Deniers distort, misstate statistics on climate

I'm sure that the June 15 letter "Climate change is a scam" is sincere, but the author has been misled by deniers.

First, the 2009 East Anglia "scandal": A small number of the 1,079 hacked emails included scientists' requests for more details on global temperatures, and two sentences that complained about the lack of complete data (which we now have). These were seized upon by deniers, as evidence of deliberate falsehood. The whole matter has been thoroughly analyzed by five different British and US government agencies; all found "no research misconduct" or "no substance to the allegation." Similarly, NASA found that an apparent "hiatus" in the temperature rise was the result of too few measurements of the Arctic, which is warming faster than most of the world.

Next: Is Mars warming? This is a case of deliberate misleading cherry-picking. Mars' temperature estimates are based on its apparent brightness, which is strongly confused by its frequent dust storms. I have looked at early and recent Mars temperature estimates; both have multiple results, over a wide range. Deniers combine the lowest of the early ones with the highest the recent ones to claim warming; do the opposite, and you can claim cooling.

Yes, the Earth has had climate cycles before, but they have taken place over thousands or millions of years, not in only just a century. And don't forget, when the temperature was higher prehistorically - so was the sea level, by 15 to 30 feet.

Finally, it's not the renewable energy supporters that are trying to take "OUR wealth." Rather, it's the fossil fuel interests that are getting government subsidies and charging higher prices, even though renewable energy methods are now cheaper in many areas.

John F Moore

Libertyville