Gatto needs to do more research

To the editor:

I would like to comment in regards to Rep. Gatto’s recent spectrum article on a New York conference of climate change skeptics. He describes it as coming to the conclusion that “global warming, if it is occurring at all is probably natural rather than man-made.” In fact these skeptics had their conclusions based on their own special interests long before the conference began.

The conference was sponsored by the Heartland Institute with a mission to “discover, develop and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems.” It was attended by economists, conservative groups, politicians and some scientists who believe, among other things, that CO2 is not a greenhouse gas. It is hardly a scientific conference and hardly one to reach a scientific conclusion.

The Heartland Institute only believes what fits neatly in its mission statement while Rep. Gatto, by ignoring an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence and opinion, only believes what he wants to hear. There are so many falsehoods and misunderstandings in Mr. Gatto's article that I hope, as a state Representative, he looks at other issues in a more thorough way.

Steve Charles

Willow