Climate change hoax started 30 years ago

I admit I yearn for a simpler time when the headlines did not include immigrant cages and Russian collusion and pee pee dossiers. A time when the First Lady's jacket was unimportant and the term Nazi was relegated to the history books.

I say bring back the debate on climate change.

You remember climate change -- that man-made rape of the environment that threatened all of civilization. The total ruination of Mother Earth that could only be solved by changing light bulbs and imposing regulations to counter the rising tides.

Whatever happened to climate change?

Glad you asked.

It was 30 years ago this week that the first dire predictions were made on the impending doom to civilization that morphed from global warming to climate change.

NASA scientist James Hansen appeared before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on June 23, 1988, and painted a dismal portrait of the catastrophe that was right around the corner.

That testimony spawned a madcap dash to save the planet from a doomsday scenario the likes of which we've never seen.

The problem is Hansen had it all wrong.

His wild predictions garnered attention and agreement from a host of international "experts."

But alas, temperatures haven't risen near the levels predicted.

But there's more.

The scientific community predicted massive rising sea levels which never materialized.

Still more.

Hansen and his merry band of alarmists predicted with great certainty stronger hurricanes, stronger storms and much stronger tornadoes.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says evidence since those predictions dispute every claim made by the alarmists.

But Hansen and his models were not through. In 2007 and again in 2016, Hansen trotted out a laundry list of disasters right around the corner that would threaten the future of mankind.

Trouble is, not one of those predictions has proven even close to accurate.

Much more sophisticated and accurate measurements since 1988 debunk each and every prediction on climate change that we were told was imminent.

Hansen was wrong. The scientific community was wrong.

Temperatures are doing what temperatures have always done -- they fluctuate over time with modest increases consistent with past measurements.

Granted, climate change debates lack the cachet of children in cages and Russian prostitutes. And, yes, over time the climate change debate has evolved into little more than Al Gore's talking points.

But I miss those clueless Hollywood celebrities and politicians opining on environmental issues as if they know what they are talking about.

And yes, I admit, I miss Al Gore. After all, the man who invented the Internet surely knows something about the environment.

Right?

Michael Jensen is the publisher of the Standard Democrat in Sikeston, Missouri.