Letter To Dr. Soon

Following is a very interesting letter to Dr. Soon we believe is worthy of sharing with you.
The author was gracious to allow our posting. Editor GNL

I'd be glad to have it included in the web site.
Please let me know what (if anything) else you need from me to make this happen.
Regards,
Dennis Busse

You don't know me, but you are one of my heroes. I met you at the NYC climate change conference in March. Your paper, Environmental Effects of Increased Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide was the central document I used in preparing my global warming presentation to the San Diego World Affairs Council in February.

I thought you may be interested in an event I attended Friday May 16 at the San Diego Zoo. The title was SAN DIEGO ZOO FOCUSES ON CLIMATE CHANGE FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY. You may be particularly interested in the Q&A part which I'll address at the conclusion of this note.

Here is the schedule of speakers:

10 a.m. Introduction, Joan Embery, Conservation Ambassador, Zoological Society of San Diego

10:30 a.m. Climate Change and Birds, Alicia Frances King, American Bird Conservancy Director, Bird Conservation Alliance

11:15 a.m. Polar Bears and Arctic Ice, George Durner, Senior Polar Bear Researcher, U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center

12:15 p.m. Polar Bear Foraging Strategies, JoAnne Simerson, Senior Animal Keeper, Polar Bear Researcher, San Diego Zoo

1 p.m. Living on Fast Food: Can Big, Hungry Carnivores Survive in a Rapidly Changing World? Terrie Williams, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz

2 p.m. Conservation of Threatened Reptiles in the Face of Global Warming, Nicola Nelson, Ph.D., Program Manager, Conservation Biology School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington

3 p.m. Climate Change and Coral Reefs, Stuart Sandin, Ph.D., Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Here is a summary of speaker topics:

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/invite/soes_topics.html

Here is their press release following the event:

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/CF/pressreleases/releasedetail.cfm?id=591

Allison Alberts, Ph.D., representing the zoo, kicked off the event by presenting their recently executive board unanimously endorsed Position Statement on Climate Change- which states in part: The Zoological Society of San Diego recognizes the substantial and persuasive data on global climate change and its ramifications for endangered wildlife and habitats, and we commit our cooperation and resources to endorsing local, national, and international agreements to curb production of greenhouse gases.

It was apparent that all the speakers have accepted as fact the theory of manmade global warming as well as its predicted dire consequences. Further, they all urged actions to attempt to change the world's temperature. My impression is that the entire audience of about 200 concurred. There was one exception, me.

Here is a summary of my questions and the speakers answers:

Q#1 was to Alicia Frances King, American Bird Conservancy Director, Bird Conservation Alliance. Ms. King focused much of her presentation on the starvation of birds and anticipated extinction resulting from habitat destruction directly attributable to manmade global warming.

I asked Ms. King about the positive impact of increased C02 in vegetation and the resulting benefit to birds. The research demonstrates that as atmospheric CO2 increases plant growth rate increases. Also, leaves transpire less and lose less water as CO2 increases, so that plants are able to grow under drier conditions. Animal life, which depends upon plant life for food, increases proportionally. An example is in the study: Environmental Effects of Increased Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide by ARTHUR B. ROBINSON, NOAH E. ROBINSON, AND WILLIE SOON, http://www.oism.org/pproject/GWReview_OISM150.pdf.

A#1. Ms. King said she had never heard of this, but said she would look into it.

Q#2 was to George Durner, Senior Polar Bear Researcher, U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center. Mr. Durner explained how the earth has experienced unprecedented heating during the past 50 years and that this was a result of CO2 in the atmosphere from man's use of fossil fuels. He went on to describe how polar bears may become extinct due to mankind's abuse of the environment.
I asked Mr. Durner what has happened to the worldwide population of polar bears during the 50 year period leading up to his calamitous warning of the demise of polar bears.

A#2 Mr. Durner informed that the polar bear population had doubled during the last 50 years.

Q#3 was to JoAnne Simerson, Senior Animal Keeper, Polar Bear Researcher, San Diego Zoo. Ms. Simerson showed graphics and a video of the Arctic ice melting. Her twofold message was:

1. Manmade global warming is melting the ice and destroying the polar bear habitat.

2. If we don't heed the urgent call to change the world temperature, polar bears may become extinct.

I asked Ms. Simerson if there were any theories other than manmade global warming that may help us understand what is happening to the Arctic ice.

A#3 Ms. Simerson said she was not a climatologist and only intended to show us the polar bear pictures she had taken.

Q#4 was to Terrie Williams, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Dr. Williams discussed the disastrous effects manmade global warming is having on mammals. An example is African lions that have been observed to be more lethargic because it is necessary for them to roam further in hunting as their habitat is being wiped out because of manÂ?s use of fossil fuels and the resulting CO2, etc. Many other mammals are impacted negatively as well. Dr. Williams concluded her presentation with pictures and sad story of a seal she saw in Antarctica. She explained that the seal became disconnected from its normal habitat when large blocks of ice unnaturally (because manmade global warming caused it to happen) broke off and prevented the seal from getting to its food source. The presentation concluded with a later picture of the seal, now frozen and dead.

I asked Dr. Williams was it true that the earth had warmed about one degree Fahrenheit during the last 100 years. She agreed.

I then asked if I understood correctly the essence of her presentation. Are we to understand that all the problems to mammals she had described are directly attributable to that portion of the one degree Fahrenheit over the last 100 years that is the manmade part? In other words, it is some fraction of one degree Fahrenheit over 100 years?

A#4 Dr. Williams answered yes.

Q#'s 5 and 6 were to Stuart Sandin, Ph.D., Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Dr. Sandin described how coral reefs worldwide are being destroyed by manmade global warming. Coral, he explained, is very sensitive to water temperature, and the ocean temperature increase caused my man through the use of fossil fuels is tipping the balance with devastating consequences. Further damage is caused by increased acidity also attributable to the man induced higher levels of CO2. Complicating coral welfare further is the prospect of more frequent and intense hurricanes also resulting from the same culprit of humanities use of fossil fuels.

Q#5 to Dr. Sandlin was what are we to make of the recent discoveries of measurements that the ocean temperature is decreasing?

A#5 Dr. Sandlin acknowledged that this new information is valid, but informed that nevertheless the overall ocean temperature is still increasing.

Q#6 to Dr. Sandlin was what are we to make of the recent studies that conclude that the increased manmade CO2 has a positive effect on the oceans through enhanced growth of algae which contributes to the welfare of the entire ocean ecosystem?

A#6 Dr. Sandlin informed it's true that the algae is better off because of the increased level of CO2. The ocean however is, he explained, worse off because:

1. The algae is blocking the sun from reaching lower levels thereby creating new manmade problems and

2. The manmade induced algae are confusing the creatures of the ocean and may distract them from their natural habitats, feeding patterns etc.

At the conclusion of the conference I felt like I was swimming upstream in a river of nonsense.

I of course would be pleased to hear thoughts you have on my experience at the San Diego zoo.

Regards,

Dennis Bussey

Good Neighbor Committee
P.O. Box 155 - La Salle, CO  80645
info@goodneighborlaw.com

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