We repeatedly hear, by those with vested interests in global climate change legislation, aka cap and trade, that all climatologists agree: Global temperatures, warming rates and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are higher than at any time in the Earth’s recent past, and the main cause is greenhouse gas emissions by humans.

They even claim the dialogue is over, that the science is irrefutable.

But that is false. More than 30,000 scientists signed a petition disagreeing with some or all of that statement. Dialogue is never over because science is frequently wrong. Data collection and interpretation is subject to human error. Example, the “climate gate” e-mails prove that climate change data was manipulated.

Also, the U.N. Panel on Climate Change based claims of ice disappearing from the world’s mountain tops on a student’s dissertation and an article in a mountaineering magazine.

Scientists are regular folks subject to human failings and biases. When heavily invested in a position, we are all prone to favor facts that support our position. Thus, facts and truth get murky, and the myth of objectivity is exposed.

Science is human “theory.” It is the best guess we have at the time. Want proof?

Consider trans fats, the bad fats we now know to avoid after decades of experts telling us we should replace saturated fats (butter) with good trans fats (margarine). Oops, proven wrong. We are now paying the health costs for that mistake. Should we make a greater mistake with cap and trade?

Currently, advocates for this bill are invested intellectually, emotionally and financially. Al Gore is financially invested in Smart Grid technology and is positioned to make millions through government subsidies if Congress passes it.

President Obama stated cap and trade legislation would cause energy costs to skyrocket. It has a $145-trillion price tag claiming to cap greenhouse gases, but experts agree it will have but a minimal effect on climate change.

Tea parties are working to stop this bill. I hope you’ll join me at the tea party mentioned in the Acorn .
Christina Powers
Simi Valley