OPINION:
Politicians from 200 countries got together to pretend they could establish policies capable of controlling the climate and sea levels (“Obama: Climate change deal forged in Paris is ’best chance’ to save the planet,” Web, Dec. 12). Last weekend they celebrated signing a non-binding agreement that begins in 2020 and which would supposedly lower temperatures by less than one degree by the year 2100.
President Obama continues to repeat that temperatures and sea levels are rising rapidly, yet I have not heard one reporter ask him for actual numbers. According to the University Corporation of Atmospheric Research, the average temperature in the 1930s in the United States was 53.4 degrees, and in the 1990s it was 53.6 degrees. That would certainly be within the margin of error. In 2014, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the average temperature was 52.6 degrees. In my math book 52.6 is less than 53.4, so the trend of the past 80 years would be down, not up.
On Dec. 12, 2015, Springfield, Ill., had a record high temperature of 70 degrees. The previous record was 64 degrees in 1929. This means we had 85 straight years of cooler temperatures.
The same is true of sea-level hysteria. In the past 100 years sea levels have risen 19 centimeters, or 7.45 inches. This, too, is within the margin of error and should not be considered a rapid rise. In the 1920s scientists said coastal cities would be gone within a few years. They were wrong.
It would be nice if reporters showed some curiosity and put numbers in articles instead of just repeating talking points. Facts are important, especially when politicians are intentionally destroying industries and jobs. Spending trillions of dollars based on manipulated numbers is a great way to harm the poor and middle class, but it is not good policy.
JACK HELLNER
Springfield, Ill.
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