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| Home Front: Culture Wars |
| Global Warming and Hot Air |
| 2007-02-08 |
| By Robert J. Samuelson You could be excused for thinking that we'll soon do something serious about global warming. Last Friday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) -- an international group of scientists -- concluded that, to a 90 percent probability, human activity is warming the Earth. Earlier, Democratic congressional leaders made global warming legislation a top priority; and 10 big U.S. companies (including General Electric and DuPont) endorsed federal regulation. Strong action seems at hand. Don't be fooled. The dirty secret about global warming is this: We have no solution. About 80 percent of the world's energy comes from fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas), the main sources of man-made greenhouse gases. Energy use sustains economic growth, which -- in all modern societies -- buttresses political and social stability. Until we can replace fossil fuels or find practical ways to capture their emissions, governments will not sanction the deep energy cuts that would truly affect global warming. Considering this reality, you should treat the pious exhortations to "do something" with skepticism, disbelief or contempt. These pronouncements are (take your pick) naive, self-interested, misinformed, stupid or dishonest. Politicians mainly want to be seen as reducing global warming. Companies want to polish their images and exploit markets created by new environmental regulations. As for editorialists and pundits, there's no explanation except superficiality or herd behavior. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #3 Penn and Teller have another word for Global Warming. |
| Posted by: doc 2007-02-08 10:36 |
| #2 Last Friday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) -- an international group of scientists -- concluded that, to a 90 percent probability, human activity is warming the Earth. Earlier, Democratic congressional leaders made global warming legislation a top priority; and 10 big U.S. companies (including General Electric and DuPont) endorsed federal regulation. Actually, no such thing happened. what was published was the SUMMARY of the Panel's findings, written not by the scientists, but by the POLITICIANS running the show, FOR the politicians running the world. It's not the Dummies Guide to Climate Change, since the Dummies books are written by experts with good writing skills and a desire to get the subject down right: Its a "book" written, not for the dummies but by the dummies. The scientists have always complained that such summaries gloss over the uncertanties. The uncertanties are what the scientists use to argue for more funding. if there are no uncertanties, then their job is over: no more funding. Asshats bitten by asshats: gotta love the smell of fratricide... A lot of facts point toward cycles in the sun's cosmic ray activity causing long term changes in climate. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2007-02-08 10:04 |
| #1 NEWSMAX > Global Warming equals Socialism. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-02-08 02:20 |