I continue to be what I consider a healthy skeptic about climate change. This is fueled by the serious lack of knowledge regarding how the natural forces that shape our world work. Geologists tell us that the earth has gone through many heating and cooling cycles over the millennia and it's obvious even to the casual observer that nature is always changing, never static. The reality is that current levels of scientific knowledge can't tell me with certainty what the weather will be like next week, or next year, let alone 20-30 years from now. The variables simply overwhelm our current modeling abilities. Yes, I know, climate is different than weather. I also know that grant proposal funding has been tight and if you can tie your study in any way to global warming, your chances of approval are vastly improved.