Here are two representative letters:

I've often considered myself intelligent when it comes to sensationalism and herd mentality. Once again you have proved me wrong with your insightful and, I might add, factual analysis of an otherwise sensational topic. Global warming. Absolutely brilliant article and I must say I couldn't stop laughing through the whole thing at the bitter irony of how little I actually knew on the subject. All I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you, for facilitating proper knowledge.  You have once again brought another mystical beast into the light of day. After all, it wasn't that long ago (a mere 400 years in a six-billion-year-old planetary cycle) that the earth was considered... well... flat? It is flat, isn't it?

Do continue your wonderful research and continue to shed light of all the dinosaurs, both living and non-living. I for one greatly appreciate your newsletter. Be blessed.

(Marc A.)

***

I thought this was a very good article, although I think the author is still missing the point. The point of any scientific analysis of human behavior is whether we are influencing the environment in which we live by our own actions. It is clear that we have increased the level of CO2 significantly. We know how to reduce this, for example, by using more nuclear power.

Should we not seek to reduce our potential impact on the Earth's climate? Since we do not really know what effect the increased CO2 will have, shouldn't we seek to minimize it? Or should we just hope for the best?

This is the real debate, and if believing that we should minimize the unknown effects of a human-based climactic variable on the Earth makes me an "alarmist," then so be it. Perhaps it would have been more objective of you, since you used pejorative language to describe those who favor action on global warming as alarmists, then "skeptics" should instead have been labeled as "ostriches."

Fortunately for us, so far the Earth has shown us what a marvelous self-correcting system it is. Should we just assume that will continue, or should we take action so that Nature decides what happens next, not us?

(Tom L.)

See more reader comments here.