Letter to the Editors of Scientific American

I have to question the responsibility of publishing more Michael F. Mann quotes. I am sure that many, including David Biello, believe that humankind is to fault with the world's problems, but a much larger issue has been exposed by "Climategate." First, that data which does not support AGW was misrepresented, destroyed, and withheld from the debate. More importantly, that the scientific process itself was not used to make the AGW argument because there was no open debate allowed.


We can debate the importance of swapping out data at the end of series and calling it a "trick." However, millions of lives will be lost every year if we proceed with AGW policies as money is spent that could save lives and improve the human condition.

Suppose AGW is wrong at this point. If this money is misallocated due to valid, debated scientific theory which turns out to be wrong, then I do not think blame can be laid. If money is misallocated at the cost of 1 human life for political or financial gain, then Mann, Hanson, the IPCC and others involved should be tried for murder. If the estimates of 4.1 million lives are lost per year due to the expenditure of money on AGW that would otherwise be spent for humanitarian causes, we are talking about a murder on a scale that rivals the worse collectivists of the last century.

I am an avid science enthusiast, but the disturbing collectivist and even communist support for AGW policies, coupled with the apparent fraud of "Climategate" gives me, and should give EVERYONE pause. This may be the same battle to tear freedom from humanity and devalue human life that America fought in 1941 and throughout the Cold War.

If you believe in humanity, we will solve these problems through innovation. If you do NOT believe in your fellow man, then population control and other, horrific but logical rationales will be used as government tries to solve these problems. So, please use this magazine to foster debate and not to evangelize for one side.


Charles Fettinger
Entrepreneur
San Diego, CA