A major benefit
produced by
burning fossil fuels
was unintended:
The growth-enhancing,
water-conserving, and
stress-alleviating
effects of elevated
atmospheric CO2
on plants.
There are other benefits,
and some CO2 costs too.
But most of the "costs"
are imaginary "costs",
always coming in the future,
but they never arrive !
Those "costs" have been
"coming in the future"
since the 1960's !
That means
the coming "costs"
are only fairy tales,
used by leftists
to scare people,
and grow the power
of governments.
The coming climate "crisis"
is imaginary, faith based,
anti-science, wild guess
predictions of doom,
that will never come !
A fake "crisis" being used
as a strategy to promote
socialism -- not as
a better economic system
compared with free markets
because that would be a lie.
Socialism is being promoted
as new government powers
needed to save the planet
for the children.
Leftists believe this because
they trust governments,
primarily staffed by fellow
leftists.
That means leftists are not
very bright -- we've had
20,000 years of global warming
since Chicago and Detroit
were covered by glaciers.
Actual past climate change to study.
Not imaginary future climate change !
Where is the bad news
from the past climate change ?
I can't find bad news, after 21 years
reading climate science, as a hobby.
The bad news is always coming
in the future ... we've been waiting
50 years, and guess what?
Our planet's climate improved !
Since 1940, we've mainly had
slightly warmer winter nights,
in the northern half of the
Northern Hemisphere.
That's good news
for the few people
who live there !
And almost no global warming
since the 2003 peak,
within the weather satellite
measurements margins of error.
A Science-Based
Fossil Fuel
Cost - Benefit
Impact Analysis:
Acid Rain
No impact
The fertilizing effect
of CO2 easily offsets
any acid rain harm
to vegetation.
( Note: All rain is acidic,
and has always been )
Agriculture
Benefit
Fossil fuels are used
to make artificial fertilizers,
to power farm machines,
and for modern
food processing.
CO2 also accelerates
C3 plant growth,
and they use
less water too.
Plants eaten by humans
and animals are mainly
the "C3" plants.
Air Quality
Cost
Cleanly burned fossil fuels
are common in most nations,
but poor families
burning soft coal
to heat homes in Asia
do cause urban air pollution.
Catastrophes
Unknown
CO2 is not a “trigger”
for abrupt climate change.
Conflict
Benefit
Violent conflicts have fallen
as prosperity increases,
made possible by affordable,
reliable energy and a
secure food supply.
Drought
No net impact
No increase in
the frequency
or intensity
of drought
in the modern era.
Economic Growth
Benefit
Affordable and reliable energy
is positively correlated
with economic growth rates.
Electrification
Benefit
Fossil fuels directly produce
about 80% of electric power
in the world.
Solar and wind power
do not produce continuous,
inexpensive electric power.
Environmental Benefits
Benefit
Aerial CO2 fertilization
has produced net greening
of our planet,
especially in dry areas,
measured using satellites.
Rising CO2 also lets plants
use water more efficiently,
helping them overcome
dry conditions.
Extreme Weather
No net impact
No increase in
the frequency
or intensity
of extreme weather
in the modern era.
Greenhouse gas
global warming
should warm
both poles most,
reducing the
temperature
differential
between the poles
and the tropics,
which would cause
milder weather
conditions.
Forestry
Benefit
Vehicles powered
by fossil fuels
replaced horses
for transportation,
so millions of acres
of land, formerly used
to grow food for horses,
are now forests.
Elevated CO2
concentrations
also accelerate
forest growth.
Human Health
Benefit
Fossil fuels
contribute to
improved nutrition,
health care,
human safety,
and human welfare.
Human Migration
Unknown
Forced migrations
due to sea-level rise,
attributed to man-made
climate change, have yet
to be documented.
Ocean Acidification
Unknown
Research illustrates
the capability of both
marine and freshwater species,
to tolerate, and adapt to,
rising temperatures,
and unknown (impossible
to measure) tiny pH declines
of the oceans.
Oil Spills
Cost
But damage in
the Gulf of Mexico,
after the Deepwater
Horizon oil spill,
was much less
than predicted.
Polar Ice Melting
Unknown
Melting is not
at “unnatural” rates
-- it is just assumed
that man made CO2
is the cause.
Global sea-ice cover
remains similar in area
to what it was
at the start of
satellite observations
in 1979, with less ice
in the Arctic Ocean,
offset by more ice
around Antarctica.
Sea Level Rise
No net impact
No acceleration of
the rate of increase
in global average sea level
in the modern era,
after 1940.
Sustainability
Benefit
Fossil fuels
are a sustainable
source of energy
for the foreseeable future.
"Peak Oil" was
an incorrect prediction.
Temperature Related
Mortality
Benefit
Cold weather
kills more people
than warm weather,
and natural gas
enables people
to keep warm
at affordable prices,
that don't require
taxpayer subsidies.
Transportation
Benefit
Fossil fuels make transportation
faster, and less expensive.
Water Resources
Benefit
Aerial CO2 fertilization
improves plant water
use efficiency, reducing
the demand for irrigation.