The facts are important

When our son reported that he had been told that the Ku Klux Klan was started as a prank by college students, we suggested some research. We then discussed the subject. Harry found it fun to debate and learn with real facts at his disposal. Mr. Van de Walle ("What global warming?" Jan. 25) might benefit from that approach.

His position relies primarily on Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma and Dr. David Deming, a geophysicist.

Inhofe's voting record on environmental issues is atrocious. He flaunts his award from the petroleum association (OIPA) and bemoans the years he "spent . . . being overregulated by the federal bureaucracy." Obviously no proponent of regulation, the senator, chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, served the OIPA by giving voice to those who supported their views, hence Mr. Van de Walle's quotes.

Van de Walle insists that 1,000 years ago we went through a global warming period, the MWP. RealClimate, a site on climate science, says of the MWP: "Argument that . . . evidence supports anomalous global warmth during this time period is based on faulty logic and/or misinterpretations of the available evidence."

Dr. Deming's claim of biased news reporting gives no source attribution, and the Internet site quoted by Van de Walle offers a petition-rejection Kyoto and claims that greenhouse gasses are good for the environment. And he wonders why his position is not taken seriously?

Even George Bush, who rejected Kyoto, disagrees with Inhof and Deming. In the recent State of the Union address, he called for us to "confront the serious challenge of global climate change."

The balanced debate Van de Walle seems to be eschewing can be had only with real information. Like my son, he may find it fun to debate and learn with real facts at his disposal. William Hynes
Agoura Hills