By Nancy Thorner & Bonnie O'Neil -
Will man's folly over CO2 end up banning cars, limiting living space, and stripping citizens of personal freedoms, all for the purpose of creating a world some politicians envision as necessary to control the population? Or will facts that dispute the global warming alarmists be given equal publicity and consideration by the media and responsible officials?
As a starting point to better understand the man-made global warming frenzy, it is important to define CO2, when it was classified as a pollutant, and why it was classified as such.
CO2 is the chemical formula for carbon dioxide, which contains one atom of carbon and two atoms of oxygen. It is a heavy, odorless gas formed during respiration and by the decomposition of organic substances. Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air during the process known as photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide is produced by the decay of organic materials and the combustion of wood and fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas as well as natural sources like water, volcanoes, hot springs and geysers. Many environmentalists have focused more on the harmful effects of carbon dioxide on the Earth's atmosphere.
The Environmental Protection Agency made a decision on December 2009 to classify and in so doing added fuel to the debate. In the meantime the EPA has enacted policies that heretofore were a source of intensive debate for decades among politicians, scientists and industry, which have further escalated the controversy over whether a natural component of the earth's atmosphere should be considered a pollutant.
Most Americans think of Co2 as what comes out of the tail pipe of a car truck or the smoke stack of a power plant. This energy-related carbon dioxide emission falls under the category of Anthropogenic Global Warming (or man-made), in contrast to the many natural causes that emit CO2, such as water, volcanic eruptions; solar flares or sunspots; evaporation of ocean water; forest fires; and the melting of large scale perma frost. Humans also exhale CO2 and plants absorb CO2 to survive. Increasing Co2 in the atmosphere for "greens" (plants) helps to feed the growing human population, as CO2 is the nutrient used by plants in photosynthesis.
As far as the CO2 emissions based on the share of global energy-related CO2 each nation creates, the U.S. took second place with a rate of 14.69% in energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2014, while China came in first with around 23.4% of global CO2 emissions.
Cars and CO2
Is it any wonder that Americans perceive cars and trucks to be the highest contributors of man-made Global Warming, when global warming apologists continually make the claim. The media is willing to repeat whatever is stated by global warming advocates, but rarely print legitimate rebuttals provided by scientists with opposing data and analysis. Liberal politicians are also willing to accept one side of the argument, but not the other. Thus they enact policies and laws to accommodate the global warming interests.
A new idea has recently been proposed in CA that targets drivers of what they refer to as gas guzzling cars and trucks. A group of Bay environmentalists wants to slap warning stickers on gasoline pumps, warning drivers that the fuel they are buying is cooking the planet. The stickers would constantly remind consumers of the link between driving and climate change. The presence of those labels would obviously infer that the state of California has determined global warming is caused by greenhouse gas emissions and a major threat. A growing group of scientists vehemently disagree with that conclusion. The question becomes, why are those stickers being allowed, without absolute proof the planet is being “cooked, let alone by the gasoline from that pump?
What the liberal environmentalists seem unwilling and unable to explain is that cars have been emitting less and less CO2 for decades. With improved catalytic converters and more efficient use of fuel, less CO2 comes out of the tail pipe. In fact, some studies have shown that if all cars and trucks were eliminated, there would be little difference in CO2 emissions.
As earth has not warmed significantly over the past 18 years, despite an 8% increase in Atmospheric CO2, concern about CO2 appears either manufactured or embellished. Moreover, forward projections of solar cyclicity (absence of sun spots) imply the next few decades may be marked by global cooling rather than warming, despite continuing Co2 emissions. How foolish can man be! Or is there another agenda at play here regarding the global warming scare?
Some enthusiasts claim Earth and man are doomed unless the U.N. Agenda 21 is fully implemented. To deny the claim, according to them, is akin to heresy. Advocates of Global Warming claim Agenda 21 is a road-map to the future and a blueprint for planning and designing Sustainable cities,
Sustainable Cities, not a figment of the imagination
There are currently agencies already established that are networking to provide knowledge, resources, and innovations to accelerate the fruition of sustainable cities. The Sustainable Cities Network, works with local communities to explore sustainable approaches and address challenges. Through the Network, partners, the steering committee, and workgroups collaborate to streamline city operations, advance solar energy, mitigate the urban heat island, design sustainable neighborhoods, and secure water supplies in a changing climate, reasoning that "a robust adaptation strategy is required if cities are to continue to survive and thrive.” All this comes at a severe cost, causing speculation as to who is providing the financing and what might they gain from doing so.
Ever heard of the UCCR? This agency develops and implements strategies at the city level, which will influence the national policy, and thus dictate approaches to climate change adaptation at the global level. Once again, one wonders how city governments agree to make changes based on unproven science.
Cities are considered laboratories where the most innovative ideas for surviving in the future can be tested. The global warming advocates claim their planning will allow people "the greatest chance for survival in the face of declining resources and rising seas." Ten cities from New York to Tokyo to Bogota were recently awarded City Climate Leadership Awards for their work by Siemens and C40 (the Cities Climate Leadership Group). Rio De Janiero won in the "Sustainable Communities" category. Once again, who provided the funding and on what basis was it accomplished?
Creating sustainable future cities in this nation
Has Agenda 21 infiltrated our own nation? Absolutely! The perpetrators of U.N. Agenda 21 are proud of the progress they have made in cities big and small. Their devotion often mirrors that of a religious fanatic, according to MIT professor of meteorology, Dr. Lindzen, who publicly labeled global warming advocates as a fanatical “cult”. Examples of there progress can be seen in the statements below:
- “Bringing Sustainability to Small-Town America", posted by Kaid Benfield, January 26, 2015, salutes communities in small-town America where even a small grant from a government or philanthropic agency can make a major impact to enable sustainability efforts significant enough to rival those of big cities. The ICMA report (Defying the Odds: Sustainability in Small and Rural Places) showcases the following small cities where sustainability efforts should be celebrated: Greensburg, Kansas; Columbus, Wisconsin; South Daytona, Florida; Homer, Alaska; Sleepy Eye, Minnesota; West Liberty, Iowa Hurricane, Utah; and Kearney, Nebraska.
- "Sustaining our cities" by Allie Nicodemo, May 22nd 2014, deals with the way a city is designed. The World Health Organization predicts that by 2050, 6.4 billion people around the globe will live in urban areas - up from 3.4 billion in 2009. Accordingly, the walkability of a city is connected to both human health and the health of the environment, which is influenced by transportation options and the use of fossil fuels. Phoenix, Arizona is spotlighted as a city that mirrors many other cities where population is on the rise. With hotter temperatures and other manifestations of climate change, Phoenix is presented as a good example of what much of the world is facing now or can expect in the future.
We don't have to travel outside of Illinois to observe planning that is now taking place in accordance with Agenda 21's proposal of building sustainable future cities In response to reading Part 1, Fighting climate change through compact cities without cars , Dottie McQueen, who has spoken to groups in Illinois over the past 1-1/2 years about Agenda 21, contacted Thorner to share the information about CMAP, or the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.
CMAP, or the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, created in 2005, is Agenda 21 on steroids. It is comprised of unelected bureaucrats who are planning transportation needs, water usage, living conditions and more for 7 counties in northeastern Illinois. State Republican leaders will not touch A21 with a 10-foot pole, considering it to be "tin hat” predictions that ignore scientific data if it does not reflect their global warming predictions and plans.
And you better believe CMAP has a plan! As the site suggests: "Metropolitan Chicago is one of the world's great economic centers, the area cannot afford to take its quality of life for granted.” Visit here to view their comprehensive regional plan, but be warned you will not find any facts or figures there that disagree with their conclusions. However, with the growing number of scientists who disagree with global warming predictions and claim the panic over global warming is unjustified will be hard to silence forever. They are beginning to dispute what some want to claim is “settled science” by stating that the data most often presented is full of errors and misleading information.
CO2 as worst of all myths
Of all the myths claimed by global warming enthusiasts, calling carbon dioxide a pollutant is the worst - it simply is NOT TRUE! "CO2 is a great airborne fertilizer which, as its concentrations rise, causes additional plant growth and causes plants to need less water. Without CO2 there would be no life (food) on Earth. The 120 ppm of CO2 added to the atmosphere since the start of the industrial revolution has caused an average increase in worldwide plant growth of over 12 percent and 18 percent for trees. There is not a single instance of CO2 being a pollutant. Ask any chemistry professor. The only thing being polluted is the minds of people, including those of our school children.
The public deserves to be presented with all the facts, myths must be exposed, and deliberate deceptions revealed. When our nation’s elected officials at the highest level of government began promoting misinformation, those who knew the truth were obliged to boldly step forth with opposing facts, figures, and corrected data to demand that funding using taxpayer dollars stop. Opponents of the man-made global warming scare are now speaking up and saying it is unnecessary to spend billions of dollars on projects perpetrated and promoted by the United Nations.
Chicago's Heartland Institute has been at the forefront of providing proof that the issue of man-caused Climate Change has been grossly exaggerated. The “Economist" described The Heartland Institute as "the world's most prominent thank tank promoting skepticism about man-made climate change." Since 2008 The Heartland Institute has initiated, organized and hosted nine International Conferences on climate change. This summer Heartland will host its 10th International Conference on June 11 and 12 at The Washington Court Hotel in Washington, D.C. Read about Heartland's International Conferences here and how to sign up to attend this worthwhile event to learn the facts.
Thorner & O'Neil: Fighting climate change through compact cities without cars (Part 1)
Thorner & O'Neil: UN promotes Global Warming consistent with Agenda 21 (Part 2)
