[Danzig]

More Than 17,000 Scientists
Protest Kyoto Accord


Has everyone forgotten this? In April 1998, more than 17,000 scientists,
two-thirds of whom hold advanced academic degrees, signed a Petition against
the Kyoto climate accord. The Petition urged the US government to reject the
Accord, which would force drastic cuts in energy use on the United States .

In signing the Petition, the 17,000 basic and applied scientists -- an
unprecedented number for this kind of document -- expressed their profound
skepticism about the science underlying the Kyoto Accord. The atmospheric
data simply do not support the elaborate computer-driven climate models that
are being cited by the United Nations and other promoters of the Accord
as "proof" of a major future warming. The covering letter enclosed with the
Petition, signed by Dr. Frederick Seitz, president emeritus of Rockefeller
University and a past president of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences,
states it well:

"The treaty is, in our opinion, based upon flawed ideas. Research data on
climate change do not show that human use of hydrocarbons is harmful. To
the contrary, there is good evidence that increased atmospheric carbon dioxide
is environmentally helpful."

"The 'silent majority' of the scientific community has at last spoken out against
the hype emanating from politicians and much of the media about a 'warming
catastrophe.' The Petition reflects the frustration and disgust felt by working
scientists, few of whom have been previously involved in the ongoing climate
debate, about the misuse of science to promote a political agenda," said Dr. Seitz.

The Petition drive was organized by Dr. Arthur Robinson, director of the Oregon
Institute for Science and Medicine (Cave Junction, OR) and a vocal critic of the
shaky science used to support the Kyoto Accord. It was staffed by volunteers
and supported entirely by private donations, with no contributions from industry.

"We urge the United States government to reject the global warming agreement
that was written in Kyoto , Japan , in December 1997, and any other similar
proposals. The proposed limits on greenhouse gases would harm the environment,
hinder the advance of science and technology, and damage the health and welfare
of mankind.