Pen Meets Paper June 29, 2009

Opinion by Helge Nome
By now, a lot of people are asking questions about the idea of “global warming”. Even the bulk of those who profess to be spokespersons for “Science” seem to be less vocal on that subject at present. “Climate change” is still a generally accepted term because it doesn't specify whether we are about to get fried, or freeze to death.
There are many confusing reports out there: People who have been traveling in the arctic regions of Canada for many years report on melting ice sheets and satellite images appear to confirm those observations.
Here in West-Central Alberta personal observations indicate, if anything, a cooling trend. I have a root cellar that has been in continuous use since 1992 and the potatoes, carrots and beets stored there respond to the longer term temperature variations in the soil. In the past it was common to see 6 inch new shoots on the potatoes in mid summer. At the present time there are hardly any shoots at all.

I have come across reports on the Internet of unusually low levels of sunspot activity so far this year and the NASA website confirms this with photos of the Sun's surface shown there. The Sun apparently is just as temperamental as most other creatures in the Universe and goes through periods of depression and elation along with the rest of us. The difference between us and the Sun is that of slave and absolute Master: If the Sun takes a snooze or coughs, we either freeze or are fried. There are no arguments.
The idea that our greenhouse gases should determine the climate on the earth is to elevate ourselves to a level of importance that we do not deserve. It comes about as a result of ego inflation, a common human trait.
The Egyptians got it right: Ra, the Sun God, was their master.