Take a deep breath
I’m responding to mayors and academic leaders that support the belief that climate change is man-made. Skeptics accept the narrative that climate change is real. The issue is what’s causing it?
Earth’s history is filled with ice ages interspersed with periods of warming. We’re living in one of those periods. Earth’s temperature and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) levels have been much higher and lower than today, long before man or industrialization.
Since the Little Ice Age ended (approximately 1800 A.D.), global temperatures and CO2 levels have both risen. Alarmists contend there is a correlation between the two. Before 1800 A.D., however, there was no discernible evidence of correlation. Data indicates that CO2 has gone up while temperatures have gone down and vice-versa.
The Earth’s climate is strongly affected by greenhouse warming. Roughly 95 percent of the Greenhouse Effect is due to water vapor and clouds. CO2 is a big player, but is essential for all life on Earth. In fact, scientists argue that a CO2 increase would be beneficial to plant life and agriculture. Doubling CO2’s concentration, however, would have only a small effect on Earth’s temperature. What then explains global warming? The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (United Nation’s climate committee) promotes the theory that CO2’s effect is magnified (positive feedback) by water’s interaction.
Apparently, political and financial pressures have driven the IPCC to practically ignore explanations of global warming other than human activity. Dr. Fred Seitz, a previous president of the National Academy of Sciences, stated he had never seen "a more disturbing corruption" of the scientific process than the IPCC. Many scientists such as Nobel Prize winner Ivar Giaever have also challenged the IPCC. In 2009, IPCC scientists were caught in a major scandal (Climategate) falsifying data to support their position. With the credibility of computer models in question, the IPCC failed to predict the unexpected slowdown of warming experienced between 1998-2013.
In February, according to a whistle-blower with an impeccable reputation, before the Paris Climate Accord, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) manipulated data to cover up the warming slowdown. After the charge, roughly 300 scientists petitioned President Trump to withdraw from the UN’s Climate Convention and the Paris Accord, including renown physicists Fred Singer, Freeman Dyson, and William Happer. Inspired by atmospheric physicist Richard Lindzen, the group warned that efforts to curtail CO2 threaten to exacerbate world poverty without improving the environment.
How important is the so-called “Scientific Consensus?” In climate research, it’s almost meaningless. Terms like “vast majority” and “extremely likely” are not scientific terms, but involve judgement and opinion. The climate system is so complex that many scientists simply follow so-called “experts.” Unfortunately, experts can be subjected to political and financial pressure. “Climategate” is a good example. Before ideological politics was driven by billions of dollars, alternative theories proposed by skeptics were evaluated without resistance by the scientific community.
A number of scientists believe that natural causes that affect the amount of sunlight absorbed by the earth are mainly responsible for the planet’s warming. For example, a tiny variation in atmospheric and oceanic flow patterns can have significant effects on water vapor and cloud cover. Nevertheless, despite all the noise from both sides, the issue remains unresolved; neither side has been able to fully put the issue to rest.
Beyond concern for the climate, what else could be driving this issue? It’s a perfect means for progressives to increase the power of the federal government. Academia has received billions of dollars for research, and businesses have received huge subsidies for green technology development. The UN and IPCC hope to redistribute wealth from the industrial nations to the developing world, and globalists see it as a way to destroy capitalism.
Current economic activity depends overwhelmingly on fossil fuels including oil, coal, and natural gas. Renewable sources provide less than 10 percent of global energy. Low-cost electricity is absolutely crucial for our civilization and standard of living. Everyone should take a deep breath. We shouldn’t waste resources or damage our economy on questionable science. Skeptics concede that some warming is due to CO2, but believe its abatement constitutes needless economic damage with enormous costs. Some scientists simply admit that the cause of global warming is unknown.
Bill Bissette
Charleston
Monitoring and managing
Mount Pleasant Waterworks (MPW) has received a good bit of media attention recently as a result of concerns about a possible link between cancers in our community and exposure to environmental contaminants.
As an elected commissioner who is also a scientist, I understand the importance of testing our water using the best and most accurate methods possible, as well as using certified laboratories for testing (which means that the quality control and accuracy is as high as possible). In addition to using the best and most sensitive methods for water quality testing, it is important to correctly interpret the results, assess their significance, and determine whether additional testing is warranted or if other actions should be taken. All drinking water utilities are required to test their water regularly for a wide range of substances and report the results at least annually, and many, including Mount Pleasant Waterworks, go above and beyond what is required.
Monitoring and managing our drinking water sources — both surface water and groundwater — is a critical component of the MPW mission. New methodologies for testing water quality will continue to be developed and refined, and the need for appropriate and accurate testing will continue to increase. Regional growth will place more demands on our water supplies, and we will continue to engage with those agencies responsible for planning so that our resources are protected.
Our staff has the expertise and the resources, as well as the strong support of MPW commissioners, to ensure that our community receives the best possible drinking water. Most customers who have concerns recognize that the MPW staff is here to answer questions and provide assistance, and that they have a genuine interest in providing excellent customer service.
What I get to see on a regular basis is the passion and pride of our employees - they are the embodiment of our mission to provide exceptional water and wastewater services, and they do it exceptionally well. There is also a strong culture of continual improvement, and as a result MPW is recognized as one of the top utilities in the nation.
It has been difficult to hear that some of our employees have recently been spoken to or about in ways that are completely uncalled for. But, true to form, MPW staff recognizes that this situation provides an opportunity to do more, such as additional research partnerships and new ways of communications that are most helpful to customers. Their professionalism and dedication are deserving of our continued support and heartfelt appreciation.
Diane D. Lauritsen, Ph.D.
Commissioner, Mount Pleasant Waterworks
Health Care
Message for our congressional representatives – fix health care for all citizens not just a few.
When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was first proposed I was adamantly against it – I didn’t believe governments should be involved with how we took care of our health and that it was a privilege not a right.
Over time, dealing with my own health issues plus watching family and friends deal with health care, I came to the realization that I was wrong.
Health care should be viewed as a right not a privilege for the lucky or wealthy.
In fact, I now support going to a single payer system – in part due to a very old saying – “In for a penny in for a pound.”
As is well known governments are and have been in the health care business for a long time – Veterans Affairs (VA), Medicaid, Medicare and Plan D are of course the biggies.
Since money is always an issue I suggest going after the money-large employers, which would save from dropping employee insurance. That has to be in the billions and is already worked into the company's bottom line. It should also be easy to identify because it's a tax deduction and therefore must be a line item in their financial reports. This could probably just be taken as a percentage leaving them with some extra funds that maybe they would give to their employees as a pay increase (probably not but one can dream).
My vision includes co-mingling the VA system with the rest of the medical industry. Veterans can pick their doctors and VA hospitals would be open to the public. After all everyone has the same coverage now, including members of congress.
Another obvious huge issue is what hospitals and doctors charge. Based on my personal experience it is obvious that what could best be called the hospital and doctor’s manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) is grossly over inflated judging by what I’ve seen being paid. In some cases by as much a more than 50 percent under the ‘list’ price. Adding to the proof of over inflated MSRPs is what friends without insurance pay in cash. The point being that under a single-payer system more realistic rates can be set for medical services that benefit patients, doctors and hospitals. Rates need to encourage folks to become doctors and for hospitals to remain in business, thus avoiding the reported issues of places like Canada and Great Britain.
Then what to do about the pharmaceutical industry – we need good drugs. There must be some form of corporate tax fix that would encourage research and development while allowing the lowering of drug prices. Should be something our congress can sort out.
If this ends up short of funds then heaven forbid raise taxes – most folks will come out ahead by having their medical expenses covered versus the tax paid.
Now the hard part – this will require a lot of Republicans to actually accept that health care is a right, and that all tax increases are not evil. From there it only gets harder – Republicans will have to work with Democrats to fix health care.
But doing the hard stuff is why you were elected to represent all the citizens of your district. If it was easy then I would be in Washington.
Russell Read
Mount Pleasant
Adequate infrastructure
Committees, politicians and all of the other people who are involved in Mount Pleasant's future should realize that there is no room for any development until there is adequate infrastructure.
Delaying development is not about protecting birds and bees and flowers and trees, but it is about respecting the people who have moved here with the expectations of a certain quality of life.
These expectations and promises have with no exceptions turned into disappointments.
The current politicians either do not care or do not understand this.
No one should be appointed to the committee who do not understand this and aren't ready to act. All the politicians should be replaced. Their comments about other council members being responsible is baloney.
Jim Rowe
Mount Pleasant
Island concerns
Thank you, Jimmy Carroll, Sandy Ferencz, and Jimmy Ward for responding to my recent letter. You seem to be the only members of the Isle of Palms City Council, along with current Mayor, who care how our taxes are spent and what we get in return. I wrote concerning a local business placing their chairs in the dunes overnight. They seem to have stopped for the present but I feel this has been and will continue to be a problem until the City Manager acts. The other concern was the emptying of beach trash and recycle barrels and their placement. Nobody seems to care where barrels are placed, frequency of pick-up, or whether both types of barrels are emptied together (do we not want to recycle). Our past solution was to give the company a raise because of poor service.
The way our monies are spent should be our concern: from whose pockets are dollars pulled to allow unlawful or indifferent service?
John McMaster
Isle of Palms
Clean water
Diane Lauritzen, one of the Mount Pleasant Waterworks (MPW) commissioners, wrote an excellent article spelling out all the procedures and tests that ensure that the water from our faucets exceeds known standards for quality. Residents, who quickly make themselves water quality experts and pollutant experts based on simpleton home kits and rumor-incited false conclusions buoyed by national press always looking for headlines with personality input, seem to be the norm in almost anything that goes on in this country these days and that now includes this “self-imposed” water crisis in Mount Pleasant. It is a shame that anyone, including children have to deal with cancer and a shortened life—I know that better than most of you but that is another story—but it is also a shame that events occurred throughout this whole story that seemed to evoke a form of hysteria. Thankfully for the calm and learned responses from the MPW management and staff, they've provided the kind of definitive and knowledgeable information that changed this from a health-crisis to an incontrovertible lesson in water quality and management. As Commissioner Lauritzen said, “the MPW staff is there to answer questions and provide assistance”—which is what should have happened before this became a public crisis.
Seymour Rosenthal
Mount Pleasant
