Letter To The Editor

Mitchell Huber, History

On behalf of the Environmental Awareness Group:

In last week’s paper, Alan Moore tried to convince us that anthropogenic climate change is “laughable.” As a group dedicated to fighting global warming on campus, we’d like to correct a few of Mr. Moore’s claims, and tell you why this issue is no laughing matter. The first and most glaring error he makes is that the “Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states that the rising sea levels may in fact be cyclical and there is no evidence that man contributes to these.” In reality, the IPCC’s most recent report found there was over a 90 percent likelihood that global warming is in fact human-caused.

His next claim is that new glaciers are forming, offsetting the hundreds that are melting so rapidly. He is not alone – many people, Alaskans, this summer claimed that local glaciers were expanding because they were advancing further than before. However, as Chris Larsen of the University of Alaska’s Geophysical Institute explains, “Terminus advance, in this case, is not a sign of a healthy glacier. Quite the opposite.” In fact, it is glacial melt that causes these glaciers to drop in elevation and thus advance further into the sea, causing the misconception among locals that the glaciers are expanding. Moore’s claim about new glaciers, in short, is supported by anecdotal, not scientific, evidence.

And if all the ice in Greenland melted, sea levels would rise by 20 feet. Moore may not consider that a “radical shift,” but radical changes have already occurred. In 2006, Lohachara Island was completely swallowed by the rising Indian Ocean; about 10,000 people had to evacuate.

By the way, I’m not sure how John Coleman is an expert on climate. He founded The Weather Channel, but his degree is in journalism, so I’d take his words with a grain of salt.

Lastly, Moore says that we’re “alarmists.” But I happen to think that we’re the only ones who can save the world, especially if more people like Mr. Moore say that it doesn’t need saving.

But anyone can do it, and we’d love for you to join us.