Courtesy Google images

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has finally admitted it faces a ‘real’ challenge from the “siren voices” that decry climate change.

Well, let’s give them credit where credit is due – that statement is half true, and that’s more truth than the IPCC has been putting out in most of its reports.

Herein lies the crux of the issue – this organization, by putting out reports that amount to nothing more than ‘scare tactics’ – has obscured what should be a clear issue.

We only have one planet, and the IPCC’s propensity to grossly overstate the facts on global warming is doing it a serious disservice. Further, it is undermining the efforts of those people who are working for more responsible environmental practices.

Most of our primary energy sources aren’t renewable. Of this, there is no debate to be had. Whether the planet is warming, cooling or staying the exact same temperature, this is a reality we have to face.

Unfortunately, the IPCC has muddied the waters and turned many people into cynics for all the wrong reasons. Global warming may end up being a fallacy, but that doesn’t mean environmentalism is without merit.

The mistake that has caused the IPCC to finally admit it isn’t an infallible institution is its projection reports on the Himalayan glacier melt.

The IPCC’s prediction had the glaciers perilously close to thawing by 2035 – a number that scared the hell out of many people, and rightly so – if it were even remotely accurate.

Unfortunately for the IPCC, those pesky ‘scientists’ have once again thwarted their campaign of fear.

Syed Iqbal Hasnain, an Indian scientist credited with the initial claims about the glaciers, has admitted that the IPCC’s report is based more on “speculation” than actual scientific evidence.

India’s environmental minister, Jairam Ramesh, went a step further – he says that the claim is “not based on an iota of scientific evidence.”

Woops, missed it by that much.

Now a quick counter-point is needed before people start thinking the intention of this article is to disprove global warming. It is not. Instead, it is a condemnation of the tactics used by the IPCC in regards to the issue – namely, citing research based on computer models and future projections as if it is guaranteed fact.

Yes, the planet seems to be getting slightly warmer. The problem with this information is that our climate data goes back little more than 100 years – the Earth has been around a little longer than that.

Despite this erroneous report (and all the others that preceded it), the entire concept of ‘going green’ still remains a good one.

As mentioned earlier, regardless of our planet’s temperature, our heavy reliance on exhaustible energy sources simply cannot continue. The search for renewable sources to replace them is both necessary and important.

That’s why it’s such a shame that the IPCC continues to put out erroneous reports in an attempt to create a culture of fear that scares people into ‘going green’.

Tell people the real reason – our energy sources are running out, and we need to be smarter about how we use them. Don’t lie to them and hope that in their panic they will do as you say. We’ve seen that strategy used before, and the proof is in the pudding that it just doesn’t last.

Eventually, people catch on. The truth comes out, and reality sinks in. 2035 will roll around, and the glaciers will still be there. Then people will ignore what is truly an important message because it was delivered to them in entirely the wrong way.

It isn’t too late. Let us all hope that the IPCC takes this as a sign that faulty, computerized projections aren’t the path to salvation. Common sense is. Let’s use it now, before it’s too late.