At 73 years of age I have sailed the oceans since I was 14. This romance with the oceans of the world included 26 years of naval service. During that time, starting with the warnings of Mr. Al Gore, I have heard many of the same dire predictions you elucidate. To date I have experienced no evidence that they are true. I was born and raised in New Orleans and spent summers on the Gulf Coast in Bay St. Louis Miss. Last year I returned to my childhood haunts and found the tide levels, fishing, and conditions very close to my youth. How can this be with melting ice packs? Unlike many of your readers I have experienced many hurricanes personally. I and other sailors of my generation (my peer group review) see no indication of the hurricane ferocity you claim. We have seasons of severe storms like Katrina and seasons of lesser storms. The only consistent thing about them is after every category 4 and above storm an editorial appears claiming this is the harbinger of future killer storms. You site statistics of scientists to bolster your claims. I would caution you that once every scientist in the world except one published papers and gave lectures on how the sun revolved around the earth. The one voice saying no was subjected to the same ridicule that descends on anyone who questions your climate view. The same UN you refer to also received a letter signed by over 500 scientist questioning the report’s methods and conclusions. Regardless of who is right, the current level of human ability does not give the power to alter the climate. Regardless of computer wizardry, the concrete technology simply does not exist to allow engineering of forces so complex as the climate. Along with my experience of sea observance I note that the same computer models that predict your dire consequences in 12 ,20 or 50 years cannot predict the conditions of tropical storm Karen two days from the writing of this reply. I am sorry, but your editorial which follows the talking points of the crowd simply does not correlate with my experience. I will continue to sail upon the sea as long as my health allows with total joy and unhindered by your dire predictions.
Joseph Mauffray
Hi George,
I read your article about the oceans being in trouble and I don’t doubt it one bit. The earth’s populations have been dumping their crap in the oceans for way too long for there not to be an affect.
However, please consider that there may be a change in global climate temperatures coming soon. The global warming concern may be in the rearview mirror soon. Consider that both NASA and NOAA have significant data to indicate that we are heading into a global cooling cycle. This is through the Maunder Minimum Cycle that has been documented since 1755. The NASA and NOAA folks believe we are heading into a 120-year cooling cycle. The Maunder Minimum cycle is the result of solar activity and specifically sunspots. Two additional points, the United Nations is a big denier of solar activity affecting the earth’s atmosphere and if we do go into this cooling cycle, the results will be significantly worse than global warming, i.e. higher death rates, lower crop production, among other calamities. You can do your own research, there is a lot of information on this on the internet.
Keep up the good work!
Best regards, Mike Blumberg
