of human habitation,” biologist Barry Commoner, University of Washington, writing in the journal Environment, April 1970.
• “Man must stop pollution and conserve his resources, not merely to enhance existence but to save the race from the intolerable deteriorations and possible extinction,” The New York Times editorial, April 20, 1970.
• “By 1985, air pollution will have reduced the amount of sunlight reaching earth by one half...” Life magazine, January 1970.
• “Population will inevitably and completely outstrip whatever small increases in food supplies we make,” Paul Ehrlich, interview in Mademoiselle magazine, April 1970.
• “...air pollution...is certainly going to take hundreds of thousands of lives in the next few years alone,” Paul Ehrlich, interview in Mademoiselle magazine, April 1970.
• Ehrlich also predicted that in 1973, 200,000 Americans would die from air pollution, and that by 1980 the life expectancy of Americans would be 42 years.
• “It is already too late to avoid mass starvation,” Earth Day organizer Denis Hayes, The Living Wilderness, Spring 1970.
• “By the year 2000...the entire world, with the exception of Western Europe, North America and Australia, will be in famine,” Peter Gunter, North Texas State University, The Living Wilderness, Spring 1970.
By 1985...air pollution will have reduced the amount of sunlight
reaching the earth by one half” – Life magazine, January 1970
Then there are some more recent predictions:
In 1984, the United Nations claimed that 21 million hectares of land were succumbing to desertification every year. Actually, since then, there has been no net advance in deserts worldwide.
Starting in 1973, the Worldwatch Institute has repeatedly predicted that the food needs of a growing world population would exceed agricultural production, but this has never occurred. In spite of a doubling of the population since 1961, food production per head has risen by 20%.
Global 2000, a report to the U.S. president written in 1980 claimed that food prices would rise between 35% and 115% by 2000. In reality, the world food commodity index has fallen by 50%.
In 1972, the Club of Rome published a highly influential report called Limits of Growth, which said that total global oil reserves amounted to only 550 billion barrels, and could be used up by about 1990. However, from 1970 to 1990, 600 billion barrels were withdrawn, and estimated reserves by 1990 were 900 billion barrels.
In the early 1980s, it was reported that half of Germany's trees were dying from acid rain, and, in 1986, the United Nations claimed that 23% of all trees in Europe were damaged. But, by the end of the 1980s, the biomass stock of European forests had actually risen, and forests were thriving.
Forests in America were also said to be under threat from acid rain. Yet, a ten-year study concluded that there was no evidence of general or unusual forest decline in either the U.S. or Canada.
Chosen: Yup...I am only pointing out that part of the word "Environmentalist" is "MENTAL" and there are plenty of folks like yourself that put the "MENTAL" in "enviroMENTAList."
LOL Darwin...you also put the "MENTAL" in envorMENTAList!
Darwin...you are actually trying to justify predictions made in 1970...that's so cute...now twll me the one about Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster!
Justm399: Please re-read the predictions and tell me how with predictions that dire what we did to prevent them? Any minor steps that were taken couldn't have possibly stopped the level of disaster that was predicted. It's kind of like someone tells me you are bleeding to death and I give them a Scooby Doo bandaid to give to you...but as it turns out you weren't actually bleeding to death it was a pin prick and suddenly the Scooby Doo bandaid saved your life....see where I am going?
Let's just look at the predictions from 1970 "EnvironMENTALists shall we?
• “...civilization will end within 15 or 30 years unless immediate action is taken against problems facing mankind,” biologist George Wald, Harvard University, April 19, 1970.
• By 1995, “...somewhere between 75 and 85 percent of all the species of living animals will be extinct.” Sen. Gaylord Nelson, quoting Dr. S. Dillon Ripley, Look magazine, April 1970.
• Because of increased dust, cloud cover and water vapor “...the planet will cool, the water vapor will fall and freeze, and a new Ice Age will be born,” Newsweek magazine, January 26, 1970.
• The world will be “...eleven degrees colder in the year 2000. This is about twice what it would take to put us into an ice age,” Kenneth Watt, speaking at Swarthmore University, April 19, 1970.
• “We are in an environmental crisis which threatens the survival of this nation, and of the world as a suitable place of human habitation,” biologist Barry Commoner, University of Washington, writing in the journal Environment, April 1970.
• “Man must stop pollution and conserve his resources, not merely to enhance existence but to save the race from the intolerable deteriorations and possible extinction,” The New York Times editorial, April 20, 1970.
• “By 1985, air pollution will have reduced the amount of sunlight reaching earth by one half...” Life magazine, January 1970.
• “Population will inevitably and completely outstrip whatever small increases in food supplies we make,” Paul Ehrlich, interview in Mademoiselle magazine, April 1970.
• “...air pollution...is certainly going to take hundreds of thousands of lives in the next few years alone,” Paul Ehrlich, interview in Mademoiselle magazine, April 1970.
• Ehrlich also predicted that in 1973, 200,000 Americans would die from air pollution, and that by 1980 the life expectancy of Americans would be 42 years.
• “It is already too late to avoid mass starvation,” Earth Day organizer Denis Hayes, The Living Wilderness, Spring 1970.
• “By the year 2000...the entire world, with the exception of Western Europe, North America and Australia, will be in famine,” Peter Gunter, North Texas State University, The Living Wilderness, Spring 1970.
By 1985...air pollution will have reduced the amount of sunlight
reaching the earth by one half” – Life magazine, January 1970
Then there are some more recent predictions:
In 1984, the United Nations claimed that 21 million hectares of land were succumbing to desertification every year. Actually, since then, there has been no net advance in deserts worldwide.
Starting in 1973, the Worldwatch Institute has repeatedly predicted that the food needs of a growing world population would exceed agricultural production, but this has never occurred. In spite of a doubling of the population since 1961, food production per head has risen by 20%.
Global 2000, a report to the U.S. president written in 1980 claimed that food prices would rise between 35% and 115% by 2000. In reality, the world food commodity index has fallen by 50%.
In 1972, the Club of Rome published a highly influential report called Limits of Growth, which said that total global oil reserves amounted to only 550 billion barrels, and could be used up by about 1990. However, from 1970 to 1990, 600 billion barrels were withdrawn, and estimated reserves by 1990 were 900 billion barrels.
In the early 1980s, it was reported that half of Germany's trees were dying from acid rain, and, in 1986, the United Nations claimed that 23% of all trees in Europe were damaged. But, by the end of the 1980s, the biomass stock of European forests had actually risen, and forests were thriving.
Forests in America were also said to be under threat from acid rain. Yet, a ten-year study concluded that there was no evidence of general or unusual forest decline in either the U.S. or Canada.
Chosen: Yup...I am only pointing out that part of the word "Environmentalist" is "MENTAL" and there are plenty of folks like yourself that put the "MENTAL" in "enviroMENTAList."
LOL Darwin...you also put the "MENTAL" in envorMENTAList!
Darwin...you are actually trying to justify predictions made in 1970...that's so cute...now twll me the one about Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster!
Justm399: Please re-read the predictions and tell me how with predictions that dire what we did to prevent them? Any minor steps that were taken couldn't have possibly stopped the level of disaster that was predicted. It's kind of like someone tells me you are bleeding to death and I give them a Scooby Doo bandaid to give to you...but as it turns out you weren't actually bleeding to death it was a pin prick and suddenly the Scooby Doo bandaid saved your life....see where I am going?