Folks With A "Solution" In Search Of A Problem

Tom has, on a couple of occasions, weighed in with his thoughts about the ongoing debate over Anthropocentric Global Warming (AGW). Some of you might be thinking "Hmmm. Jerry usually has something to say about everything, whether anyone's interested in hearing it or not. I wonder why he hasn't chimed in here."

The reason is simple. I honestly do not give a damn.

Now, I can hear the tsk-tsking: "Don't you care about what kind of planet you leave your children? Don't you care about your Christian duty to be a good steward of the earth? Aren't you concerned about the health of the environment?"

My answer to all these questions is "Yes". I just do not give a damn about Anthropocentric Global Warming.

Now, I do not count myself among the AGW "deniers", as I have neither the scientific background nor judgment to sift through the arguments of climatologists, researchers, and politicians in regards to what degree of a threat AGW is, if any. However, that the primary evidence cited in favor of Anthropocentric Global Warming (AGW) continues to be computer models raises this software engineer's eyebrow. You will struggle to find a group of people less likely to be swayed by computer models than software engineers. Computer models are just too easy to manipulate, and designing a completely thorough and completely reliable one is something that is rarely possible without some form of desired outcome in mind. Still, arguing about the reliability of this specific model or that specific model is something I will happily leave to others, as for even a nerd like me, incessant talk of algorithms and variables makes my head hurt.

However, while I can foresee no certainty coming from computer models, I can say with certainty that the proposed "remedy" for this supposed oncoming catastrophe looks awfully damn familiar: the same tax-heavy, government-involvement-and-spending-heavy, regulation-heavy, environmentally-puritanical, economically-crushing, and, yes, socialistic measures that were the proposed "cure" for the (supposedly) eminent "population bomb" and the coming "ice age" touted in the '70s. Adding to the sense of deja vu is that the proposing is largely being done by the same groups then as now. Neither the "ice age" or "population bomb" came remotely close to being realized, and now the same socialistic measures are being proposed to address AGW. And just like with those eminent threats from the latter days of bell-bottoms, we are being told that not only must the US and world adopt their "solution", we must do it RIGHT NOW OR ELSE, because there is NO TIME TO DEBATE ABOUT IT. I would be thought a fool if I were to be taken in by such tactics from a car salesman, but I should heed to them when considering adopting massive socialistic economic and environmental policies? Why should anyone be cowed by admonitions for adopting radical measures made in such a fashion? Oh, because they say their data "overwhelmingly" supports it. Right. The data largely extrapolated from computer models. Round and round we go.

All that being said, however, I still can't even claim to be a skeptic, as though the question as to what degree of a threat AGW is, if any, had any importance to me, and I was simply withholding judgment. No, I simply do not care. I do not care because I do not believe that the "concern" over AGW has anything whatsoever to do with concern for the environment or humanity. The AGW debate is, at bottom, a political debate between those who wish to implement their vision of a socialistic utopia and those who are not so keen on the idea. If AGW is a real threat, the "remedy" proposed by the AGW crowd will have longer-lasting and more damaging effects than the problem, as socialistic government policy has never failed to take a bad situation and make it exponentially worse. However, proving AGW is not a threat will not offer a reprieve from those wishing to impose these socialistic measures. If AGW is not a real threat, the present-day AGW alarmists will no doubt move on to the next "problem" that they insist requires immediate adoption of their "solution". Wash, rinse, repeat.

Regardless of whatever the supposed "threat" in whose name the call for implementation of socialistic measures is being made, I will continue to oppose, with great fervor, the implementation of said socialistic measures. Therefore, whether AGW is real or not is entirely besides the point.