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There is a great deal of debate and misinformation about climate change.
Temperatures are measured, perfectly accurately, around the globe and the mean temperature of the planet appears to be rising. That it is difficult to find a record of these temperatures, rather than graphs of comparisons with some reference period is interesting.

What is open to debate is the cause of climate change. There would seem to be three possibilities:
1) The mean temperature of the planet rises and falls in cycles. The current change could be one of the periods when the temperature is rising.
2) Human output of carbon dioxide could be causing a greenhouse effect, resulting in rising temperatures.
3) A combination of the above could be responsibile for the changes.

Comments:
1: The current rise appears to be greater and faster than might be expected for natural cycles, based on the evidence provided by ice cores and tree rings.
2: The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased and is increasing. It is reasonable to accept that this may have been caused by human activity and environmental abuse.
3: There is insufficient evidence to show conclusively that the increase in carbon dioxide, while comparable with the increase in temperature, is one of the causes (or the only cause) of increased temperature.

Conclusions:
Whatever the case, human activity in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, pollution in general, and the destruction of forests (trees being one of the largest natural consumers of carbon dioxide) has never been a sensible idea.

Suggestions:
Adapt – take every possible step to reduce power consumption in the home. Reduce emissions from cars (less travel, smaller engine, cleaner engine and fuel, as appropriate). Most importantly, reduce individual non-essential air travel by between fifty and one hundred percent. Plant trees, or fund the planting of trees. Write to your MP and require an immediate programme of building non-fossil fuelled, non-nuclear, sustainable-source power stations. Demand a 25% tax on aircraft fuels. All of these things are common sense, and most of them will save you a great deal of money.

Updated 02.09.2007