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Where is the heat?By Trent Loos On a day that most of the nation is buried in either ice or snow, I decided to come inside and write about global warming. We have been heating our home with gas, mainly because it is easy and it was here when we moved in. But, we have recently decided to put a wood stove back into the house. This decision was made partly because this weather reminded us of the ice storms last year, when we were without electricity for nearly a week. It is often in times like this that one becomes aware, rather harshly, of what happens when we rely too heavily on modern conveniences. There is also that growing segment of our population that believes that, because we use LP gas to heat our homes, we are fueling our own demise through global warming. In no way, shape or form do I believe that my actions contribute to climate change. I believe we are just a little too hung up on our own impact in the big picture, if we think we can affect Mother Nature. Sure, we can pollute the rivers and the air but, if you really look at the history of the world, Mother Nature always seems to cleanse herself. Yes, I am saying that the fires, the hurricanes and even the tornadoes all have a purpose. We may not understand or agree with them but they do serve a purpose. We get bombarded on a daily basis with information about how human actions, primarily of those living in the United States, are contributing to the end of life as we know it. Let me introduce you to the history of the dinosaur. In fact, I have seen scientific reports that indicate that 99 percent of all species that once existed on the earth are now extinct. Too bad the Endangered Species Act came along so late, unless of course you look at the fact that the Act tends to accelerate species extinction instead of preventing it. Some very interesting news was released, in the past week, that you won't hear much about because it doesn't follow the Global Warming zealots' notion of "one world, one community." According to a new study on global warming, climate scientists at the University of Rochester, the University of Alabama and the University of Virginia found that the climate change models based on human influence do not match observed warming. "This means that the greenhouse effect--while real--is not very important in producing climate change," he said. "It's a lot smaller than what the models calculate. "We have to remember that the climate has always been changing ,ever since we have records, and we have geologic records going back millions and millions of years. We know that there have been huge climate changes on the earth, long before human beings actually came into existence. "We are fairly sure that what's causing the warming are changes in the sun. These are very subtle changes that are very difficult to observe. The sun is really a quite variable star." Yes, I think that it is a good idea for my family to invest in a wood stove, mostly because it will save us money. It will force my girls and I to get out and gather and split logs, which is good for our physical health. It will teach us about how much work goes into heating our home, which will be a lesson in responsibility and good for our mental health. The words of wisdom my father-in-law shared with my wife when she was a kid were, "Burning wood is the only kind of heat that warms you twice. Once when you're cutting and hauling it and again when you burn it." So true! Overall, I think that anything we can do to reduce our dependence on imported oil is healthy for our nation. All of these things remind us that personal choices and the freedom to make them create the wonderful opportunity we have--to live in the United States of America. The freedom to make those choices should remain our right, rather than following an obligation to some United Nations forces mandate because someone living outside of our great nation is jealous of what our forefathers were able to accomplish, in creating the greatest place in the world to call home. With that said, I better put my three layers back on and get outside to feed the cows. Even global warming isn't going to keep them alive without my assistance, on a day like this ,and it sure hasn't done its part in keeping the ice thawed in the water tanks. Editor's note: Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food. Get more information at www.FacesOfAg.com, or e-mail Trent at trent@loostales.com. 12/17/07 Date: 12/13/07
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