Now is the time to listen to climate scientists, not activists

Listening to the Speech from the Throne Tuesday, one could be forgiven for thinking that the Conservatives were copying Stephane Dion's leadership campaign tactics of 13 months ago. In Dion's case, he took his climate change phraseology essentially verbatim from a David Suzuki report. In the case of the Harper government, they appear to have lifted most of their assertions from a wider selection of environmental groups, but the messages are equally unfounded nonethe-less. First, the government tells us that "Threats to our environment are a clear and present danger that now confronts governments around the world." "Clear and present danger" is a popular phrase used by environmental activists when speaking about climate change, Al Gore-trained Desiree McGraw of Montreal and Ralph Torrie, whose company produces greenhouse gas emissions software, being typical examples.

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The most significant "clear and present danger" is widespread public ignorance of basic climate science, a problem that provides fertile ground for the unfounded eco-salvationism of opportunistic politicians and activists driving today's agenda. Next we are told that "This is nowhere more evident than in the growing challenge of climate change." The church/environmental group, Kairos, likes that one, as do many alarmists. Climate change is not a growing challenge; it is a shrinking one. As the Earth has warmed slightly in the past century, the 'challenge' to society is considerably less than it was during previous cold periods. "Our Government believes that action is needed now to ensure our quality of life, particularly for those most vulnerable to health threats from the environmen--our children and seniors." 'Save the children and the elderly', is a popular but misleading phrase used often by environmentalists. Neither children nor seniors are threatened by global warming. They may be threatened by funding diversions from social programmes to any "action" to avert a supposed 'climate crisis'.