[Market Economy Guide] Is the Earth Warming?

Over the past 100 years, the Earth’s average temperature has risen by 0.74 degrees…

The main driver of changes in the Earth’s temperature is the sun… it has always changed

People sometimes casually say, “It is unfortunate that global warming is destroying ecosystems.” But saying that global warming destroys ecosystems is an exaggerated expression. The Earth’s surface temperature and ecosystems are always changing. Change creates an environment that benefits some and disadvantages others. As a result, some species disappear while new species emerge.

Is global warming a disaster?

A slight change in temperature does not bring about a fundamental shift great enough to overturn a paradigm. It merely affects someone’s environment to some extent. It is said that over the past 100 years, the Earth’s average temperature has risen by 0.74 degrees. That is not such a large change, nor is it beyond our ability to adapt to and overcome. But if another ice age were to arrive, it could become an enormous disaster for humanity.

Climate change is directly connected to human life. Compared with 1,000 years ago, the Earth is cold. As temperatures declined over a long period, many changes took place in the world. In particular, the way people lived and the forms of housing changed, and as people moved to warmer regions, even civilizations changed.

In this sense, climate change has had such a great influence on humanity that it can alter history. For example, both the rise and the fall of the Roman Empire were affected by temperature changes. A Mediterranean climate and a continental climate bring about considerable differences in the way people live. As a warm period expanded the Mediterranean climate, the European continent enjoyed abundant agricultural products. During this period, Rome flourished and was able to station troops throughout Europe. By contrast, in the 5th century, as the weather turned colder, the southward migration of the Germanic peoples began, and Rome met disaster.

Which would people choose: a cooling Earth or a warming Earth? Is global warming a disaster, or is global cooling a disaster? During the bitter cold of winter, which harms people more? The answer is clear. For those in difficult circumstances, cold is more frightening. Throughout long stretches of history, people worried more about falling temperatures and welcomed warmer weather as a blessing.

There was once a period when temperatures fell

If the Earth’s temperature keeps rising until it reaches the level of 1,000 years ago—or even 10,000 years ago—would that be a disaster for humanity? In 982, a Norwegian named Erik was sailing in the Arctic and discovered a vast green plain. He named the island Greenland. Today, about 85% of Greenland is covered in ice. If the entire island were to return once again to a green plain, would that be a disaster? It would simply be the result of long-term temperature changes on Earth bringing about changes in ecosystems.

The Earth’s temperature has always changed. Those temperature changes are influenced to a considerable extent by the sun. In that sense, the main culprit behind global warming or global cooling is the sun. In particular, changes in sunspots have had a significant impact on human life. In past agricultural societies, weather had an absolute connection to crop yields. Depending on the amount of sunlight, harvests could be either abundant or poor. Good weather increases agricultural output, and this improves the real economy. In fact, theories of business cycles were even developed that took into account the relationship between changes in sunspots and fluctuations in the real economy. As manufacturing developed, this connection with weather weakened, and economists had to look for other factors affecting business cycles.

In fact, over the course of the past 100 years, people have experienced temperature changes at intervals of several decades. The Earth’s temperature, which had been rising for about 30 years starting in the 1910s, then declined for a long period from the 1940s to the 1970s. This downward temperature trend was a period that gave people a fear of global cooling. Then, as temperatures began to rise again from the 1970s onward, people once more came to suffer from fear of global warming.

The debate over global warming belongs to the realm of science. It should not become an object of conviction or belief; rather, what is required is a rational approach to dealing with climate change. What we need is not fear, but science.

■ Please remember

In 982, a Norwegian named Erik was sailing in the Arctic and discovered a vast green plain. He named the island Greenland. Today, about 85% of Greenland is covered in ice. If the entire island were to return once again to a green plain, would that be a disaster?

Sung-no Choi, President of the Center for Free Enterprise (CFE)

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Original title: [시장경제 길라잡이] 지구는 따뜻해지고 있는가?

Author: Sung-no Choi

Date: 2020-01-13

Source: https://www.cfe.org/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=column&pn=10&idx=22281