Editor:
Re: Climate change and green energy.
Coast Reporter included a long letter from Jef Keighley on Nov. 20 on these subjects (“Join climate march”) and an article about the Sechelt and District Chamber of Commerce on greenhouse gas reduction and opportunities for producers of green energy (“Green policies passed by ‘Little Chamber That Could’”). Canada contributes two per cent of all greenhouse gases (GHG) released into our atmosphere – India and China combined over 32 per cent. Those countries along with Indonesia and others are to build 1,600 coal-fired power stations. Germany commissioned its latest 1,600 MW coal-fired plant recently. There will be no agreement on GHG reductions at the COP21 climate meeting in Paris. When it comes to reducing GHGs, Canada is an irrelevance.
The U.K., Germany, Spain and other countries have invested billions in “alternative power.” They had to pay massive subsidies to contractors to build and operate wind and solar farms. Those subsidies have been withdrawn. They are not economically viable to run and no country can rely on the vagaries of Mother Nature for its power source – no wind, no sun means no power. The U.K. now has severe power generation shortages and has requested major power users to shut down plants at night this winter and for some power suppliers to bring in emergency diesel generators.
Many eminent scientists have challenged the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change hypothesis that any or all warming in temperature is due to the increase in GHGs. There have been many occasions in history when temperatures were higher than today’s.
For those with an interest in these subjects and who have an open mind, I do recommend a visit to the website of the Global Warming Policy Foundation (www.gwpf.com). Click on “Publications.” Check out the presentation made by Vancouver Island’s Patrick Moore on Oct. 14. He is a respected scientist and founding member of Greenpeace. This website is comprehensive on the subjects of climate change and alternative energy.
Paul Rhodes, Sechelt
