The Obama administration has run-the-numbers and concludes cap-and-trade law would cost taxpayers $200 billion a year. This is equivalent to increasing income taxes 15 percent. Most would agree that would be a small price to pay to save the planet.

But now we have “climategate.” Climategate is the release of emails which show “conspiracy, collusion in exaggerating warming data, possibly illegal destruction of embarrassing information, organised resistance to disclosure, manipulation of data, private admissions of flaws in their public claims and much more.”

With our government about to throw numerous blows (cap/trade, health care, stimulus, more) to the economic gut of American business and taxpayers, you would think Washington would want a full investigation of the scientific data that is pushing cap and trade. But no. Instead, Barbara Boxer, Al Franken and others are more interested in prosecuting the person(s) that leaked these e-mails. Not surprising, since these are same types who would rather prosecute the people who exposed ACORN, rather than investigate ACORN for whatever corruptions it may be involved in.

Consider these people:

James Hansen of NASA (adviser to Al Gore), proponent of climate change, has had his work and numbers discredited in the past. Dr. John S. Theon, former supervisor of Hansen, has challenged Hansen’s work and has become a global warming skeptic.

Steven Schneider (adviser to Al Gore) is proponent of climate change. Yet in 1978 he was warning of a coming ice age.

By mere accident I came across a climate change book by John Gribbin titled “Future Weather and the Greenhouse Effect” (1982). On the back cover it noted another book by Gribbin “Death of the Sun; Will the Next Solar Storm Spawn a New Ice Age” (1980). Gribbin’s subjects went from from ice age to global warming in just 2 years.

Al Gore is the most visible proponent of global warming. Gore is passionate about this subject and has made dire predictions to the point of causing international concern if not hysteria. This man has asked Americans cut energy use by 20 percent. If he really believes his inconvenient truths, why then does he still own three homes and use 15 to 20 times more energy than the average American? (After being caught in this hypocrisy, Gore as made some changes to his home). Al Gore should downsize to one home the size of the average American home and then cut his energy consumption by 20 percent and live the like the rest of us.

He should have nothing in his garage but hybrids and electrics. Instead of burning tons of fossil fuels flying corporate jets to conferences, Gore should stay home and do video conferencing. Lead by example, Mr. Gore.

Lest someone think I don’t care about the environment; I recycle, have thermostat set at 69, use CFLs, and pay to recycle my electronics. Albert Lea and Freeborn County make it very easy to recycle. If you don’t, shame on you.

Why would people fudge numbers? Why would authors put out books with divergent views? Concern, crisis, hysteria can be a money-magnet for individuals, universities and for government. It was Obama’s Rahm Emanuel who said “Never let a serious crisis go to waste.”

However, it seems of no concern to them whether the crisis is real or manufactured.

Tom Jacobson

Albert Lea