OPINION: Global cooling

More and more, progressives who want American citizens to fork over their money in an effort to control the climate are trying to market the phrase "climate change" instead of "global warming," in an urgent about face they hope nobody will notice. That's because they're faced with an inconvenient truth: all the hystrionics about icebergs melting and drowning coastal cities in coming years may not be true. To continue the fear, and therefore generate support for spending billions to solve the crisis, fear-mongers need terminology that will work no matter what the climate does.

Expect "climate change" to become more and more the catch phrase as it becomes more clear the planet isn't warming. The evidence is becoming overwhelming: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that snow cover in January was the most extensive ever recorded in Eurasia; NOAA found that temperatures in the tropical troposphere dipped to their lowest levels in 30 years in March; the Bering Strait ice cover in march was higher than ever recorded, while Antarctic sea ice cover was 30 percent above normal.

Most recently, England's Science & Public Policy Institute released its monthly CO2 report for the month of May, and it brings only more concern to those who've peddled the phrase "global warming." The CO2 report is a compilation of raw satellite and scientific data presented without alteration.

"Temperatures have now been declining quite rapidly for nearly eight years. And none of the U.N.'s models predicted that," said Lord Christopher Monckton, who edits the CO2 report. Monckton has formally challenged Al Gore to debate him but Gore has never responded.

The report shows carbon dioxide levels continue to climb in the atmosphere, despite the dropping average global temperature. But the rise in CO2 is only about half as fast as the U.N. predicted.

"That alone requires us to divide all of the U.N.'s forecasts for temperature change between now and the year 2100 by two - you have to halve them."

Monckton believes the sun has entered an 11-year solar minimum, which is causing the planet to cool. He argues that any effect humans might have on warming the planet is dwarfed by the sun and other natural influences on the climate.

In the 1970s, those who wanted to tax Americans to control the climate warned of a looming ice age. When temperatures rose, they changed their tune and warned of global warming. Now, as the temperature drops, they warn of "climate change." Be skeptical.

Be very, very skeptical.