Writer on climate shows political agenda

I'm responding to the Jan. 5 letter by Dale Richey, “Climate change a natural process.” His letter on climate at first seemed balanced and reasonable. He allowed that climate is changing and even acknowledged that “man's CO2 emissions add to the problem.”

But then he blew his cover. His authority turns out to be none other than Ian Plimer, professor emeritus of geology. Please Google Plimer. He's revealed as a thoroughly discredited fraud. Moreover, Wikipedia details his extensive stock holdings in, even ownership of, energy and mining interests. In short, Richey thereby revealed himself as someone trying to justify ideologically driven, anti-science beliefs.

The serious research evidence is overwhelming that the planet is undergoing unprecedented changes that look bad for the future of maritime populations everywhere. Our pollution since the start of the industrial revolution is largely the cause as that has gradually increased global warming, ominous ocean acidification, ice melting, release of carbon dioxide from the arctic tundra, etc. This information is factual. There is no controversy among the vast majority of scientists on what broadly is happening.

It's possible that Richey has been taken in by the campaign of misinformation, manufactured controversy and deliberate attempts to confuse, financed with millions of dollar from energy companies, notably Exxon Mobile.

But I doubt it; his letter indicates a political agenda coupled with a willful ignorance of science. Oh, and kudos to Al Gore, who brought the planet's problem to public attention with well-documented facts. He did deserve the Nobel Prize.

Eugene Spaziani

Iowa City