As originally published in the April 12 issue of The Mountain-Ear newspaper.

Clyde Burnett, Boulder County.

Science saved us from an ultraviolet disaster 30 years ago with warnings about the CFC influx into the stratosphere that persuaded international control of CFC by the Montreal Protocol. Nevertheless, we also have a history lesson: the natural atmospheric lifetime of the CFCs will continue the chlorine-driven polar ozone holes and small midlatitude ClOx and HOx catalytic ozone destruction for another 50 years

In a similar fashion, science has taught us that the Greenhouse Effect has given us a 60° F advantage in surface temperature for our past evolution along with that of our environment of plants and animals. We have learned from laboratory studies that it is the emissions of trace gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, that are responsible for the greenhouse control of water vapor. Science has also presented us with the disturbing facts of global warming and Earth’s response of melting ice and rising sea levels.

The insidious, long atmospheric lifetime of CO2 is especially dangerous. The atmospheric carbon cycle lifetime of about a century, involving emission, sequestration by photosynthesis in forests and other plants, and their subsequent decay, is readily observable. The atmospheric-soil cycle is much longer. Cement production from limestone is a prominent CO2 emission contribution. Approximately one third of our CO2 emission is captured in the oceans covering 70% of the planet’s surface. The complete cycle with its surface escape has a centuries’ long period. Large amounts of the CO2 emission today will continue to trap heat, causing global warming and environmental damage during the lives of our grandchildren.

There can be no debate as to the scientific validity of the increased heat trapping by the 43% increase of the CO2 and similar increases of other greenhouse gases. It is clearly established that these increases are due largely to the burning of fossil fuels for energy by the increasing human population. (See photo of Mauna Loa laboratory for monitoring of CO2.)

The regulation of these greenhouse gases is under the control of the intelligent human species. It is the democratic procedure for action that must balance the human economic self-interests with the irrevocable consequences of the natural laws.

Our springtime storms in the Midwest with increased flooding were driven by evaporation from the warm Gulf of Mexico. Then the huge northeast storm Riley and the series of nuisance nor’easters developed from water vapor transport from the Midwest to the northeast coast. Further evaporation from the warm Atlantic plus the fetch from the offshore storm was aggravated by the high tides, with sea level rise. The increased precipitation is clearly caused by the warmed ocean surface on 70% of the Earth’s surface.

The 2017 western wildfire season west of the Rockies was strengthened by an early season that was warm and dry. This was due to the global warming caused by heat trapping by water vapor, controlled by the trace gases CO2, CH4 and others. It is predicted to worsen if business continues as usual in future years.

The global warming and ocean evaporation is unlikely to decrease in 2019, so that a seasonal repeat for each of these disasters is highly probable; most worrisome is that the human caused CO2 increased emission is guaranteed to continue and get worse if nothing changes.

While weather systems may fluctuate, the natural laws of heat trapping and the atmospheric lifetime of damaging pollutants are invariant. In contrast, the greenhouse gas emissions are controlled by the management of policies of pollutant regulation by humans. Are you responsible for this mismanagement?