A funny thing happened on the way to global warming

The Colorado Springs Gazette publishes a guest editorial today from The Oklahoman. It points out that global warming did not happen. Just the opposite.

First, temperatures stopped rising, defying the projections of supposed environmental experts. Then, increased oil-and-gas drilling, opposed by climate change true believers, helped reduce U.S. production of carbon dioxide emissions.

New data show the revolution created by hydraulic fracturing techniques is paying dividends for those who want to reduce emissions. Thanks to increased natural gas production and associated lower prices, power plants are shifting from coal to cleaner-burning gas. As a result, U.S. carbon dioxide emissions declined 12 percent from 2005 to 2012, according to the Energy Information Administration, which also reports that national emissions are at their lowest point since 1994.

Since then energy producers, including those based in Oklahoma, have unleashed a torrent of production thanks to hydraulic fracturing. U.S. oil production increased by more than 800,000 barrels per day last year. The International Energy Agency projects the United States will overtake Saudi Arabia as the world's leading oil producer by about 2017 and become an energy independent, net oil exporter by 2030. Increased oil-and-gas production is credited with shifting power generation to natural gas and lowering U.S. carbon emissions.

The Kyoto Protocol's restrictions notably exempted China and other 'developing ' countries. So China ratified the protocol in 2002 even as it ramped up economic activity. From 2005 to 2011, the Energy Department reports, U.S. annual emissions declined 509 million metric tons; China's increased by 3.2 billion metric tons.

In short, overall global carbon emissions have increased 15 percent from 2005 to 2011, thanks mostly to countries such as China that ratified the Kyoto Protocol. This presents a quandary for global warming true believers. Temperatures aren't rising, which suggests they were wrong about global warming's cause. And even if they are right about the link between carbon emissions and warming, they were wrong about the best way to reduce emissions.

Instead of a heavy-handed treaty designed to drag modern society back to the horse-and-buggy days, it's now clear environmentalists should have been promoting increased energy production. Even so, here's some good news for environmentalists worried about the environmental impact of carbon emissions: The Chinese government recently awarded Royal Dutch Shell a contract to work with China National Petroleum Corp. to drill wells - and introduce hydraulic fracturing technology to that country.

Production techniques that indirectly reduced carbon emissions in the United States can indirectly reduce them in China. - The Oklahoman

Hat tip Complete Colorado