The City of Norman participated in a worldwide event Saturday encouraging governments to combat climate change through legislation. The local event, dubbed Norman350, was one of 5,200 in 181 countries.
We commend event organizers and Norman officials for their efforts, and we are proud to be members of a community in which people are doing what they can to find solutions to climate change, which is truly a growing global problem.
We realize organizing this event may have required more effort here than in other places due to the attitudes of some prominent Oklahomans regarding climate change. One of these prominent Oklahomans is U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, who is working to counter this event’s goal of fighting climate change.
While Inhofe may represent the views of many Oklahomans, we are saddened by this reality because we believe it’s time that we stop asking the question, “Do climate change and global warming exist?”
Instead, we need to realize that, indeed, these problems are all too real. Now we should be asking, “What can we do to fight the effects of climate change and global warming?”
Fortunately, some right here in our community are doing just that, and events like Norman350 are proof.
Grassroots effort such as this are great first steps, but more must be done. We heartily encourage everyone who heard about this weekend’s event to write to state and national legislators imploring them to enact standards that favor the environment.
It is not enough to simply attend an event like Norman350.
While the global nature of this event made it a relatively large drop in the bucket, it is still just that – a drop in the bucket. We must do more if global warming is to be stopped and its effects reversed.
Obviously there are people here in Norman who believe that, and they have done a great job of planting the seeds of change. But if these roots are to grow and flourish, more people need to follow the lead.
It’s an uphill battle, especially here in Oklahoma, but we are confident that it’s one that can be won.
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williamcombs 2 years, 7 months ago
I find it interesting when people who are skeptical of man-made climate change are disregarded immediately when they voice their opinion. The truth is that while global temperatures have risen over the last few years there has been no definitive evidence that this is man-made. Instead, it could be the likely result of natural shifts in global climate that have occurred over and over again over time. In fact, during the 1970s, many scientists were alarmed at "global cooling," as their research found that temperatures were dropping. Then they went up. Maybe at some point they will drop again. But of course it's all our fault, as it's easy to point the finger at carbon-emitting industries and selfish gas-guzzling trucks driven by rednecks. I for one am not buying into the hype until we get some definitive proof. Until then, please allow us to continue to ask, "If global warming even does exist, is it man-made?"
TAG 2 years, 7 months ago
We can disregard the previous downer message and really start making change. OU is staring the Crimson & Green Commitment and for every student, faculty, and staff that signs onto this commitment at www.ou.edu/green OU will set aside $2 for recycling in the Spring 2010 semester. I encourage everyone to participate and use your 4x4 to sign in and make your commitment today. I also think it is wonderful to see the OU Daily really speak up and encourage more action. My recommendation is that the OU Daily set aside a potion of the front page where they use to say "please recycle this paper" and add the ou.edu/green so that students will see it on every addition until the end of the semester. I also don't understand why the OU Daily took away the "Recycling" logo and I hope it will return shortly. I hope the OU Daily can also do their part in supporting this issue and help with OU's efforts to get as many students, faculty, and staff signed up as possible. You can say we should do more, but you can do more as well.
Thanks
TheJeff 2 years, 7 months ago
The request to "stop asking questions" reveals that "global warming" is accepted on faith, poor logic, and is little different than the pseudo-science of creationism.
The Earth's climate is not static, so I guess not questioning "Climate change" in a literal sense is okay. Questioning global warming, especially in the middle of an 11 year cooling trend, is ok.
That is not to say we shouldn't do every reasonable thing we can to be as a clean and nonpolluting society as we can. However, ridiculous solutions like cap and trade that can wreck the economy for the possibility of reducing temperatures less than one fifth of a degree over 100 years, is not reasonable.
By all means, promote responsibility and innovation towards a cleaner society, but don't promote junk science like a faith.
briareus 2 years, 7 months ago
YES! We must stop all questioning, all criticism, all skepticism. Indeed, it is thought itself that is our enemy, especially critical and analytical thought. Better to just blindly believe.
Is it any wonder that environmentalists are widely regarded as bubbleheads?
mustafa 2 years, 7 months ago
"... it’s time that we stop asking the question, “Do climate change and global warming exist?”
Sorry but when the proposed solution is reducing ourselves volunteeraly to a second rate power and economic force, many people feel it needs to be for a confirmed reason. DUH. Left psycho-babble isn't enough for people who don't hate their own country
dio 2 years, 7 months ago
@williamcombs
Need proofs? Then please have a look at the avalanche of facts carefully studied in peer-reviewed scientific publications. For example you can take a look at:
http://www.springer.com/earth+sciences/geophysics/journal/382
http://www.ametsoc.org/pubs/journals/jam/
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/113388514/home
williamcombs 2 years, 7 months ago
@dio
I can do a google search too!
http://www.climatedepot.com/a/2117/PeerReviewed-Study-Rocks-Climate-Debate-Nature-not-man-responsible-for-recent-global-warminglittle-or-none-of-late-20th-century-warming-and-cooling-can-be-attributed-to-humans
http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.Blogs&ContentRecord_id=10fe77b0-802a-23ad-4df1-fc38ed4f85e3
I'm not saying that global warming exists or doesn't exist, or that it is man made or not. What I'm saying is that there are scientists out there who disagree and until there's good proof that the scientific community can agree on, I'm going to continue to be skeptical and ask questions. I don't believe everything I hear, especially from people like Al Gore, who stands to profit greatly from convincing people that global warming is man's fault. And jumping to act could really hurt our economic structure, especially the Cap and Trade legislation passed by the House earlier this year.
Stop telling us to stop asking questions. I won't do it.
dio 2 years, 7 months ago
@williamcombs
That is all you have? A BLOG and the political rant of Sen. Inhofe!? Are you kidding me? On one side you have top international peer-reviewed scientific journals in meteorology, and on the other side... a blog? Is it a joke?
And what is that on the Inhofe page? 700 scientists? What medical doctors, astrophysicists, petroleum engineers and (I am not making this up, this is in the list) NBC anchors know about climate change!? Do you know how many PhDs in meteorology there are on this planet? Do you know how much of them are actually saying climate change is bogus?
This is not even remotely serious.
On the other side, if you actually read the link that you posted, you will quickly see that, among the meteorologists that are cited, none of them is denying the existence of a climate change. They just pretend, without giving any evidence, that it is not man-made.