Letter to the editor.

Peter is concerned that Global Warming exchanges in The Pump have moved into politics

Dear Ray,

I was sorry to see that this thread of discussion in The Pump on Climate Change, Sea Levels, et al has moved away from the areas of science and technology into politics (with both large and small P). This is an area that I have absolutely no intention of entering so will confine myself to the more recent published scientific notes and data that have become available over the past few months.

The UEA concealment fiasco has certainly done the "pro" lobby no good at all, and following hard on its heels, the revelations identifying the IPCC false statements on the melting of the Himalayan Glaciers must have further compounded the problems that the ordinary folks in the street have in believing what they are told.

Digging further into the work of the IPCC it now seems that the 'constant' factor they used in their calculations deciding sea level movement, was in fact from a tide gauge off Singapore, which failed to take into account that the land in that area (like Holland) is sinking. Hardly an exact, stable measurement on which to base the world's future.

It also appears that quite a reasonable amount of 'research' in associated areas (like the elusive and ever-moving Peak Oil figures) is funded by international Oil Companies or their agents. I'm not sure if that would or would not constitute a conflict of interests?... especially if the oil company concerned needed an excuse to further raise its prices and had no real justification? Long term shortages of necessities (or scares of shortages thereof) have always been a great way to manipulate the world futures markets.

If this seems I'm moving from a neutral stance towards becoming a sceptic, this may well be so, certainly based on what I have appeared to find out so far, that is how I see it. Nonetheless, please be assured I'm convinced that there must be some similar flaws in the arguments of the "against" lobby. However, thus far I have not come across them, or for that matter anyone who can point to where I can find them written and 'researched' by a credible person or body with no commercial or political axe to grind...merely the need for some verifiable truth to be shed on the subject. I find it interesting that Professor John Beddington, the Governments Scientific Advisor is now pleading for honesty in the 'global warming debate. About time too.

It would be fair to say my open mind on the subject is not quite as open as it was before I started looking into it.

Peter Bodle