Guus Berkhout
Guus Berkhout Emeritus Professor of Geophysics, Delft University of Technology Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences President of CLINTEL
Your Excellencies,
Compared to global problems like poverty and health, climate change is a nonissue! Using computer models, alarmists frighten the world population already for decades with a so-called climate crisis, but hard facts show that this crisis just does not exist. Please, read CLINTEL’s COP26 Trilogy:
Don’t continue pushing your zero-CO2 emission ambition in a time that the world is struggling with many real problems. Specifically, for today: “Don’t fight CO2, fight virus”.
This was the fear-mongering message of these gentlemen on last November 30 : “Unchecked, climate change will bring devastating outcomes like droughts, famines, floods, heat waves, collapse of ecosystems and mass dislocations.” Gentlemen, if your “Existential Crisis” would exist, it is not due to climate change but it is due to your bad public policies.
World leaders must stop with their frightening narrative that climate change causes a “Existential Crisis” (see above recent event). Don’t link extreme weather to human-caused CO2 emission and stop spreading disinformation on the necessity of total lockdowns! Instead, spread hope and truth. As a very first step, designated Green New Deal money must be redirected and invested in real problems. Release people from poverty and invest in serious health issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
World Climate Declaration
The past 150 years show that affordable and reliable energy is key to financing basic needs, such as food, health, sanitation, housing, electricity and education. The past 150 years also show that more CO2 is beneficial for nature, greening the Earth and increasing the yields of crops. Why do world leaders ignore these hard facts? Why do world leaders do the opposite with their Green New Deal and lower the quality of life by forcing high-cost, dubious low-carbon energy technologies upon their citizens? To get it their way, fear is used but fear has never led to sensible policies.
The Hague, December 1, 2021
Your Excellences, please look at the World Climate Declaration (WCD) of CLINTEL:
Click to access WCD-A4version1008212.pdf
This Declaration states that the climate crisis is not caused by the Earth’s climate, but that it is caused by your climate policies. The Declaration also states that climate change exists and must be addressed, but it emphasizes that there is NO cause for panic and alarm. CLINTEL strongly opposes your destructive and unrealistic global net-zero CO2 policy (‘NetZero’). Instead, the aim of any global policy should be ‘prosperity for all’ by providing reliable and affordable energy at all times. In a prospering society men and women are well educated, birthrates are low and people care about their environment. They are good stewards.
Great Barrington Declaration
The Great Barrington Declaration addresses the COVID-19 pandemic and has a very similar message as the WCD. Yes, the COVID-19 pandemic exists and must be addressed, but there is NO cause for panic and alarm. Disruptive lockdowns, chaotic situations in hospitals, lack of medicines and insufficient vaccines are caused by bad health policies. The Declaration states that adopting measures to protect the vulnerable should be key in all public health responses (‘focused protection’):
Hence, comprehensive knowledge about the vulnerable groups in society is indispensable in fighting COVID-19. Those who are not vulnerable should be allowed to resume life as normal, showing responsible behaviour and adapting to the unusual situation. Meanwhile, it is highly desirable to start an open reporting system that provides us with an honest overview of the side effects and adverse reactions of medicines and vaccines. And above all, we must invest in a better understanding of virus mutation and virus transmission.
My advice to world leaders
Climate change is largely caused by natural primordial forces and the dynamics of a pandemic is largely caused by natural virus mutations. They have in common that both are of all time and both can only be modestly controlled by mankind. With all respect, your policies have made the situation worse instead of better (your cure is worse than the disease). Why don’t you think in terms of cost and benefit? Be aware, the trust in you and your organizations is rapidly disappearing!
My advice to you is: “Spend the intended climate trillions not on NetZero, but invest in global monitoring networks for early detection, make organizations flexible to adapt fast, focus on the vulnerable and develop new technology.” In climate policies that means adaptation technology for protection against extreme weather conditions. In COVID-19 policies that means technology for transmission-blocking mechanisms, effective medicines and safe broad-spectrum vaccines. With such a comprehensive approach, lockdowns are out of the question. Bear in mind, in pandemics people are the victims ánd people are the sources of infection, creating a positive feedback system. No one is safe until everyone is safe!
The above also implies an intensive message to the growing number of extremist organizations. Please, deepen your understanding and broaden your view. Stop frightening the world, stop polarizing societies and stop disrupting our democracies! My advice to you all is: “Don’t be a denier and don’t be an alarmist either”.
Restore trust
Your Excellencies, to conclude, be responsible to current and future generations and stop your Green New Deal plans. Your CO2 budgets and total lockdowns are based on fear; they limit human rights, feed extremism and push mankind into a deep physical, mental and financial crisis. Instead of squandering trillions to a problem that does not exist, release people from poverty, solve global health issues such as the corona pandemic, invest more in science and education and, above all, take better care of all life on our unique planet
Yours sincerely,
Guus Berkhout
Emeritus Professor of Geophysics, Delft University of Technology Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences President of CLINTEL
