I’d like to respond to State Sen. Verdell Jackson’s recent thoughts on climate change (July 4 Beacon: “We Do Not Control the Climate”).
1) Mr. Jackson asserts “there is no replicable (verify by reproduction) scientific evidence that human-caused carbon dioxide emissions cause climate change. It doesn’t exist.” I don’t know whether he’s lying on purpose, or whether he simply has no clue about the science, but Mr. Jackson is 100 percent wrong. As the experts at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences have stated, “Climate change is occurring, is very likely caused primarily by the emission of greenhouse gases from human activities, and poses significant risks for a range of human and natural systems.” If you’d like to learn more about climate change, a good place to start is NASA’s website: http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/.
2) Mr. Jackson also wrote “the earth has been cooling for the last 10 years, contrary to the alarmist’s models.” Once again, he is 100 percent wrong. The earth has not been cooling. According to NASA and NOAA, our most recent decade (2000-2009) was the warmest on record, while 2010 was the warmest year ever recorded. And for Mr. Jackson to claim that we are “cooling” after the U.S. has set more than 43,000 high temperature records in 2012, and as our fellow Americans fight deadly heat waves, drought and forest fires, is simply inexcusable.
3) Mr. Jackson likes to quote the Bible. Unfortunately, he forgot to share Revelation 11:18, which tells us: “And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.” You may find it strange that Mr. Jackson neglected to mention that God will “destroy them which destroy the earth.” I certainly do.
4) Mr. Jackson’s position is immoral and un-American. It’s shocking that a member of the Montana legislature would ignore explicit warnings from our National Academy of Sciences, turn his back on the teachings of the Bible, and do his best to prevent America from addressing the danger of climate change. Climate doves like Mr. Jackson are putting our country, along with our children and grandchildren, at risk. He should apologize for his letter.
Todd Tanner
Bigfork