CAGC Column

Let’s face it, most of us have great difficulty recognizing the truth even when it is being told to us.  We filter and analyze all incoming information on an ongoing basis using all the natural tools that we have in our possession to determine if the stories that we are being told are accurate and true.

We consciously and subconsciously monitor the narrator for body language, eye contact, breathing, blinking, facial expression and other signals, but when all is said and done, unless we are watching Pinocchio, we really can’t be sure that the information is in fact true or false.

Pinocchio was a fictional character from the children's novel The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi. He was a wooden puppet who dreamt of becoming a real boy and was known for his tendency to lie, which caused his nose to grow.

What is said is not always what is heard; marriage councilors regularly will have people restate what the other party has “just said” to confirm that they are on the same page and fully understand each other.

Often facts can be miscommunicated, misconstrued or misunderstood due to the use of exaggeration, sarcasm, repetition and outward expressions of emotion.  Quite often we get that intangible feeling or instinct that convinces us that we are being misled.  It will be good when there is a foolproof polygraph app that can be proven to be reliable 100% of the time.

Manipulation occurs on a daily basis by the subtle and not so subtle marketing strategies of companies trying to sell us some thing or some ideology using biased advertising and coercive promotion.  I admit that I have been the victim of this in the past myself, particularly when unable to sleep due to hip or knee pain and have found myself up watching late night TV.  I now proudly own a range of products from Tommy Copper to Dr Ho, Sham Wow and My Pillow.

So-called cable news networks also now use diatribe on a scale that is tantamount to criminal by attempting to affect political outcomes by swaying public opinion to their point of view, usually in the guise of “breaking news”, much of it contrived or fake.

This brainwashing extends into the school system, where parents have ceded the educational ground and control of the developing minds of our children to a select, biased group of individuals (teachers) who can essentially control the thoughts and minds of future generations in line with their own perspectives.

The use of social media and cyber control that in some cases use artificial intelligence is the new dynamic that has, and will continue to have, exponential outcomes on the future as it reaches and affects or “infects” millions of human minds in real time.

Life would be so much simpler if we all had tails like dogs.  I know instantly when my dog Jupiter is pleased to see me and when he is afraid, hungry, sick or just in need of comfort, a walk or a treat.

We do however, rely on scientists and those who, in the course of their daily work, research the facts, compile data, measure, experiment and make projections, but are also swayed by opinions, commentary, commands, direction and control from others who can have an ulterior motive, often for reasons of monetary gain or power, and who can also sometimes manipulate us for their own self-interest.

Al Gore’s name comes to mind: the former US Vice President, author of “An Inconvenient Truth” and the self-proclaimed inventor of the Internet, who narrowly lost the 2000 Presidential election to George Bush.  He may have lost the election, but he has been very successful in other ways, being handed a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for climate activism, and now has an estimated net worth in excess of $350 million. 

I think it should have been called “An Inconceivable Truth”, not “An Inconvenient Truth”.  Most of the conclusions have actually very little to do with truth, being mostly hypothesis and speculation leading to projections that created the global warming movement.

Global warming evolved into climate change; then as activism has grown, it now has become a climate crisis and along the way has decimated the energy industry in Canada.

Not only did Al Gore have a strategy to get his environmental global warming messages out to the masses, with today over 3500 World-wide presenters of his “Inconvenient Truths” still active, he also had a strategy to reach the youth of the World with a follow-up initiative called “An Inconvenient Youth” focused on empowering youth in schools.

You only have to watch any of the countless you-tube videos of pre-teen youth impacted by such messaging to understand just how effective this propaganda really is.  That it should be allowed in our schools is truly alarming.

It seems like such fear tactics are designed to support an agenda that cannot be supported with the truth or the facts, but which nevertheless attracts an over-abundance of popular support, particularly by those most vulnerable to such sensational indoctrination techniques.  The kids in the videos are genuinely terrified.

Recently Greta Thunberg, a Swedish teenager, started a personal protest that has overnight sparked a Global Climate Strike movement seeking action on climate change from governments.  She has hurtled on to the world stage and given speeches at the UN berating world leaders for their inaction that have prompted supporters now to call her a favorite for a Nobel Peace prize too.

All I can say is, “What is the world coming to?” To me, this is an unparalleled result of left-wing hype similar to the extreme views held by some US Democrats who have declared that a mass extinction of species will occur within 12 years without the complete cessation of fossil fuel use, a view supported by many “Greens” in this country.

I would suggest to all the 12,600 geoscientists in Canada, including geophysicists and geologists who are involved in the study of the earth, to read the paper written and presented by Dr. John Harper at the CAGC GeoConference in Red Deer in 2016.  His presentation, based on factual evidence found in rock and ice, tells a compelling story about climate change over the last 600 million years.  It debunks many of the myths and false assumptions that persist regarding human and CO₂ impacts on the climate.

Unfortunately, John passed away two years ago.  He is unable to continue reiterating his message.  I call all the geoscientists who agree with him to present his message to all who will listen (and to those who resist), as will I.  We, as scientists, are obligated to present what we believe to be the facts regarding climate change. 

The power point of John’s presentation is available on the CAGC website at www.cagc.ca.

HARPER, John David

Dr. John D. Harper passed away suddenly on October 24, 2017 at the age of 78 years. He was a consummate teacher and leader who shared his love of science, the outdoors, canoeing, skiing and exploring.

John graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Geology and continued on to receive his Masters of Applied Science.  In 1969, John received his Ph.D. from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, USA in Carbonate and Clastic Sedimentology.  John served as Director of the Geological Survey of Canada.  John was also a passionate geologist who worked across the globe and made significant contributions to petroleum geoscience and hydrocarbon exploration during an outstanding career spanning nearly fifty years.