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Show DAILY A6 Wednesday, December 19, 2007 HERALD Editorials EDITORIAL BOARD Craig Dennis, President & Publisher Randy Wright, Executive Editor Jim Tynen, Editorial Page Editor IN OUR VIEW Bali feeds r il climate frenzy 1 he U.N. global cli-- 1 mate conference in Bali showed that global warming alarmists are hysterical literally. For 12 days, most of the nations of the world pressured the United States to give in and support action against alleged human-cause- d climate change. This included de- mands that greenhouse gases be reduced up to 40 percent by 2020, The impossibility of that didn't stop the hysteria. Yvo de Boer, the Dutch diplomat in charge of the talks, broke into tears at the podium and had to be escorted out. That was par for the course. Some delegates jeered, booed or made catcalls as U.S. delegates insisted that developing nations must join in the drive to reduce greenhouse gases. Eventually the American delegation, like weary parents giving in to a tantrum, agreed to the Bali "road map" two years of talks on global warming. We should have held out. As the conference showed, the whole field is dominated not by reason but by emotion. Even as the U.N. met, a news service reported on the facts: some scientists still doubt human activity is a significant source of climate changes. "The observed pattern of warrning, comparing surface and atmospheric temperature trends, doesn't show the characteristic fingerprint associated with greenhouse warming," wrote David Douglas, a climate expert fr.om the University of Rochester, in New York, lead author for an ar-- : tide in The International Journal of Climatology. "The inescapable conclusion is that human contribution is not significant and that observed increases in carbon diox ide and other greenhouse gases make only a negligible contribution to climate warming." The planet is likely growing as it does every few warmer centuries. Climate expert S. Fred Singer is among those who pay attention not to apocalyptic narios of future doom but to data about the past. The facts, from the natural world and human history, show that the Earth grows warmer and colder in cycles of roughly 1,500 years for the last million years or so, long before the first SUV prowled American highways. Warming may not be, on balance, a bad thing. Admittedly, a hotter Utah might be uncomfortable, but that would be a selfish Mew, Warmer weather would be a boon for most of the world. It would also be easier and cheaper to combat the ill effects of a changing climate if and when they appear, rather than trying to change global weather patterns. Even if one accepts the tendentious proposition that humans are wreaking havoc on world climate, progress is being made. The Department of Energy reports greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. declined 1.5 percent in 2006, the first time that's happened in a year when the economy grew. Market forces and technological advances already do more than the U.N. to reduce excessive en, ergy use.:. .. Alarmists' refusal to face reality about the global climate is mirrored in their refusal to face political facts. Cutting fossil fuel enough to cut greenhouse gases by 40 percent in a decade or so would wreck the economy of any nation that tried it, so no government will actually do so. Such political facts have long d been as obvious as the earth's cycle. President Bush takes abuse for supposedly sabotaging the Kyoto Protocol, but the U.S. Senate voted 95-- to oppose that treaty, and it was weaker than the Bali road map. Under the Bali agreement, nations of the world are supposed to talk, talk, talk, then agree on specific targets for reducing emissions. That's supposed to happen by 2009, by which time George W. Bush will be out of office. It's easy to envision him, down on his Texas ranch, chuckling as politicians who lambasted him for "blocking" the Kyoto agreement are faced with actually slashing American energy use. They may p and dance around, but in the end they won't destroy their careers. The Bali road map leads nowhere. No one opposes cleaner air or the wise use of energy. Using less fuel would lessen our dependency on other nations. Nuclear power doesn't add any carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Other technologies such as solar power or hydrogen fuel cells may be able to help significantly. With attention to the realities, the human race could clean the skies, conserve fossil fuels, and ride out any adverse affects of a warmer climate until the next cooling cycle comes, as it inevitably will. What is more likely, however, is that there will be more posturing and blustering, more whining and complaining, more shrieking hysteria, more tears from frantic little men, without anything being done. The legacy of the Bali con- f erCnee. won't be an end to global warming, or even a cleaner environment, but the continuation of an irrational useless frenzy. Everybody long time. Still, it's a shock to learn how much in the red. The blandly titled "Financial Report of the United States Government" says that the gap between what the government promised under Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other social insurance programs and the money on hand to pay for it is $45 trillion over the next 75 years. That's 't' for trillion as in the entire annual gross domestic product of the United States for this year being around $14 trillion. Throw in a few other commitments the government has to make good on and the shortfall is $53 trillion. And the gap is growing rapidly, in just four up over two-thiryears. Accompanying these figures were indications that we really LETTERS 0 flip-flo- Drowning in red ink knows Uncle Sam in the red and has started wearin' this when I realized how much money there is in ethanol." hot-col- MEDIA VOICES From Scripps Howard News Service, Monday, Dec. 17, 2007: "I may not know how much red ink is going out the door. Some years back Congress required the government to calculate the deficit the way the private sector does by booking expenses when they are incurred rather than by the cash accounting method when they are paid. By the accrual method, the deficit for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 was $275.5 billion instead of the relatively rosier $162.8 billion reported under the cash method. The report is put out by the Treasury Department and the White House Office of Management and Budget, but the government's other financial watchdog, Congress' Government Accountability Office, refused to sign off on some of the numbers, like the Pentagon's, only our most costly Cabinet department, because the records were such a mess. Said GAO chief David Walker, "our government has made a whole lot of promises in the long term that it cannot possibly keep." Tell us about it. Opposed to the causeway Local and state government representatives are making plans to develop a causeway cutting across Utah Lake. This proposed development is being touted as the solution to Utah County's burgeoning population as well as an d environmental solution to the Utah Lake ecosystem. In fact, this "solution" for growth will only facilitate more growth by helping developers. It is no surprise then that Dave Gardner, a developer who owns over 3,000 acres on the west side of the lake, is one of the causeway's biggest advocates. The proposed causeway is diametrically opposite to rehabilitating Utah Lake one of the largest freshwater bodies west of the Mississippi. The causeway would not only destroy the natural and complex ecosystem of Utah Lake, but it would also fundamentally change the character of Utah long-abuse- 10 percent goes toward conservation programs whose largest proponents are hunters and conservationists, not farmers. Second, you mentioned that ' governmental representatives: Kentobacco subsidies totaled $530 million over the decade. Why didn't you menneth Sumsion (ksumsionutah.gov); Steve Clark (sclarkutah.gov); Cindy tion that tobacco subsidies ended in 2004? Third, while your article claimed Richards (cindylourichardsaol.com); and Chris Cannon (cannon.ut03mail. that "subsidies raise food prices," you house.gov). may be interested in knowing that I Andy Wakefield, United States consumers spend less of Orem their disposable income on food to put on their table than people anywhere else in the world. Finally, your article Real educational choice claims that new disaster program funds will likely "be paid out no matter There has been an ironic combinahow good or bad the weather is." It's tion of education articles in the paper disappointing a few minutes weren't recently. On the one hand you've got legislaspent to research the issue. Any bit of research would have shown that only tors talking about increasing education funding with caveats that it's farmers with substantial losses would ever qualify for any assistance. spent where they want (teacher salaClark Willis, ries, new instructional software) while the education office wants the money Logan to come unrestricted so they can spend it how they want. Keep up the good work But at the same time we see articles A quick scan of Utah unemployment about how difficult those same educarate data for the last 30 years shows tors make it for parents who want that our current unemployment rate of to send their children to a different school. Schools want to control how to 2.5 percent is comparatively very low spend money, and then want to control and something we should be proud of where children go to school all for the (as there are consistently higher numbers of Utahns involved in the labor convenience of the system. How about we have true school market, by percentage of population, choice? Let's give schools the freedom than most anywhere else in the rest of to choose how to use their own money, the country: working more jobs, with and then let parents choose the school longer hours). However, despite the that spends its money to build the best very low unemployment rate, Utah also has a problem with low wages, program for their child. t Lincoln Fillmore, which this translates into a greater . Sandy number of working poor. Wages are generally low in the due to many factors, such as state, Defending the farm bill cost of living and various labor market After reading the editorial "In Our characteristics, and though I do not exView, Time to End Farm Subsidies," I pect Utah employers to increase wages out of the goodness of their hearts, felt a need to clarify information that there is hope. With such a low level of demonstrated shoddy research and lack of effort to write an accurate ediunemployment, there is a correspondtorial on the farm bilL ing small available unemployed labor First, you should know the majority pool searching for work. And anyone of farm bill funds never go to farmwho has taken basic economics will ers. In fact, 66 percent of the farm bill know this means firms are increasingly competing for a shrinking number funding is for USDA nutrition proof available workers, and with a short grams such as Food Stamps. Another Valley. If you are opposed to a causeway cutting through Utah Lake, please express so by contacting the following D00NESBURY Garry Trudeau 9R,1H7R3LOe fitmoiM me OFGOO. mt. -I- STHATFONB THH6IS60PSUU, AHV JH5FE ARE- A U7T 0FTHING5THAT HAPPEN THAT CISC THAT HAPPENS ftHltUILLTOO. yOU toaiPffflHINK HBV WANT MALLARD FILLMORE YEAH, I Jonathan Westover, Lehi Praise for Provo High School I write as a Grandmother who attended the Provo High School production "Fiddler on the Roof." I wondered how in the world they could tackle a Broadway play and pull it off. My own "towns-peopl- e grandchildren" l told of the weeks of practices for the entire cast, orchestra, crew and technicians with minimal after-schoo- complaint and "lots of fun." I surely commend the teachers who taught their students through the whole adventure and pulled it off with class and dignity. Thank you Bob Bauer, Cory Mendenhall and every person whose name was on the playbill: who shared their expertise in training responsive, excellent high school students. "Do I love you?" I do indeed! A tasty offering for audiences. Val Wilcox, Provo How to comment letters to dhlettersheraldextra.com 5 Fax to 344-298- Mail to P.O. Box 717, Provo, UT 84603. Letters must include the author's full name, address and daytime phone number. We prefer shorter letters, to 200 words. Letters may be edited for length. Writers are encouraged to include their occupation and other personal information. I Because of the volume of letters, we cannot acknowledge unpublished letters. I Letters become the property of the Daily Herald. 100 Bruce Tinsley LIKE ANPlM1H mi.THAT tuouurve CAUGHT UHU..W. KATKINA! TO TAKE C&PrTFOR. age in the supply of workers, wages will likely go up. mm:: HEU.I D0DDDD e?co 7 to t?y ftzWfe |