By William D. Slicker
Many of us remember the folklore tale of Henny Penny, also known as Chicken Little. When an acorn fell on her head, she went around warning everyone that the sky was falling.
In our time, we have the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, stating that “the era of global boiling has arrived.”[1] But is it that bad? It is undisputed that the world has faced record breaking heat during the summer of 2024.[2]
However, there seems to be a split of opinions regarding three major issues:
1.) Is the global temperature change caused by man or by natural climate cycles;
2.) Is the amount of global warming all bad?
3.) Are the measures being taken to lessen global warming helping or hurting matters?
On the one hand, there is a recent book The Parrot and the Igloo by David Lipsky that equates those who do not think global warming is caused by man to those who denied smoking causes cancer.[3] This view that global warming is caused by man is embraced by most media. Mr. Lipsky’s scorn of those who deny broadly held theories overlooks the fact that deniers are sometimes correct. Galileo denied the broadly held belief of his time that the Earth was the center of our universe. During our time, those who denied that covid came from a bat rather than Wuhan Laboratory are now recognized as correct.
On the other hand, there is another recent book Doubt and Certainty in Climate Science written by Alan Longhurst which raises a series of doubts about what has been accepted as certain about climate change.[4] Longhurt’s view was recently supported by a group of 1,609 scientists and professionals who issued a World Climate Declaration that there is No Climate Emergency.[5] Patrick Moore, Chairman of Ecosense Environmental and co-founder of Greenpeace, in talking about climate change messaging, said, “the whole thing is a total scam.”[6]
Man Causation or Natural Cycles
On the first issue of whether global temperature change is caused by man or by natural climate cycles, the argument that the changes are normal are as follows:
1. There are cycles based on the tilt of the earth and its orbit around the sun called Milankovitch Cycles (after the scientist who worked out the theory of these cycles). These 100,000 year cycles affect the solar radiation reaching the Earth and therefore the Earth’s temperature.[7] As the earth’s tilt changes, so will the temperature.
2. There are solar flare cycles of approximately every 11 years. Increased solar flare activity causes increases in Earth’s temperature. It was predicted that the next high point would be in 2024[8] A decline in solar flares will cause a decline in Earth’s temperatures.
3. El Nino is a climate incident that occurs every few years that warms the Earth. Climate modeling suggests that the Earth is having the strongest El Nino that it has had since 2016.[9] Once the El Nino runs out, Earth temperatures will decrease.
4. “CO2 does not cause global warming. Global warming causes more Co2.” said Edwin Berry, a theoretical physicist and certified consulting meteorologist.[10] Ian Clark, emeritus professor for the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Ottawa agreed. He said if all the man-made CO2 emissions ceased today, the Earth would continue warming because the temperature does not follow CO2, but rather CO2 follows temperature, which is due to solar activity.[11]
5. There are several volcanoes that might erupt during our lifetimes.[12] The most significant climate impact from volcanic eruptions is the formation of sulfate aerosols which increase the reflection of radiation from the sun back into space, causing the cooling of the earth.[13]
6. Some scientists have been making false doomsday predictions for years. During the 1970s there were multiple articles that falsely predicted that air pollution would obliterate the sun and cause a new ice age. Anthony Watts compiled a list of 67 such articles.[14] In 1982, Mostafa Tolba, then director of the United Nations environmental program gave a speech in which he forecast that if governments did not act now there would be an “environmental catastrophe which will witness devastation as complete, as irreversible as any nuclear holocaust” by the turn of the century.[15] Never happened.
Some in the media are now admitting that the climate change catastrophe was based on a worse case scenario and it has now been officially canceled.[16]
Is Global Warming All Bad?
On the issue of whether the amount of global warming is bad, Professor David Bellamy, a conservationist and botanist from the United Kingdom was shunned for saying that our fear of CO2 was “poppycock” and that it was a fertilizer that had helped our crops get greener and grow quicker.” Eliminating CO2 will decrease crop output and increase world hunger. [17] Australian Senator Matt Canavan has said net zero is “totally insane” because people will starve if it is enforced.[18]
Worldwide, cold weather kills more people than heat every year. Cold is responsible for about 4.6 million deaths and heat is responsible for about 500,000 deaths.[19] Unfortunately, for some people, the Winter of 2023-2024 was colder than usual. On January 3, 2024, the temperature in Swedish Lapland dropped to -43.6 degrees Celsius (-46.48 degrees Fahrenheit), the lowest recorded temperature in Sweden in 25 years.[20] Here in the United States, much of the nation experienced record low temperatures during the Winter of 2023-2024.[21] In January, 2025, much of the nation experienced once-in-a-life cold temperatures.[22] Florida saw record-breaking snow with 9.8 inches falling in Milton, Florida.[23] Texas was under a blizzard warning for the first time ever.[24] New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2025, saw more snow than it had in 100 years.[25] In early 2026, parts of Russia were buried in nearly 7 feet of snow which is the most snow in 60 years.[26] And in the United States, cold temperatures broke records in the United States.[27] Over 100 record lows were set on February 1, 2026, Mississippi officials said it was the worst winter storm since 1994, and South Florida experienced the coldest air mass since December, 1989[28]. In the northeast, the strongest storm in a decade dumped record amounts of snow in some places.[29] On February 23, 2026, in the northeastern United States, the strongest storm in a decade dropped record amounts of snow in some places.[30] So perhaps a little global warming is not all bad.
Are Measures Being Taken Helping or Hurting
On the issue of whether the measures being taken to lessen global warming are helping or hurting matters, Bjorn Lomburg of the Copenhagen Consensus Center states that climate change is real, but there is little that we can do about it, and what we are doing makes ethical and economic nonsense. It is costing trillions and the elimination of less expensive energy will hurt the global poor the most.[31] Myron Ebell, director of the Center for Energy and Environment said that since 2000, the world has spent approximately $6.5 trillion to transition away from oil, coal, and gas. The result has been to reduce reliance on fossil fuels from 82 percent to 81 percent. “United States emissions have gone down. But global demand is at an all-time high. Chinese emissions are now higher than the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, and Australia combined.”[32]
Another two authors have written a book entitled The Unpopular Truth About Electricity and the Future of Energy that sets out the problems of relying on wind and solar power.[33] Electric energy needs to be available immediately which coal, gas, and oil can do. However, wind and solar energy are produced intermittently. Wind and solar energy produce a current that must be converted in order to be inserted into the grid. Wind and solar energy lose much of their power during transmission from the fields to the power plants. We have not developed affordable storage to store power generated by batteries. For every ton of minerals for making batteries, ten tons of earth has to be moved.[34] Today, China is the mineral processing hub of the world. Swedish carmaker Volvo recently announced that carbon emissions required to produce its all-electric cars are 70% higher than its gasoline cars.[35] Wind and solar installations require gas or coal backup systems. When one adds up the heat byproduct, the material input, the ground space, and the lower energy efficiency, wind and solar production will require more, not less, primary energy for the same output of electricity. The world population is expected to increase, and wind and solar energy alone will not be able to produce enough energy for the electricity demand. The more we transition to wind and solar, the more electricity will cost and the more shortages we will have. This will impact the poor around the world more than the rich.[36] Consumers are already objecting to the higher prices caused by adding solar power.[37]
The near collapse of the Texas power grid in 2021 was a wake up call. Author and documentarian Robert Bryce said, “We feared that the [Texas] power grid nearly failed, and if it had failed, tens of thousands of people would have died.”[38] The [U.S.] grid is rapidly being transitioned from one in which coal once dominated to one that is seeing an ever-increasing share of wind, solar, and natural gas. In the process, it’s changing from something so reliable that consumers rarely thought about it to one that increasingly features rolling blackouts and may, one day soon, be on the brink of long-term failure.[39]
In his book, How the World Really Works, Vaclav Smil wrote, “For those who ignore the energetic and material imperatives of our world, those who prefer mantras of green solutions to understanding of how we came to this point, the prescription is easy: just decarbonize, that is switch from burning fossil carbon to converting inexhaustible flows of renewable energies. The real wrench in the works: we are a fossil-fueled civilization whose technological and scientific advances, quality of life, and prosperity rest on the combustion of huge quantities of fossil carbon and we cannot simply walk away from this critical determinant of our fortunes in a few decades, nevermind years. Complete decarbonization of the global economy by 2050 is now conceivable only at the cost of unthinkable global economic retreat, or as a result of extraordinarily rapid transformations relying on near-miraculous technological advances.”[40]
Some European countries, such as Germany, are restarting their coal plants, as wind and solar fail to meet demand.[41]
Conclusion
The climate is changing, all the time. We are in a warming period, but the Earth has survived such warming periods in the past.
Ralph Alexander, a retired physicist says, “The earth has warmed about 2 degrees F since the end of the Little Ice Age around 1850, but that hardly constitutes an emergency – or even a crisis – since the planet has been warmer yet over the last millennia. There is plenty of evidence that average temperatures were higher during the so-called Medieval warm Period (centered around the year 1000), the Roman Warm Period (when grapes and citrus fruits were grown in now much colder Britain), and in the early Holocene (after the last regular Ice Age ended), the climate emergency is fictive.”[42]
After more years of slight warming, there is a good chance that the temperature tide will turn. Recently, new analysis shows that the Gulf Stream is changing in a way that shows the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is collapsing. When the AMOC collapses, then Europe will face significantly colder temperatures.[43] The youth of today complaining about the threat of temperature increase may be replaced by a new generation complaining about why more was not done to protect against temperature decrease.
[1] Niranjan, Ajit “Era of Global Boiling Has Arrived”, The Guardian (July 27, 2023) https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jul/27/scientists-july-world-hottest-month-record-climate-temperatures
[2] Rush, Boone, and Sonner, “More Heat Records Expected to Shatter as U.S. Swelters”, Associated Press, (July 7, 2024); Powel, James, “Record High Temperatures from Portland to Phoenix as Heat Wave Continues”, USA Today, (July 8, 2024) https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2024/07/08/west-excessive-heat-warning/74331741007/; Bushard and Bohannon, “Las Vegas Breaks All-Time Heat Record-Here are the Other Major Heat Records Broken This Summer”, Forbes, (July 8, 2024).
[3] Lipsky, David, The Parrot and the Igloo, W.W. Norton & Co., 2023
[4] Longhurst, Alan, Doubt and Certainty in Climate Science, Critical Science Press (2023)
[5] There is No Climate Emergency (2023) https://clintel.org.news
[6] Spence, Katie, “Climate Scientists Say We Should Embrace Higher Co2 Levels”, The Epoch Times, (Dec 30, 2023).
[7] NASA Science Editorial Team, “Milankovitch (Orbital) Cycles and Their Role in Earth’s Climate” NASA (Feb. 27, 2020) https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2948
[8] NASA Science Editorial Team, “Marshall Space Flight Center, Solar Cycle Progression and Forecast September” (2023) https://www.nasa.gov/msfcsolar
[9] Wysession, Michael, “It’s Not Just Climate Change,” Fortune, (July 27, 2023) https://fortune.com/2023/07/27/why-extreme-heat-not-just-climate-change-el-nino-volcano/
[10] Spence, Katie, “The CO2 and Temperature Debate,” the Epoch Times, page A6, (Feb. 21, 2024)
[11] Spence, supra
[12] Klawans, Justin, “6 Volcanoes that could Shut Down The World”, The Week, (Aug. 22, 2023), https://theweek.com/world/495053/6-volcanoes-that-could-shut-down-the-world
[13] Volcano Hazards Program, “Volcanoes Can Affect Climate” U.S. Geological Survey (2023), https://www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/volcanoes-can-affect-climate
[14] Watts, Anthony, “A Compilation of News Articles on the Global Cooling Scare of the 1970’s” The Patriot Post (Mar. 4, 2013) https://patriotpost.us/opinion/17032-a-compilation-of-news-articles-on-the-global-cooling-scare-of-the-1970-s-2013-03-04
[15] “UN Warns of Imminent Ecological Catastrophe”, Tennessee Star (May 19, 2019), https://tennesseestar.com/news/un-warns-of-immident-ecological-catastrophe
[16] Walsh, Bryan, “Climate Change’s worst-case scenario is officially canceled”, Vox (May 23, 2026) https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/489488/climate-change-scenario-rcp-8-5-warming-emissions
[17] Cahalan, Paul, “David Bellamy: I was Shunned,” Independent U.S. Edition, (Jan. 13, 2013), https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/david-bellamy-i-was-shunned-they-didn-t-want-to-hear-8449307.html
[18] James, Nicole, “The Net-Zero Ship is Starting to Sink” The Epoch Times, (Oct. 18, 2023) https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/the-net-zero-ship-starting-to-sink-5509416
[19] Spence, Katie, The Epoch Times, August 9-15, 2023
[20] EuroNews, AP, “Finland and Sweden Report Coldest Temperatures of the Winter,” (Jan. 4, 2024), https://www.euronews.com/2024/01/03/finland-and-sweden-report-coldest-temperatures-of-the-winter
[21] Miranda, Cynthia, Cold Weather: Houston Breaks Records for Lowest Temperature, Click2Houston (Jan. 16, 2024) https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2024/01/16/dangerous-cold-weather-houston-breaks-records-for-lowest-temperatures-tuesday-morning/#:~:text=It%20was%2018%20degrees%20at,was%2022%20degrees%20in%201972;
Deger, Bill, “100 inches of snow and 40 below zero: Northwest faces harsh winter weather,” AccuWeather, (Jan. 12, 2024) https://www.accuweather.com/en/winter-weather/100-inches-of-snow-and-40-below-zero-northwest-faces-harsh-winter-weather/1611132
Yablonski, Steven, “Great Lakes region faces feet of snow as Midwest winter storm winds down,” Fox Weather, (Jan 13, 2024), https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/midwest-blizzard-chicago-milwaukee-winter-storm
Berger, Ava, “These 121 Towns in New England Recorded A Foot of Snow or More,” Boston Globe (Jan. 8, 2024) https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/01/08/metro/121-towns-new-england-record-more-than-foot-snow/
Cordeira, Jay, “A Stripe of 8-14” snowfall reports came in across eastern New Hampshire into Maine” Open Snow (Jan. 10, 2024) opensnow.com
Weather News, “Frigid air invades western, central US, January, 2024,” Fox Weather, https://www.foxweather.com/watch/play-6e10aa09f001275
Broom, Brian, “Extreme cold: See where low temperature records were broken in Mississippi,” Clarion Ledger, (Jan 17, 2024) https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2024/01/17/mississippi-weather-cold-temperature-records-broken/72252826007/
Miranda, Cynthia, “Dangerous cold weather: Houston breaks records for lowest temperature Tuesday morning,” Click2Houston (Jan. 16, 2024), https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2024/01/16/dangerous-cold-weather-houston-breaks-records-for-lowest-temperatures-tuesday-morning/
Morse, Jacob, “Records set over the weekend; recapping the coldest part of our Arctic blast,” KFYR TV, (Jan 14. 2024), https://www.kfyrtv.com/2024/01/15/records-set-over-weekend-recapping-coldest-part-our-arctic-blast/
[22] Bacon, John; Gonsoulin, Aaron; and Ortiz, Jorge L., “Crippling Freeze Rolls Into the South,” USA Today, (Jan. 22, 2025). https://www.pressreader.com/usa/usa-today-us-edition/20250122/281479282083738?srsltid=AfmBOool5HrwoEMyKpBSAr6580G9Kclmu9gw4iXH7YSgE25-p85nYwKR
[23] Gewecke, Kenton; Shapiro, Emily, and Amarante, Daniel, “At Least 10 dead after record-breaking snowstorm swept across the South,” ABCNews, (Jan 23, 2025), https://abcnews.go.com/US/wednesday-us-weather-snow-south-gulf-coast/story?id=117969760#:~:text=Florida%20saw%20its%20most%20snow,%2C%20Jan.%2021%2C%202025.
[24] Gewecke, id.
[25] Wulfeck, Andrew, “New Orleans has seen more snow than Alaska’s biggest city this winter.” Fox Weather. (Jan. 23, 2025). https://www.fox29.com/weather/new-orleans-snowfall-comparison
[26] Guardian News, “Record Snowfall in Russia’s Far East Buries Region,” (Jan. 21, 2026); Gomez, Julia , “Nearly 7 feet of snow?” USA Today, (Jan. 20, 2026) https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2026/01/20/russia-snow-2026-video/88262996007/.
[27] Gray, Jennifer, “Dangerously Cold Temperature Set to Impact the Plains to the South,” The Weather Channel (Jan. 21, 2026).
[28] Prociv, Kathryn, “More frigid temperatures expected in much of the U.S. after a weekend of heavy snow,” NBC News (Feb. 2, 2026), https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/winter-weather/frigid-temperatures-expected-much-us-weekend-heavy-snow-rcna257014
[29]Izaguirre, Rush, Walker, and Geller, “Huge Snowstorm in the Northeast Forces Millions to Stay Home,” AP News (Feb. 23, 2026) https://apnews.com/article/us-east-coast-winter-storm-blizzard-c32d60af1f146359664d6688a2dcdada
[30] Izaguirre, Rush, Walker, and Geller,id.
[31] Stiglitz, Joseph, “Are we Overreaching on Climate Change?” The New York Times. (July 27, 2020) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/16/books/review/bjorn-lomborg-false-alarm-joseph-stiglitz.html
[32] Spence, Katie, “Climate Experts Criticize Alarmist Rhetoric Over Summer,” The Epoch Times, (Aug. 9-15, 2023)
[33] Schernikan and Smith, The Unpopular Truth About Electricity and the Future of Energy, Energesa Publishing, 2023.
[34] Schernikan and Smith, supra
[35] Smith, Sam D., “Volvo Study Shows Making EVs Leads to 70 degree More Emissions.” Carscoops (Nov. 12, 2021) https://www.carscoops.com/2021/11/volvo-says-manufacturing-an-electric-car-generates-70-percent-more-emissions-than-its-petrol-equivalent/
[36] Schernikau and Smith, supra
[37] Mamoney, Higher Electric Rates Feared, Tampa Bay Times, front page, (June 23, 2024).
[38] Stocklin, The Epoch Times, page A3, (Feb. 14, 2024)
[39] Stocklin, supra
[40] Rectenwald, Michael, “COP28: The Scandal of On Top of Fabrication,” The Epoch Times (Dec. 13, 2023).
[41] Stocklin, Kevin, The Epoch Times, page A3, (Feb. 14, 2024).
[42] Spence, Katie, “Meteorologists, Scientists Explain Why There is No Climate Emergency,” The Epoch Times, (Sept. 14, 2023).
[43] Van Westen and Dijkstra, “Abrupt Gulf Stream path changes are precursor to a collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation,” Nature (Feb. 26, 2026)
Carrington, Gulf Stream could collapse as early as 2025, study suggests, The Guardian (July 25, 2023)
