'Proof' we are causing polar warming melts away in the cold light of reality

Published on Monday 3 November 2008 21:03

No doubt some readers will have been alarmed by your report (31 October) that scientists from the University of East Anglia's climate research unit claim to have "finally" proved human behaviour is responsible for warming at the north and south poles, leading the public to assume the ice caps are melting.

This alarm may have been tempered somewhat by the disclosure that the so-called "scientific" proof was the result of yet another computer simulation, which, almost by definition, bears no relationship to reality.

The facts can be easily verified and are somewhat different. The Antarctic has shown no general warming trend in the past 30 years, whether one uses ground station records or satellite or weather balloon data, nor is there any evidence of diminishing sea ice extent. In 2007, the Antarctic winter sea ice maximum was at an all-time high and 2008 levels have been consistent with the long-term average.

The Arctic has shown a warming of about 1C since 1995 and there has been some reduction in ice coverage. A recent Nasa study found the warming was probably due to changed ocean currents carrying greater amounts of warm water into the Arctic basin from the Pacific and Atlantic.

However, recently there has been yet another change in ocean circulation patterns and Arctic ice is once again close to average values for this time of year. It remains to be seen whether this Arctic cooling trend will continue.

On the basis of real data, there is no likelihood of the Antarctic ice cap melting nor of the Greenland ice cap sliding into the sea and causing a 7m rise in sea levels, as has been fancifully suggested. The Argo buoy system launched in 2003 to search for increasing ocean temperatures can find none, nor can the Topex/Poseidon satellite find any evidence of rapidly rising global sea levels, unless you call 2.5mm per year rapid.

The climate industry relies on alarmism to maintain a steady flow of research grants and financial contributions but none of its apocalyptic visions are coming to pass. Politicians should take note.

(DR) WILLIAM FLOOD

Rowanbank Road

Dumfries

It is as though Hans Christian Anderson has come back to life. I recently read that while the House of Commons debated global warming, London experienced its first October snowfall since 1922.

Additionally, to combat a projected 2C rise in global temperatures, the climate change bill pledges the UK will reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 – truly amazing and showing wondrous foresight.

If the emperor is going to be gullible enough to believe in this projected rise in temperature, I would suggest he is going to be rather cold without his clothes.

DAVE HASKELL

Newchapel Road

Boncath, Pembrokeshire

Ben Mardall, of Wild Scotland, (Letters, 31 October) gives the false impression that wildlife and nature tourism is environmentally friendly and does not disturb wildlife. Eco-tourism is a contradiction in terms and viewing target wildlife from a distance can disturb non-target species close by.

Nature tourism operators are exploiting the natural environment for economic gain and can cause much more environmental harm than tourists who stick to the already built-up environment such as roads, villages and towns.

If Wild Scotland was an organisation that "put nature first" it wouldn't be encouraging tourism in wild places.

ANGUS MACMILLAN

Meikle Boturich

near Balloch, Dunbartonshire