Global Warmed
Recently scientist drilled the oldest ice core in Antartica which has produced samples 600,000 years old. Analysis has found that since that time our atmosphere has never had a higher content of methane and carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gases.
This is more evidence that we are in a time of global warming. Hardly a scientist exists now that doesn't accept global warming as real. There are exceptions though, those that work for the energy companies and those that work for the Bush Administration. These people don't refer to global warming, they call it climate change. Why? Because they don't want to admit that humans are the cause of global warming.
It's hard for me to imagine what kind of denial in thinking can cause a person not to see the logic of the human industrial age contributing to the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. What person can't fathom that the burning of fossil fuels, from oil to gas to wood to coal, releases CO2 into the air.
I also can't understand how any American faced with the fact that our country produces 25% of all greenhouse gases can then decide we have no responsibility for global warming. Or rather, that we don't have to make amends in some way. Yet our president doesn't feel we should be participating in the Kyoto Agreement, the world wide effort to try to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Worse, many Americans agree with him.
As we enter the holiday shopping extravaganza, I'd be interested in whether people will make note of this recent core sample evidence (it has been in the news) and make some type of adjustment in their habits to at least attempt not to be contributing to greenhouse gases quite as much. Simple things like leaving the SUV at home while motoring to the various malls or even making less trips. Just purchasing American-made products rather than products from far-flung countries such as China can reduce the transportation contributions to greenhouse gases.
More than likely though, very few Americans will alter their habits one iota. Americans are mostly a selfish lot based on capitalistic thinking. It's all about getting the best price, whether it's better for our society and environment or worse, makes no difference to most Americans. We've been trained to think that the bottom line is what matters, cheap is good.
What bothers me most is our current Bush government wants to play head-in-the-sand on global warming, once again as with many of the Bush policies (such as the ballooning federal debt) ignoring reality of today to be deferred to Americans in the future, our children and grandchildren.
With a little government incentives we could begin enacting some simple changes. In the last energy bill we saw subsidies handed out like candy to the oil companies (like they needed more money) and small scraps to alternative energy companies. We're seeing American auto companies beginning to have financial trouble, yet we can't subsidize alternative fuel sourced cars to give them a push in the competition to produce these vehicles?
I shake my head in wonderment at the Bush team. They have such narrow-minded, think for today, type of policies. They have little vision for the future. Sort of reminds me of the Iraq War, which they predicted would be over quickly and paid for by Iraqi oil (it's not). I can only assume that oil is so important to these guys, that changing our path now doesn't pay for them.
This is more evidence that we are in a time of global warming. Hardly a scientist exists now that doesn't accept global warming as real. There are exceptions though, those that work for the energy companies and those that work for the Bush Administration. These people don't refer to global warming, they call it climate change. Why? Because they don't want to admit that humans are the cause of global warming.
It's hard for me to imagine what kind of denial in thinking can cause a person not to see the logic of the human industrial age contributing to the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. What person can't fathom that the burning of fossil fuels, from oil to gas to wood to coal, releases CO2 into the air.
I also can't understand how any American faced with the fact that our country produces 25% of all greenhouse gases can then decide we have no responsibility for global warming. Or rather, that we don't have to make amends in some way. Yet our president doesn't feel we should be participating in the Kyoto Agreement, the world wide effort to try to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Worse, many Americans agree with him.
As we enter the holiday shopping extravaganza, I'd be interested in whether people will make note of this recent core sample evidence (it has been in the news) and make some type of adjustment in their habits to at least attempt not to be contributing to greenhouse gases quite as much. Simple things like leaving the SUV at home while motoring to the various malls or even making less trips. Just purchasing American-made products rather than products from far-flung countries such as China can reduce the transportation contributions to greenhouse gases.
More than likely though, very few Americans will alter their habits one iota. Americans are mostly a selfish lot based on capitalistic thinking. It's all about getting the best price, whether it's better for our society and environment or worse, makes no difference to most Americans. We've been trained to think that the bottom line is what matters, cheap is good.
What bothers me most is our current Bush government wants to play head-in-the-sand on global warming, once again as with many of the Bush policies (such as the ballooning federal debt) ignoring reality of today to be deferred to Americans in the future, our children and grandchildren.
With a little government incentives we could begin enacting some simple changes. In the last energy bill we saw subsidies handed out like candy to the oil companies (like they needed more money) and small scraps to alternative energy companies. We're seeing American auto companies beginning to have financial trouble, yet we can't subsidize alternative fuel sourced cars to give them a push in the competition to produce these vehicles?
I shake my head in wonderment at the Bush team. They have such narrow-minded, think for today, type of policies. They have little vision for the future. Sort of reminds me of the Iraq War, which they predicted would be over quickly and paid for by Iraqi oil (it's not). I can only assume that oil is so important to these guys, that changing our path now doesn't pay for them.
posted by jon at 7:09 AM
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