Stay cool over global warming

The consensus view of the mass media today seems to be that if we don't cut our energy use now and reduce CO2 emissions, global disaster could be no more than a couple of decades off. I'm sorry but I don't believe it. And neither does former British Chancellor Nigel Lawson, whose book "An Appeal to Reason: A Cool Look at Global Warming" has recently been published. In it, he expresses skepticism at many of the claims made by global warming believers, and argues that the proposed solutions are absurd or inadequate.

Lawson has predictably come in for a lot of abuse from global warming believers, not least because - as he freely admits - he is not a scientist. But surely there are few people these days who believe that science is always right? Whether advising on what foods are good or bad for you, explaining the evolution of the universe or simply predicting the weather, science changes its mind more often than the slimiest politician. Recent studies have shown that temperatures have levelled off in the last few years, something that was not predicted by any of the climate models.

Lawson has been criticized by some reviewers for arguing his case like a lawyer. Even if the warming theories are right, he suggests, the solutions that are being proposed are politically unattainable and their effects on the quality of human life would be worse than those of the events they are supposed to prevent. And that, in my opinion, is the most important message in this book, and one that should be shouted from the rooftops.

Even if our human activities are wholly to blame for the recent warming trend, there is nothing that we can do about it. Driving more efficient cars, using energy efficient lamps and insulating our houses better will not make much of a difference. The predictions of doom and gloom have simply provided a great marketing opportunity for companies to sell us "green" products, and created new industries of carbon trading and carbon offsetting.

Enterprising individuals have purchased plots of land and will, for a fee, plant trees so that affluent consumers can carry on driving, flying and consuming without feeling bad about it. That's what the whole "green" business seems to be about: letting us carry on doing what we like doing while at the same time thinking that we're helping to save the planet. So many people have vested interests in promoting the view that climate change is all our fault it's hardly surprising that those brave enough to argue an opposing view are treated as heretics.

If we are really to blame for what has happened, then reducing CO2 emissions to a level that will not cause any more warming would involve the western world returning to near pre-industrialization levels, as well as requiring countries like India and China to revert to their third world status. Nobody is going to vote for that. It is just is not going to happen. Therefore - if the theorists are indeed right - global warming is inevitable.

It would make much more sense if we all accepted this point, and started to put more effort into planning how we deal with it. The effects of global warming will not be catastrophic. The world has been warmer in the past, as records show, and we're still here, aren't we? And quite frankly, up here in Northern England we could do with some warmer weather.

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