Climate variability.
Dendrochronology, the study of tree rings, reveals past climate conditions as far back as 12,000 years. An imperfect science, climate change crisis proponents sometimes make claims from these data.
Two feet of snow.
Outside my window on this day, February 16, 2025, winter has accumulated over two feet of snow on my yard, and more is coming. As a cross country skier, I am happy. My Husqvarna snow blower, a good investors, is earning the price I paid for it. I cannot recall such a snowy winter as this one.
Frank Stronach, age 92, told me yesterday that he has never seen so much snow since he came here in 1954.
What is the CCCT crowd saying?
For two decades, Climate Change Crisis Theory (CCCT) alarmists have been warning us that if we don’t pay more carbon taxes and eliminate fossil fuels, we will shortchange Canada’s future generations.
With religious fervour, they predict that our great grandchildren will live in conditions of suffocating atmospheric CO2 concentrations and global temperatures a whole 2 degrees Celsius higher than today. They rely on wild statements about “global boiling” made by UN leaders , and on heavily politicized, fear-mongering reports from the IPCC to inform their fears. While outsourcing many past manufacturing jobs to China and other nations, apparently Canada’s CCCT alarmists and government officials have outsourced their critical thinking to unelected global institutions!
And here I thought that Donald Trump was the most reviled figure in the world but I suspect the lowly CO2 molecule wins that medal⁉️.
🎵Baby, It’s Cold Outside. 🎶
Within my lifetime, published stories warned of a pending new ice age. Claude.ai reports:
Time Magazine published an article titled "Another Ice Age?" on June 24, 1974. This piece discussed the cooling trend observed since the 1940s and quoted scientists speculating about whether this might be the beginning of a longer cooling period.
Newsweek published a more alarming piece called "The Cooling World" on April 28, 1975, written by Peter Gwynne. This article suggested that the cooling trend could lead to decreased agricultural productivity and potential food shortages. Gwynne later expressed regret about the alarmist tone of the article.
These articles are often cited in discussions about media coverage of climate science in the 1970s.
I am not a climate scientist.
In 2023, I challenged Councillor Pat Warren to join me in a public discussion about climate change at the end of a deputation I presented to City Council. Citizen deputations are limited to only 5 minutes; this was grossly inadequate to voice my legitimate concerns about the policies that the City of Kawartha Lakes has enacted “to fight climate change”.
Ms. Warren is a known climate change activist. I had just published a Kindle ebook called: “What to do about Climate Change, A Libertarian Proposal”. My Bachelor of Science degree, with studies in Physics and Chemistry, informs my understanding of climate science. Ms. Warren had a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy.
Councillor Warren refused to accept my invitation on the grounds that “neither of us are climate scientists”.
This, of course, does not stop her from promoting climate change policies which, when enacted, puts additional tax burdens and regulatory controls on the private and public property.
Pat’s “climate action” decisions affect over 70,000 residents living and working within the City of Kawartha Lakes whether they agree with her fears or not.
It takes Courage.
Call me naive, but I believe that anyone who chooses to politically represent thousands of people in a City Council should be prepared to receive challenges to their public decisions and actions. It’s an integral part of the job.
So, why did Councillor Warren hide behind such a weak excuse to avoid a public discussion with an informed constituent regarding her “climate action” agenda?
Does she lack confidence in her knowledge?
Perhaps, if she lost the debate with me, she afraid that she would “lose face” with those who voted for her in the last election. I think many more people would have respected her if she were more transparent about the basis for her climate change convictions.
Let’s build a snow man.
I am tempted to organize a group of citizens to build a large snow man on the grounds of City Hall to alert Mayor Elmslie and the other seven members of City Council to a serious concern. Council recently gave approval to the City, with inadequate justification for citizens’ consideration, to complete stage three (of 5) for its Climate Action Plan. This continues to be expensive and unnecessary. There are many more pressing public issues to address, and many of these are caused by excessive and unpopular government interventions.
Instead of “climate action”, how about eliminating all of the municipal policies that contribute to the rising cost of:
housing,
construction,
food,
energy,
transportation
business & labour regulatory costs, and
unreasonable restrictions on private property owners to use their property.
DOGE for Kawartha Lakes.
As I look outside my window and recall a recent grocery bill, I can’t understand how people like Pat Warren have been elected by a majority of her constituents to impose her personal fears on the rest of us.
It’s elected representatives like her that steel my conviction as a Libertarian that we have too much government.
Pat Warren’s gullible and superficially-informed electors are also culpable for putting her in office.
Perhaps we will replace Councillors like Pat Warren in the next election with representatives who will run on a mandate to scrutinize our municipal government in search for ways to serve our residents more efficiently and effectively.
A “DOGE Kawartha Lakes” could “Make the Kawartha’s Great Again” by establishing the best and most respected municipal government in Ontario.
A DOGE mandate would seek to eliminate all departments and policies that do not demonstrably and cost-effectively improve the quality of life for the residents of the City of Kawartha Lakes.
To start, let’s…
Eliminate all “climate action” programs and related expenditures, and
Tear up all third-party agreements with international organizations like ICLEI to prevent such future distractions from the City delivering on issues that actual matter to residents.
Dump all DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) “social justice” policies. These do nothing but interfere with the City delivering the best municipal services that our limited tax dollars can buy.
Reject any municipal worker who is not given the freedom of informed choice to accept or reject union membership. Forced membership as a condition of employment is unacceptable to the workers and to our taxpayers.