RE: HR 1019 and Climate Change Issues.
From: Ms. Fname Lname
May 20, 2007
  
Dear Congressman Shadegg,
  
   Many of your constituents are familiar with the numerous Geo-engineering schemes and actual practices. I do not mention the word “scheme” in a derogatory fashion; this is part of the language used in several articles published by Mathew Benford, PhD and Gregory Benford, PhD, both Geophysics experts form U.S.C.
  
   Media hype surrounding global warming/climate change is managing the perception of the American people, which is not to say we are not profoundly concerned regarding the future of our communities and families. We in Arizona are.
  
   The question remains; is it better to allow unregulated experimentation on our atmosphere and oceans to take a front seat, or to take a more rigorous approach through funding alternative energy sources? We are talking about billions of dollars and the question of how this money will be spent appears to be largely a mystery.
  
   Funding for alternative energy sources makes wonderful sense, to all 'parties', but to fund atmospheric heating and testing programs on our atmosphere and oceans without independent scientific review, public oversight, and environmental impact statements may cost us all tremendously, perhaps beyond our ability to recover.
  
   Cap and Trade and Geo-engineering may have some value, but should we be seeding our oceans with iron to create algae bloom to create ‘carbon sinks’? I ask Congress to think carefully about the synergistic adverse impact which may well necessitate yet more money as is being proposed in HR 1019.  Is geo-engineering a case of the tail wagging the dog?
  
   We are extremely mindful of the importance of ‘stewardship’ of our environment; however, we would not like to see “band-aid” solutions to these serious issues, which may in fact result in a more severely damaged environmental state of affairs.
  
   Some citizens are coining the phrase “jumping from the frying pan into the fire” as these scientific programs, such as Geo-engineering, lack public oversight and apparently have no environmental impact studies.
  
   With the many critical issues facing Congress, such as CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) ~ HR 1019 (Harmful Algae Bloom), combined with the many faces of Climate Change and Global Warming, we hope you will introduce the questions which beg further investigation: Geo-engineering practices.
  
   I do not want to confuse the issues, and for now, I will speak to the issue of “harmful algae bloom”; HR 1019, and its possible connection to the Geo-engineering practice of ‘dumping iron into the oceans’ for the expressed purpose of creating carbon sinks by promoting additional algae bloom.
  
   There are a number of Geo-engineering practices which may have some adverse relationship to the numerous environmental issues being heard in the 110^th Congress.
  
   The possible connections to these issues should be part of the dialog as our Congress faces the difficult challenges in the months to come.
  
   Your constituents would like to feel confident that we have shared our knowledge and deep concern relating to the topic of Geo-engineering, as also to global warming and perhaps to the issue of CCD.
  
   In this media-saturated world, persistent hype lends unwarranted credibility to even the wildest claims. 
  
   I have enclosed, to Bruce’s attention, several data/text CDs with Geo-engineering documents, which explain some of the Geo-engineering experiments on going today.
  
   I have also included a very good DVD on the history of ‘weather modification’ which was aired on the Science Channel, titled “Owning the Weather”.  This information will help ‘out-line’ some of the Geo-engineering practices in the atmosphere as well as the oceans. The “Owning the Weather” DVD also illustrates the varied ‘interest’ and applications of this science.
  
   We hope the U.S. Congress will be looking and thinking beyond the box, as it addresses these complex issues of our environment and that of our families’ future.
  
   As the 110^th Congress addresses these complex issues, we the Citizens of Arizona hope you and your esteemed colleagues at the United States Congress will include open discussion regarding the possible impact of  Geo-engineering of our environment.
  
   Please feel free to contact me at any time, as the health of our families and communities will depend on decisions being made now.