Letter writer should read climate change research more carefully

Perhaps Mr. Lyle Yager (Letters, “Paris Climate Conference facts were misrepresented,” April 9) should reread Mr. Richard Neufeld’s letter (“Climate deal lets other nations increase pollution until 2030,” April 1). Neufeld offered no solution to the problem of global warming. The solution he is referring to is President Barack Obama’s solution.

Mr. Yager is correct, the Paris Climate Conference allows China and India to increase their pollutants by more than the industrialized nations’ decrease. This agreement will do absolutely nothing to stabilize man-made global warming. That was the point Neufeld was making.

Also, Mr. Yager uses per capita emissions data, which is meaningless when discussing a country’s emissions. Reality shows that China’s 2013 carbon dioxide emissions were 10,540,000 kilotonnes, almost twice as much as U.S. emissions of 5,334,000 kilotonnes. Mr. Yager also mentions a sea-level rise of 3 to 5 feet, when actual measurements show a rise of about 8 inches between 1870 and 2010.

Mr. Yager should give credit where credit is due. The ending of Mr. Yager’s letter should read: “Of the two, President Obama or the scientists, I think the scientists are more likely to be correct.”

Note: Has Mr. Yager seen the pictures of the pollution in China’s cities? He should compare them with any major city in the U.S.

This story was originally published April 17, 2016 at 8:48 PM with the headline "Letter writer should read climate change research more carefully."