Global Warming In the News

By Eric Rucker, KTVZ.COM

No matter what side you are on in the debate over global warming, or if you're undecided like many, there is no arguing the fact the debate itself is as heated as ever, and the High Desert is no exception.

At a press conference this week in Bend, the group Environment Oregon said scientists are sounding alarm bells about the impacts of continued global warming.

The good news, according to the group out of Portland, is that we can reduce the impacts of global warming by taking bold action now to reduce global warming pollution.

However, William Hunt disagrees, saying basically the upshot is that we really don't know. But at the same time, we have people that assume it's happening it must be happening.

What is happening is change. New studies show many places around the world and right here in Central Oregon are getting warmer. That part isn't the debate. The question for both sides of the global warming battle is why?

In a recently published study, Environment Oregon compared the average temperature of areas across the country between 2000 and 2006 to the averages of 1971-2000. The findings, a 1/2 degree increase in 87 percent of the places studied, including a 1-degree change in burns, the closest city studied to Central Oregon.

The reason is humans, said group spokesman Cory Nadler.

"A group of 700-800 scientists put together by the United Nations said they are about 90 percent sure that humans are causing the temperature to rise and that humans are causing a drastic increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere," he said. "And I think we need to listen to what the scientists around the world are saying."

But Hunt argues the amount of carbon dioxide produced by humans is nothing compared to Mother Nature.

"Just with land volcanism, you're talking about over 30 times the amount of carbon dioxide which usage estimates to be at over 29 billion tons," according to Hunt.

If the extra CO2 humans produce isn't the reason for it being hotter, than what possible answer is there?

Hunt says it could be the lie in the sun itself.

"The polar caps on Mars are shrinking, while Pluto was recently found to have an atmosphere, which theoreticcally it should not, and all of this is interrelated," he said. "And if you bring all that into account, it casts even more doubt into global warming. I mean, with the other planets warming up, obviously were not polluting them."

Nadler can't combat all skeptics, saying there's not necessarily a way to prove their stand 100 percent.

However, for Nadler and many others who are convinced some day scientific evidence can prove we are responsible, we need to work now to prevent a horrific global impact.

"It's the responsibility of our federal government to take action now and have the United States be a leader around the world for a problem that will affect everybody around the world," he said.

Recently, Bend city councilors, including Jim Clinton, signed the U.S, Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement, a list of initiatives aimed certain aspects of environmental awareness.

"People here are very attached to this place and keeping it the great place that we all appreciate," Clinton said.

Whatever your view on the cause of global warming, Nadler sai, "The biggest thing that we can all do personally is lead more efficient lives - turning the lights off when you leave the room, turning the heat down in the winter - just using as little energy as possible.

Hunt agrees, but not completely.

"At this point in our history, it would better to take the money the effort and political push, so to speak, and put it into problems that we are sure we can fix, like smog in LA - that can be fixed."

And while Central Oregon is nothing like LA, only time will tell if it'll look the way it does now in the future. And if it does change, whether we are the ones to blame.

For more information on Environment Oregon, and Hunt's Website as well, click on news links at KTVZ.COM.