Todd Juvinall's column (11/15/97 - "Don't run around in a panic, global warming 'crisis' is trumbed up") says global warming is nothing more than a "scheme" by liberals to divert us away from important matters and "There is no proof, and what facts, if any, that exist are open to interpretation among scientific experts."

As a professional environmental engineer and energy specialist, I've been following this issue for the last eight years. The majority of independent climate scientists (those with no financial stake on one side or the other) believe global warming is a very serious issue; the economic and environmental consequences are expected to fall somewhere between "serious" and "disaster." I asked myself why anyone would minimize an issue as serious as this, especially to the extent of calling it a "purely contrived crisis," as Todd did?

Todd's reference to the 1992 "Heidleberg Appeal", where exactly 425 scientists (not 500, as Todd said) signed a paper against global warming treaties, provides an answer. The "detractors" fundamental presumptions are "global warming ideology is irrational" and "global warming treaties are opposed to scientific and industrial progress and impede economic and social development." Wrong! We cannot sustain progress or development burning fossil fuels like we do, global warming or not! By the way, Todd neglected to mention the group of 1,700 independent scientists (a Majority of the noble laureates from the sciences) who signed the "World Scientists Warning To Humanity" (in favor of treaty) that same year.

Review both "sides" and decide for yourself (not on the internet? - the library is!):

http://www.TheEnergyGuy.com/EnergyGuy/MasterLinks.html#Climate change.

The U.S. uses over 20% of the energy consumed each year on earth with 5% of the population, and over half is wasted considering the cost effective solutions available. While wasting half of our (dis-proportionate) share of resources, the rest of the world is working very hard to obtain our "quality of life." Yikes! Given currently known fuel supplies/locations, we're obviously setting ourselves up for disaster. Whose fault it is/was may be immaterial at this point, but what are YOU going to do about it ?