Copenhagen update: the religion of climate change

One of the most striking things I saw on my first walk around Copenhagen should have been no surprise at all. It was a sign, about 20 x 20 (feet not meters!) that said "Stop Climate Change Now." It was just another of the many signs plastering the walls, hanging from buildings, and displayed on cars and sea faring vessels around Copenhagen. But after some of the recent research I have been doing, this one was particularly of interest. Because the climate is, and forever has been, changing, we cannot stop this change. You might as well display a sign saying "Stop the Earth Rotating on its Axis Now."

As more and more research is released about the dramatic and sometimes sudden changes the Earth's climate has experienced long before the Industrial Age, it has become clear that many of those who have gathered here have their climate belief system and they are unwilling to accept any challenges to it, and are not very interested in the realities of historical climatology. The blinders they have put on allow them to continue to pursue their goals with a religious fervor.

The choice of Denmark as the location of these historic talks is of interest as well. Denmark was home to many of the Vikings that built wealth in the Middle Ages through pillage, conquest, and the settling of new lands that became available because of a distinct and sudden warming pattern called the Medieval Warming Period. And yet Denmark is also home to multinational corporations and banks that have spent billions preparing to make billions more from the establishment of a cap and trade regime.

Denmark stands to lose if this new climate movement loses steam. The windmills that dot the skyline here are a testament not only to the dedication to the cause, but also the vast investment.

Windmills are good and we should invest in more and ensure they are part of our energy mix and energy solution. But we also need to look at affordable technology that is available and affordable now. The U.S. needs to get religion about energy security and reliability. Let's start looking realistically at the problem and we can take realistic action.