Dean Jepson: Can’t change climate? We’ve done it generations

A ranking member in the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee, James Inhofe (Okla.-R) said it is “arrogance to think that man can change climate.” Mankind’s brain power allows humans to live in every type of environment on the planet. Our technology has changed vast sections of land masses, like our fog-shrouded valley – a condition that didn’t exist before irrigation. Rain forest climates all over the world have been altered, due to construction projects. Our oceans are ridiculous.

When we unleashed the power of the atom, in less than 40 years, mankind realized that huge explosions used in underground testing were capable of changing our orbit around the sun. That would have been climate change on steroids, had all the major players not signed a treaty. I’m glad no one in a position of importance felt we were arrogant then.

I understand that Sen. Inhofe is making deference to the Creator, the same entity responsible for mankind’s advanced intelligence; but having devout arrogance should not precede scientific ignorance. Perhaps Upton Sinclair’s observation explains this: “It’s difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon not understanding it.”

This story was originally published January 26, 2015 at 1:51 PM with the headline "Dean Jepson: Can’t change climate? We’ve done it generations."