FYI - a notion about landscape
Monday, February 5, 2007 at 03:06PM I am appalled. embarrassed and somewhat depressed by the refusal of the government of the US of A to stand in support of organizations which call for swift and decisive actions on man-made global warming activities. The fact that our fearless leader has finally accepted the scientific research that points to the hand of man in global warming (with 90% certainty), yet still refuses to even consider any mandatory restraints/constraints on a a free-wheeling American lifestyle which results in a greater than 25% contribution to gobal warming effects, is mind boggling in the extreme.
Although, to expect anything more from a free-market extremist, who believes that the "invisible hand" of the marketplace is the fix for everything, is rather delusional in the extreme. Not even Adam Smith believed that - while much attention is paid to his The Wealth of Nations, very little is ever mentioned about his earlier work, A Theory of Moral Sentiments, a work on ethics and human nature which provides the ethical, philosophical, psychological and methodological underpinnings to his later works, including The Wealth of Nations.
IMO, the administration's refusal to declare war on global warming, which just might be the ultimate "weapon of mass destruction", makes it and the majority of the American public (who "vote" on this subject with their foot firmly planted on the "gas") global terrorists of the first order.
Where's the "shock and awe" campaign, when we really need it?
Featured Comment: Trevor Hambric wrote: "There is absolutely room for debate about man's influence on climate change--not in the eyes of people who've made this issue a blind religion, but in the eyes of people who care about truth. The earth has a long history of climate change. Mars, itself, is hotter than it was (are we to blame for that, too?).
To behave as if the world was given to us in some devine eternal stasis (never daring to inconvenience us with things like climate change) is an act of spectactular hubris.
We don't know to what degree man is influencing climate change because people (yes, even scientists) are driven by their 'religious' zealotry, rather than any quest for truth."
Reader Comments (5)
Our leaders say they are afraid that investment in the technology needed to have both eco growth and clean environment will hurt our economy.
Since when does investment = economic damage?
I hate to feel this way but the only conclusion I can draw is that massive chunks of our government are in the pocket of shortsighted, old school big business. And our few honest governors are and have been listening to the wrong business leaders.
We need some revolutionary changes in the way we govern ourselves and the way we live. Where are the leaders to point the way?
BTW -- some of the changes in world climate are being caused by Nature -- as always -- but that doesn't change a thing -- we need to clean up our act! The debate over Nature/greenhouse gases is the wrong conversation. It’s a diversion from the real issue. No matter that some climate change is natural -- what we are doing, how we are living and growing is unsustainable -- OBVIOUSLY!!!
Disappointed yes, surprised no. After all, this guy was telling us a couple of years ago that global warming was a myth created by liberal scientists that were funded by the environmental industry.
Economics could be used to help. All the government has to do is start taxing things like gasoline. I don't expect that to happen any time soon though.
I've crossed the line from somewhat to very depressed about this issue and it's almost impossible for me to have coherent dialogue about it sometimes. I'm afraid we might never have a viable leader for this fight. Did Frank mention the word revolution? It might take 6.5 billion little ones.
Good and timely topic, Mark. The U.S. is roughly 4% of the world's population yet uses roughly 22% of it's energy resources. Who bears the greater "weapons of mass destruction" is certainly open to argument.
There is absolutely room for debate about man's influence on climate change--not in the eyes of people who've made this issue a blind religion, but in the eyes of people who care about truth. The earth has a long history of climate change. Mars, itself, is hotter than it was (are we to blame for that, too?).
To behave as if the world was given to us in some devine eternal stasis (never daring to inconvenience us with things like climate change) is an act of spectactular hubris.
We don't know to what degree man is influencing climate change because people (yes, even scientists) are driven by their 'religious' zealotry, rather than any quest for truth.