The Environmental Policy Task Force is a project of the National Center for Public Policy Research, which describes itself as a conservative/free market foundation. The Task Force has produced a series called "Talking Points on the Environment", part of which is the debunking of various "myths". However, many of these "myths" are nothing more than strawmen. In addition, there is heavy reliance on questionable references such as reports from the George C. Marshall Institute (the Institute's reports are not peer reviewed) and Dixy Lee Ray's two books (for critiques of her books see Parson)
From Talking Point # 12
"Malignant melanoma, a deadly form of cancer, is believed to be linked to UV-A -- or ordinary blue sunlight -- which is not blocked by the ozone layer. UV-B rays are blocked by ozone, but have little if any impact on the incidence of melanoma."
Two other forms of skin cancer that cause about 2000 deaths per year in the United States (Napoli) have been linked to UV-B .
"Changes in weather patterns, the eruption of volcanos, changes in ultraviolet output of the sun linked to the 10-11 year solar cycle and other natural phenomena can, like CFCs, inhibit the production of ozone."
No one has ever claimed that all changes in ozone levels are caused by CFCs. In order to minimize the effects of natural variations, long term trends are examined (Stolarske et al.). And CFCs don't inhibit the production of ozone, the breakdown products of CFCs destroy existing ozone.
"Britain's Gordon Dobson observed ozone holes over the Antarctic in 1956 and 1957, long before CFCs were in widespread use."
This myth has been debunked numerous times (Parson item 6). Dobson's coworkers found ozone levels lower than those that had ben found in the Arctic, and naturally they commented on this. They did not find levels similar to those that are associated with the hole. See http://www.atm.ch.cam.ac.uk/tour/part2.html for a graph of ozone levels from 1956 to the 1980s.
From Talking Point # 23.
"Measurements of stratospheric ozone are most likely thrown off by varying levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the atmosphere, which create the false appearance of ozone depletion. When the data for the past 30 years is corrected for SO2 interference, all evidence of ozone depletion disappears."
Sulfur dioxide was found to interfere at a single monitoring station in heavily polluted Brussels, Belgium (DeMuer and DeBacker). While SO2 could interfere at other stations in polluted areas, most monitoring stations are not located in polluted areas. And SO2 has no effect on measurements taken from balloon based instruments or from satellites. And, even when corrected for the effects of SO2, there was a decrease in total ozone above Brussels over the short term.
"Specifically, the duPont corporation, which currently supports the CFC ban, stands to make a killing by patenting and selling expensive replacements to CFCs."
Like most conspiracy theories, this one falls apart when investigated. duPont vigorously opposed any ban until there was overwhelming evidence that CFCs cause ozone depletion (Roan). Additionally, duPont had no substitute when it started to support the ban, if they were planning on monopolising the replacement market they were taking a big gamble.
"UV-B has been linked to only two basic types of skin cancer, both of which are unsightly and irritating, but neither of which is deadly."
These two types of cancer cause about 2000 deaths per year in the United States. And, "the lesions are often deeper and wider than they look, and their removal can entail functional impairment and, insofar as 80 percent are found on the head and neck, considerable disfigurement." (Napoli page 375)
"The amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching the Earth's surface has been declining. Measurements taken by the National Cancer Institute have shown that during two test periods (1974 - 1979 and 1980 - 1985) the amount of UV-B reaching the Earth's surface has decreased an average of 0.7% per year."
This claim is based on a single paper (Scotto et al..) about a study that took place before any mid latitude ozone decrease had occurred. More recent studies have found increased UV-B reaching the surface in some areas (Parson part 9).
From Talking Point #22
"Myth: Increases in the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can largely be attributed to humans"
Even the "greenhouse skeptics" (Gelbspan) recognize that humans are responsible for increasing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Robert Balling (page 111) has written "No one denies that human activities are increasing the atmospheric concentration of various greenhouse gases. We know with great confidence that largely due to fossil fuel burning and tropical deforestation atmospheric CO2 levels have increased from approximately 295 parts per million (ppm) in 1900 to near 360 ppm at present."
"Myth: The Northern Spotted Owl is a legitimate species."
The Northern Spotted Owl does not have to be a separate species in order to be protected.
"Under Section 3, Definitions, the law states, 'The term 'species' includes any subspecies of fish or wildlife or plants, and any distinct population segment of any species of vertebrate fish or wildlife which interbreeds when mature.' This has enabled government agencies to classify any animal that they wish to as endangered."
The species must be endangered or threatened before it can be listed. Under Section 3 an endangered species "is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range" and a threatened species "is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range." And, all listings are subject to challenge.
NEW From Taking Point #6
Opponents of the environmentalist campaign to ban the pesticide DDT during the early 1970s argued that banning the substance would lead to the death of thousands --perhaps even millions -- of people in the Third World from disease and starvation. Dr. Charles Wurster, former chief scientist for the Environmental Defense Fund, supported the ban for precisely that reason. "This is as good a way to get rid of them as any," Wurster told a reporter. In testimony before the House Agricultural Committee in 1971, Wurster asserted, "It doesn't really make a lot of difference [whether it's used or not] because the organophosphate [pesticide] acts locally and only kills farm workers, and most of them are Mexicans and Negroes."
Wurster never testified before the committee. Instead, he submitted a letter denying that he ever made these statements, see Unquote
References
Balling, Robert C., Jr., "Global Warming-The Gore Vision versus Climate Reality," in John A Baden, editor, Environmental Gore: A Constructive Response to Earth in the Balance, Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy, 1994.
De Muer, D. and H. De Backer, "Revision of 20 years of Dobson total ozone data at Uccle (Belgium): Fictitious Dobson total ozone trends induced by Sulfur Dioxide Trends", J. Geophys. Res. Vol. 97, 1992, Page 5921.
Gelbspan, Ross, The Heat is on: The High Stakes Battle over Earth's Threatened Climate, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., 1997.
Napoli, Mary Ann, Ultimate Medical Answer Book, Hearst Books, 1995.
Roan, Sharon L., Ozone Crisis: The 15-Year Evolution of a Sudden Global Emergency, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1989.
Stolarski, Richard et al., "Measured Trends in Stratospheric Ozone," Science, Vol. 256, April 17, 1992, pages 342 to 349.
Written by Jim Norton
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