Climate change is a real problem

In the May 5 Gazette, columnist Charles Krauthammer reflected a lack of understanding about climate change when he dismissed President Obama's recent concern about climate because temperatures are the same as 16 years ago and U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases are at a 20-year low.

If Krauthammer understood the issue, he would know that 1998 was an extraordinarily warm year, but even it has been passed twice for total global average temperature (2005 and 2010), and that the 12 warmest years on record have all occurred since 1998. He would also know that reducing carbon dioxide levels to 1992 levels does not solve the problem, because even then scientists calculated that we needed to cut emissions by at least 60 percent to stop further increases of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

This is why I have written my book, “America's Climate Century,” so that informed citizens will understand the climate problem and why we need strong American leadership both at home and around the world to deal effectively with it. It is time to move beyond headlines from Fox News or MSNBC.

Sen. Rob Hogg

Cedar Rapids