POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Letters to the Editor and other People Speak

FROM-Times-Standard

Brrrrr: Time to stop selling those carbon credits

I must admit that I did not believe that exchanging carbon credits could cure global warming. I felt that Al Gore, having failed to enrich himself after inventing the Internet, was now enriching himself by buying and selling carbon credits (which he also invented). Imagine my surprise, then, when I learned that my hometown in Iowa is having the coldest and most miserable winter they have ever had. Spencer, Iowa, is not alone; the rest of the United States as well as the world is likewise experiencing record cold weather. It is apparent that Al Gore and his fellow carbon traders have cured global warming. It is time to stop trading carbon credits lest the world become too cold.

I previously believed that the elevated level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was the result of burning carbon that had been buried deep in the earth millions of years ago. This deeply buried carbon (fossil fuels) overwhelmed the plants' abilities to convert the carbon dioxide back into carbon, oxygen and energy as part of the carbon cycle. I felt that the solution was to find a non-carbon burning way of producing energy such as nuclear fusion. I now must accept that the trading of carbon credits from forests to large producers of C02 like coal-fired power plants and automobiles has cured global warming. And, best of all, we have not had to change our method of energy production. Al Gore has once again solved the world's problems and been well rewarded for his efforts.

Since their carbon credit crusade has been successful, Al Gore and his eco-troopers can now turn their attention to other problems, like world peace, economic depression and water shortages.

Denver Nelson is a retired physician living who resides in Eureka




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