Use precise climate terms

In regard to your Aug. 15 editorial on cap and trade, you mar a reasonably objective editorial by constantly using the term “climate change” when you probably mean human-caused global warming.

Unfortunately, this terminology currently seems to prevail throughout the American media, and among American politicians.

There is a huge distinction between the two terms. Global warming is a facet of natural climate change which has occurred on and off throughout earth history, and anthropological- caused global warming represents a postulated, relatively recent, unknown percentage of natural global warming. To combat natural climate change, including global warming, would entail futile attempts to control colossal natural forces like variations in the solar magnetic field and volcanic activity.

As a geoscientist, I don’t know of any colleagues who question the existence of climate change, but there are many, labeled “deniers,” mainly by the media, who question what portion of global warming might be related to human causes.

To just ignore these “deniers,” many of them very eminent scientists, is tantamount to “scientific” consensus by media mob rule.

M. A. Kaufman

Spokane Valley