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Climate change: the truth must be told

Global warming, wrongly attributed in an exaggerated manner entirely to man, is, in fact, largely natural. All the hype and projections about it makes most geologists wonder if the climate change has been hijacked from scientists by politicians, and some scientists in the IPCC have been bending backwards to conform to the politicians and gain grants and favours from the UN and various governments.

The earth has witnessed prolonged ice ages with much longer spells of global warming since the first ice age. The only issue to ponder over is if man during last 50 years of fast industrialisation has accelerated the natural process of global warming. The last word on this question as a simplistic cause and effect relation cannot be said with any certainty. The sun-earth system and atmosphere ocean system is too complex to make such generalisations.

Our biosphere may have a huge capacity to absorb the carbon dioxide generated. I was amazed to learn that climate was a political issue in the meeting. It is indeed a pity that in their haste to fleece the poor nations the Al Gores and the Obamas are twisting climate science to suit their political and economic agendas. 

Let us restore our balance and sense of proportion in matters of global warming and environmental pollution. Over 1,000 eminent scientists across the world are debating if we are entering a mini-ice age and if global warming is waning. At times one suspects that the huge money involved in all other pollutions of soil, water, air and consequently our food chain makes the powers-that-be and their brokers all around create a hype around global warming and divert attention from real man-made pollution of the environment.

Indeed, we need to promote walking, cycling, better public transport and safety of pedestrians and cyclists. Look around if any of these do-gooders is bothered about it. None at all! They travel in chartered flights to preach car pooling! If there were a Nobel Prize for hypocrisy there would be tough competition for it. If anything, they are all in a mad race to promote the use of more cars, chemical fertilizers, pesticides and GM food, and to discourage organic farming systematically.

We do plant trees but never care to look back at the saplings after the ritual. It is time to call the bluff of the politicians-turned-pseudo-environmentalists and recreate respect for water, soil, air in the spirit of our gurus and Vedas and see the truth of climate change as well as environmental pollution.

Prof ARUN DEEP AHLUWALIA, Emeritus Geologist-Environmentalist, Planet Earth Centre, Chandigarh

Parliament standoff  The unwarranted and illogical prolonged disruption of Parliament by the BJP-led Opposition demanding only the JPC probe into the 2G spectrum, Commonwealth Games and Adarsh Housing Society scams is nothing but a gimmick (articles by HK Dua and Kuldip Nayar, Dec 1). The alleged scams and all such matters have to be dealt with under the provisions of the law by the government, and not at the whims of the Opposition. The JPC is not that competent as the legal machinery with experts. The first and foremost responsibility of the Leader of Opposition is to take care of Bills of public interest. The Opposition parties have failed to perform their duties by disrupting the House. The seasoned parliamentarians are setting a bad example. It is an error of judgment on the part of the people to elect such irresponsible representatives.   Capt AMAR JEETKUMAR, SAS Nagar II During the elections, politicians demand votes from us on the plank of change. But in reality they don’t care for change or development. I cannot be sure whether infusing young blood will make a difference. However, it is time to cleanse the system. RINKU UPPAL, via email