The goal of the meetings in Copenhagen to dramatically reduce anthropogenic (man-made) CO2 emissions to prevent future global warming is predicated on the currently political correct conclusion these emissions are causing unprecedented global temperature increases which eventually will be catastrophic.

CO2 currently constitutes about .038 percent of the atmosphere, an increase of about .004 percent during the last 50 years. Anthropogenic (man-made) CO2 makes up about 5 percent of total CO2 emissions, most of which come from ocean out-gassing, vegetation decay, and volcanic activity.

The purported need to limit these emissions is based on computer models as described in the August 2007, Scientific American article “The Physical Science behind Climate Change.” Their model results conclude these man-made emissions have 10 times more impact on global temperatures than any solar variations from the sun. A highly dubious conclusion.

The ever-increasing global temperature assessment is also under question because of revelations about lost and fudged temperature data by the Climatic Research Unit in the UK. This revelation follows the earlier bogus analysis that simply ignored the Medieval Warming Period (1000 AD) when temperatures were higher than today.

In 1989, Stephen Schneider, one of the prominent climatologists included the following in the journal “Discover”: “To capture the public imagination, we have to offer up some scary scenarios, make simplified dramatic statements and little mention of any doubts one might have. Each of us has to decide the right balance between being effective, and being honest.”

We need a little more honesty.

Bill Hirt, Bellevue