Kymberly Escobar, communications director for the Green activist group Ozone Action, is again factually wide of the mark ("Temperatures rise in global warming debate," Letters, Aug. 23).

The earth’s climate history over the past 10,000 years shows many large, precipitous and natural climatic changes. Temperatures 1,000, 3,000 and 6,500 years ago were as much as 2 degrees Fahrenheit above what they are today, putting claims that last month was the hottest July "ever" in doubt.

Moreover, the earth’s warm spring and summer, according to a July 16 report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, were clearly caused by El Nino. Virtually all of the warming was over the tropics, a band that catches the lower part of Texas and Florida. Temperatures over the rest of the United States were rather average; June was actually somewhat cooler than average.

Contrary to Miss Escobar’s assertion, John Christy’s global satellite temperature data do not show a warming trend, even upon revision. The data between 1979 and 1997 show a cooling of minus 0.01 degree Celsius per decade. As for this year’s El Nino-driven warm spell, it is already being tempered by the onset of a rapid cooling—La Nina—which has brought hurricanes back into the picture and will likely bring a normal, snowy winter.

Indeed, as it turns out, the recent El Nino-driven warming was not all bad. There was a dearth of hurricanes last fall, which means the United States avoided hundreds of millions of dollars in hurricane damage costs along the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast. The mild winter and spring temperatures also saved American businesses and consumers tens of millions of dollars in heating costs.

As for the heat wave in Texas, state health officials report that those who died were poor, sick and elderly people who lacked air conditioning. Ironically, the Kyoto Protocol, which Miss Escobar wants implemented, would drive up energy costs, forcing more of these people to forgo air conditioning in order to pay their utility bills. In short, it would mean more deaths during the July heat waves, not fewer.

Federal environmental policy needs better science and less hype. So far, all we are getting from Green activists such as Ozone Action is hype.

Candace Crandall
Policy research associate
The Science & Environmental Policy Project
Fairfax