Editor
The problem in writing the ICO is prioritizing which errors to address. First, editorial misstatements. In “Our new climate” (ICO, May 27, 2011): “We face increasing climate dislocation, more powerful storms, melting ice caps, sea level rise, crop pattern changes and other effects.” Remarkably, we faced those same natural climate changes long before the industrial revolution. While there are no recent examples of climate dislocation, history is replete with such. The Little Ice Age (1350 AD) devastated once prosperous Viking settlements in Greenland and thriving vineyards in England. Crops failed in Northern Europe, causing widespread starvation, death, and dislocation.
Sea level rise now is only 8”/century (the average is 4’/century since the Ice Age), and fell three to six feet since 4,000 BC.
Storms were also more powerful during the Little Ice Age. In contrast, the number of strong to violent (F3-F5) tornadoes has dropped dramatically since the colder 1955-1975 period. Recently global accumulated cyclone energy has dropped steadily to levels not seen since 1979, with no increase in violent Atlantic hurricanes or their wind speed for 70 years.
During the recent burst of violent tornadoes, North America was surrounded by colder-than-normal sea temperatures. Experts agree that natural warming does not produce more tornadoes.
Second priority, misleading “facts.” A contributor wrote that our general health is “lower than in most industrialized countries.” However, the standardized mean life expectancy excluding fatal injuries shows we have the highest life expectancy of all industrialized nations. Further, during Clinton’s presidency a study showed very premature births were included in our statistics that weren’t in other industrialized countries, and that low-weight babies, particularly Black babies, was the most significant issue. The study concluded we have “high quality and widespread availability of neonatal intensive care technology.”
And the US has the highest five-year cancer survival rate.
Michael B. Combs
