UTOPIA

In all of this reactive comment, however, we should also not lose track of the basic premises of the global warmers - now a new popular delusion of our time. The first premise is that the current temperature of the earth is perfect, and that any deviation is undesirable. The second, regarding the alleged culprit, carbon dioxide, is that increased CO 2 can only do harm. It can never do good.

Actually, a large part of the world's population lives in regions that are colder than desirable. A little more warmth and rain would probably be welcomed in many places. Although it does not look as if CO 2 from coal, oil, and natural gas is going to provide much more of either, the greenhouse effect from increased CO2 should eventually be detectable. Increased atmospheric CO2 is, however, already providing a lot more plants and animals - something the enviros claim to want.

We have already written extensively about the remarkable work of Sherwood Idso and his colleagues and many other scientists on increased growth of plants with increases of carbon dioxide. See, for example, Access to Energy 21-1, 21-3 and 21-4. Also, read "CO2 and the Biosphere: The Incredible Legacy of the Industrial Revolution'' by Sherwood Idso (1995), available from Department of Soil, Water, & Climate, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108.

Another recent paper, "Carbon Dioxide Uptake by an Undisturbed Tropical Rain Forest in Southwest Amazonia, 1992 to 1993'' by J. Grace, et al, Science 270, pp 778-780 (1995), reports that a mature rain forest was found to be absorbing 8.5 (plus or minus 2.0) moles per square meter per year of additional CO2. From this we calculate (8.5)(44)(4.05)(10³)/(454) = 3,334 or, rounding appropriately, 3,300 pounds per acre of CO2. This CO2 is being synthesized into between one and two tons of new plants and animals per acre per year in the Amazon rain forests. In the United States, as we calculated earlier (see references above) from U. S. Forest statistics, the increase in CO2 is producing 600 pounds per person per year of additional standing timber for every man, woman, and child Will you read about these benefits in the press or hear about them from the enviro-wonders supported by the multibillion dollar "environmentalist'' industry? No. All we hear from them is word about the ongoing, tax-financed ($2 billion per year) witch hunt for evidence of catastrophic global warming. Witch hunts are also covered in Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds (pp 462-564).