Heated Words Over Global Warming

The editorial, “Bush, Out in the Cold” (June 19), exposes The Times’ policy of allowing feelings to trump facts. Global warming, as Darwin’s study of evolution, remains a theory. In 1974, many of the same “experts” that now warn of global warming were predicting a coming ice age. One needs only to check extended weather forecasts to understand our state of ignorance in predicting major shifts in Earth’s ecosystem.

For those interested in facts rather than liberal scare tactics, I suggest reading “State of Fear” by Michael Crichton, which references studies contradicting the idea that global warming is anything but a study in progress.

Stephen N. Berberich

Surfside

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The use of theory by the Bush administration and certain fundamentalist religious groups does a disservice to our base of knowledge and our system of education.

These people use the language to replace theory with hypotheses. This distorts the meaning of theory and leads to the belief that a theory is something with no substantive basis, equating it with their own hypotheses based on faith and devoid of scientific facts. These same people do not dispute the theory of electricity or the theory of relativity, yet they try to infer that those theories that contradict their personal beliefs are something made up by liberals to lead us down evil ways.

That this administration would alter scientific data for political reasons is unconscionable.

David Underwood

Citrus Heights

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Surprise, Surprise! When the Bush administration was making known its “weapons of mass destruction” fabricated plans to invade Iraq, it was an open secret that getting rid of Saddam Hussein was only part of the reason. Whispered loudly was the fact Iraq had a huge oil reserve.

The Times’ editorial speaks to the scientific reasoning behind fossil fuels as the major cause of global warming. And in this obvious coming threat that the Group of 8 industrial nations recognize, Bush wants more research, rebuffing British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s attempt to get it taken seriously. We should pray that the stubborn mule in the White House doesn’t bray on Earth’s atmospheric future.

Ted Lepon

Los Angeles