Editor’s reply: Nicole, our position, based on the data we’ve evaluated, is that anthropogenic CO2 and other anthropogenic greenhouse gasses probably are having a negligible effect on climate change. If you think we are “attacking” the alarmist community, you haven’t been paying much attention to who’s attacking who. Global warming alarmism is the most ambitious attempt to make the rich richer in the history of the human race, and the way voices of moderation - like EcoWorld - are silenced is by accusing them, the “deniers,” of having ulterior motives. The smear campaign against anyone who questions this blatant attempt (in the name of saving the earth) to reengineer the global economy so super wealthy western elites can micromanage and regulate virtually all economic activity is disgraceful, and dangerous. I’m glad you brought up the point about deforestation - much of the deforestation occuring in recent years is to grow biofuel, supposedly because this crop is a “carbon neutral” fuel. But the role of deforestation in regional (if not global) climate change is very well documented, and has little to do with CO2 absorption or emission. Deforestation in the tropics is a direct cause of droughts. Also, because reflective clouds form over forests in the tropics, when you deforest, you increase surface temperatures. Our position is land use changes in general are far more likely to be causing harmful regional climate impacts than levels of CO2. Read Hydraulic Redistribution for more on this, or any of the articles in our climate category.

take care,

nicholas