Introduction... Early in March, 2007, six more eminent scientists “jumped ship,” joining thousands of other colleagues challenging the media driven, anthropogenic (man made) global warming assertions. On March 8, 2007, the United Kingdom’s Channel 4 ran a program challenging anthropogenic global warming. The program, “The Great Global Warming Swindle,” drew a reported audience of over 4,000,000. Millions more have already viewed the 75 minute program on several Internet websites including YouTube.com. A few days before Gore’s Capitol Hill appearance on March 21, 2007, another well known climatologist struck a blow at the very core of global warming by challenging the basis upon which “average” temperatures are calculated. On March 21, 2007, Al Gore presented the United States Congress with a stack of postcard petitions demanding they start addressing global warming. Amazingly, this highly publicized petition had been on Gore’s website since December 2006, yet still only garnered 300,000 “signatures” in spite of multiple voting being allowed (in a test, one of our researchers voted six times). So what do all these events have in common? They all show how shallow the underlying support is for the man-made global warming crusade in spite of heavy promotion by special interest groups and the media. As the hypothesis continues unraveling, it’s not just the fear mongering that’s being exposed: underlying motives of many key players are also being examined. A recent report by noted columnist Mark Steyn focused on claims Gore’s outlandish use of energy in his Nashville mansion were offset by his purchase of “carbon credits,” an invention by special interest groups providing some type of absolution for having large “carbon footprints.” While investigating this claim, Steyn opened a Pandora’s Box: it seems Gore is the founding Chairman of the very firm from which he purchased his so-called offsetting carbon credits! So Gore pollutes the atmosphere with his extensive travels and energy intensive home(s), purchases carbon credits from himself (possibly taking a tax write off), more than likely pays himself a handsome salary with the proceeds from himself and others, and rides off into the sunset with a smile on his face! Gore also has some explaining to do about those cute, cuddly polar bears shown in his fantasy film, “An Inconvenient Truth.” The polar bear nonsense demonstrates the intellectual dishonesty associated with this undocumentary: a recent census disclosed that overall, the polar bear population has increased from 5,000 in the ‘70’s to over 25,000 today. In Canada alone, eleven of its 13 polar bear populations have increased from 12,000 to 15,000 in the past decade. In the two locations where the polar bear population decreased, it appears increasing demands for a given quantity of food may have increased polar bear cannibalism, something not uncommon amongst these critters. Incidentally, in areas where the population has declined, temperatures have actually been falling! Make no mistake, improving our environment should be a concern of all thinking individuals. But when one manipulates data concerning the environment to further one’s agenda (whether political, academic, monetary, or egocentric), they must be held accountable. As our series on climate change unfolds, we believe you’ll agree something is seriously amiss with claims “the sky is falling.” Written “for the rest of us,” the series will cut through the hype, fog, deceptions, and distortions generated by certain advocacy groups and present you with verifiable, understandable facts. In the course of this series we will: Review the status of the air we breathe, discuss its environmental state, and identify natural and anthropogenic (man-made) “pollutants” Identify the atmospheric gases, isolate those classified as greenhouse gases, discuss natural versus anthropogenic greenhouse gases, and calculate each gas’s actual contribution to the total greenhouse effect Sort out fact and fiction surrounding polar bears, penguins, and glacial ice Review sun spot activity, the sun’s role in warming the earth, and the sun’s role in releasing CO2 from the oceans Reveal one of the most mysterious and best kept secrets surrounding our planet’s climate, and why many scientists refer to it as “The World’s Thermostat” Review recent (on a geological scale) climate change periods and identify those time frames when it was far warmer than today and why certain “book burners” are attempting to re-write history Examine the consensus of climatologists and scientists supporting the man made global warming theory Reveal the players promoting global warming and detail how each benefits Review energy use in the United States vis-à-vis other countries and discuss the pluses and minuses surrounding fossil fuel consumption An editorial board consisting of scientists, educators, and editors has been assembled to critique the series for accuracy and content. Additionally, a non-scientific “Review Committee” has been recruited to offer comments, suggestions, and a critical analysis of each issue prior to distribution. This select group will strive to assure our White Papers maintain continuity, readability, and understandability. So hang onto your hat, buckle your seat belt, and get ready for an interesting ride into reality. To begin your journey into this critical subject, please click HERE To return to the “White Paper” index page, click HERE For all other navigation, please use the index in the upper left portion of this page.