A Climate Change Skeptic and Environmentalist’s Guide

I am a Climate Change skeptic when it comes to human activities being the primary cause. However, I am also an environmental conscious individual. I have always believed in conservation of our resources and protecting our water and air for our posterity. I just don’t buy into the claim that CO2 is a pollutant and must be controlled. I decided to write this guide for people like myself as a model to the way forward.

- Jan. 2019

I have an issue with combining environmentalism with the climate change problem. To many climate change proponents, they believe it to be one and the same. They also think it would be an easier sell to the general public. Who could be against not saving the environment?

The truth is, these are two separate distinct issues. One can be for a clean environment and yet be a skeptic when it comes to the theory of human caused global warming.

Here are a few guidelines that I have adopted to follow.

1. Don’t be wasteful. This applies to all forms of resources like paper and plastic and various items we dispose of. For sanitary reasons and convenience, we have evolved into a throw away society. This is not a good way to manage our precious natural resources.

2. By all means, recycle products such as paper, plastic, glass and electronics where they make economic sense. Don’t try to recycle everything because somethings are just not effective.

3. Live modestly...in terms of housing and transportation and pleasure. That is to say, we don’t need to live in a 20,000 sq ft. house or mansion like some celebrities or drive a Hummer gas guzzler, or fly in a private jet when commercial airlines is readily available.

4. Try and be efficient in our energy usage. Common sense ideas like switching to LED lighting. Driving a hybrid vehicle when it is cost effective or an electric vehicle for daily commute. Insulate our homes and replacing appliances with high energy efficiency ratings.

5. Try to be educated on the science of climate change and any new developments.

6. Push our government for the development of a universal climate model. Current models are incomplete and is not a good predictor of future climate.

7. Look for adaptation and mitigation techniques of a long term nature. Remember that climate changes are measured on the order of multiple decades and not just a few years.

8. Push our government to adopt a neutral position with regard to green renewable energy sources. Each new energy source whether solar or wind or geothermal must be tested in the market place and proven to be competitive in price and usability. It is not the job of a government to pick winners and losers by providing tax credits to support one over another. If a new energy source is competitive, it will be adopted by the users and no government mandate or incentive is needed.

These are common sense approach to dealing with long term climate changes. If the science ever matured to the point where we can make accurate projections well into the future, then we can discuss as a global community a proper response. The same way we have dealt with the ozone hole, we can adopt a policy to address global warming due to the greenhouse effect. Our technology is improving day by day. Perhaps we will have developed a new method to counter the effects of CO2 emissions.