Climate change

Climate change is happening.  The question is how much is due to natural cycles vs man's use of fossil fuels?  A lot of CO2 and methane comes from natural sources such as volcanoes and animal flatulence.

How much will reducing our carbon emissions actually slow the rate of change? Some, of course, but a bigger help would be reversing the pattern of desertification globally. In addition, the earth has gone through many similar cycles, including periods of rapid change after periods of stability.

Allowing for gradual transition to alternate fuel sources and focusing on implementing changes to how we manage public lands and farmland to reverse desertification trends is more effective and less costly than taking drastic measures to reduce carbon emissions as the primary solution. The money saved in a more holistic and effective approach can be spent on common sense diversification of energy sources and improvement in efficiency.

In addition, we need to take measures to prepare for the inevitable change instead of fighting over the cause of the change.

Ideas:

1. Invest in sea walls and other measures for coastal cities that are too big and populous to relocate.
2. Drop federal funding of flood relief and insurance in coastal areas below current or future predicted sea level.
3. Change zoning in low density areas of cities below projected sea level so those areas can be used for flood control instead of for homes or businesses.
4. Declare unpopulated coast land as federal set-aside that can be used as park space and wildlife refuges until eventually under water
5. Start adopting building methods used in the Netherlands such as buildings and walkways that can float

There have been reports recently of studies showing that a pattern of decrease in solar flares leading to temporary cooling of the sun may lead to temperature decline for several decades.  That could give us time to prepare for the inevitable while relieving some pressure to make draconian cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.