Warming action urgently needed

When science indicates trends, individuals and businesses often attack findings when they are unfavorable. This occurred when studies linked smoking to negative health effects.

Now a similar situation has presented itself in the case of energy use and climate change. There is strong evidence linking some energy production techniques to negative climate health repercussions. However, the corporations that apply these techniques would rather attack the scientific evidence than update and improve to more climate friendly practices. This production of public doubt is hindering to those that must take steps to curtail the climate change issue, which could lead some to ignore or also attack the presented evidence rather than make the necessary adjustments.

E. Thomas McClanahan of the Kansas City Star promoted the lies and deceptions in his recent column on the overblown event the skeptics misname Climategate.

Contrary to McClanahan's claims, there is nothing in either the stolen e-mails or the climate data themselves that suggests global warming has slowed or reversed.

Furthermore, there is no evidence that any data have been lost, discarded or manipulated to indicate a pattern that is not evident.

It is vital that actions are taken to address this problem. The false hope formed by lies and deceit used to place an incorrect context around poorly quoted statements from stolen e-mails can only stifle progress toward needed changes. One can only hope that it is these feeble attacks that are ignored by politicians and their constituents, rather than the overwhelming and sound scientific evidence itself.

ARIC D. NELSON, St. Charles, Mo.