Mr. Lentz, the “truth” is often in the middle. But, not always.
In response to your article, “Both sides are lying about global climate change,” I do not agree that President Obama’s assessment of climate change is alarmist. Furthermore, your argument saying that he is alarmist was extremely weak.
First, the evidence you present misquotes the IPCC by leaving out several important words. The actual quote is, “… drought has LIKELY INCREASED IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AND WEST AFRICA, AND likely decreased in North America …”
The portion in capitals is the portion you omitted. It certainly changes the meaning of the quote. The idea is that climate patterns will be changing overall. That will have impacts.
Secondly, the only other quote you provide to support your claim seems to support President Obama, as follows, “… high confidence in soil surface drying in the southwest USA by the end of the 21st century if conditions remain the same.”
Last, while there are specific areas where the IPCC Assessment Report 5 findings are not all doom and gloom, that is not the point. To use an individual finding from a comprehensive report, like AR5 or SREX, with literally hundreds of various findings as a way of justifying an overall assessment does not make a valid argument.
Looking at the overall picture (for example by looking at the “likelihood of further changes” columns in table SPM.1), it is quite reasonable to say, as President Obama did, “A changing climate means that weather-related disasters like droughts, wildfires, storms, floods are potentially going to be costlier and they’re going to be harsher.”
As for his statements that global temperatures are rising and ice caps are melting faster than expected, I recommend you check out the website www.extreemeicesurvey.org or the related movie, “Chasing Ice,” about the effort by James Balog to document glacial melting.
Ed Outlaw
Peachtree City, Ga.
