Al Gore says: The world authority on the climate crisis, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, after 20 years of detailed study and four unanimous reports, now says that the evidence is "unequivocal." To those who are still tempted to dismiss the increasingly urgent alarms from scientists around the world, ignore the melting of the north polar ice cap and all of the other apocalyptic warnings from the planet itself, and who roll their eyes at the very mention of this existential threat to the future of the human species, please wake up. Our children and grandchildren need you to recognize the truth, before it is too late.

In other words, America doesn't get it!

The American Public has its collective head up its ass on so many issues, including the climate crisis.

I'm reeling from a telephone conversation I had with a friend last night. We lamented the approach of Hurricane Ike and ageed that we could not remember in our lifetimes such a frequency of tropical storm activity as we've seen this decade. Then I mentioned "climate change" and he told me he thinks the scientific community is split 50/50 on the theory of global warming! (...not far from Sarah Palin's view. She thinks polar bears are not endangered even though her own state is melting away. I guess it's because they know how to swim.) Meanwhile the scientific community has for years held a consensus that we are in a climate crisis. Meanwhile, entire nations (mainly in Europe) and huge corporations (even in the US) are taking huge steps toward minimizing their carbon impact on the environment. It's mind-boggling to me that some people in the US are still in the dark about this! If this conversation had taken place in the early 80's maybe it wouldn't sound so crazy, so out of place. If this person were a right-wing religious fanatic, I wouldn't be so stupefied, but he is not!

It's time to wake these people up from their dream time, the result of a "sleeping pill" fed to them years ago by a media industry who tried to provide "balanced" reporting vis-a-vis the Fairness Doctrine.

What's that?

Misinformation was allowed to be perpetuated by the now defunct Fairness Doctrine. It was originally designed by the FCC to provide "balanced" coverage of controversial issues. This allowed opposing views to be published, even if the opposing message came from a lone crazy opponent, a fringe group, or an industry with a really loud voice (tobacco companies, KKK, churches) who opposed scientific findings that are agreed-upon by the vast majority in the scientific community, enough to call it a consensus. This meant that "equal time" was given to a few lone voices who were able to successfully plant seeds of doubt, simply by saying it was debatable, unconfirmed, in the minds of listeners and readers. These misleading messages (often backed by unscientific "findings") were not published in scientific journals but instead spread to mainstream media in hopes of affecting public opinion. The fact is, this practice was very successful in planting the seeds of doubt in the minds of the American public, a population with a short attention-span and and an even shorter memory. (I don't claim full immunity to this.) The result: The ignorance they so carefully triggered has paved the way for American politicians and companies to continue doing business as usual. Self-regulation. No regulation! Kyoto Protocol? Who needs it!

The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement by nations to limit greenhouse gasses. I guess this whole document is pure nonsense if there's no such thing as greenhouse gasses!

• The Kyoto Protocol now covers 181 countries globally... The United States of America is the only developed country to have signed but not ratified the Kyoto Protocol. (link) (Thanks Dubya. I thought we're supposed to be the world leaders in innovation and progressive thinking.) This move on the part of Bush has slowed our steps toward energy independence and prolonged America's addiction to fossil fuels. The "Drill Baby Drill!" mantra that was chanted during last week's Republican National Convention is further evidence that our national addiction is in full swing. (Our "heroin" is still being celebrated even though "methadone" and other help is being offered.)

The shit-storm of propaganda by a few whose interests are at stake (auto and oil industries and their backers) is exactly the same thing that duped the American public a short time ago concerning the dangers (or "lack" thereof) of tobacco! Even though study after scientific study concluded that tobacco smoke was dangerous, people were fooled about the effects of second-hand smoke. The tobacco industry and their highly-paid lobbyists were allowed to get away with this until they were finally taken to task. The rest is history.

• Judge Rules against the Tobacco Industry in Racketeering and Conspiracy Trial (link)
• The nation's biggest tobacco companies worked together for decades to mislead the public about the dangers of smoking, a federal lawyer alleged Tuesday at the start of a civil racketeering trial in which the government seeks a record $280 billion from the industry. (link)

Now smoking is banned inside municipal buildings, office buildings, most restaurants, and even in some bars.

The real problem is that the American public is very easily confused... too easily duped, by those who have a political agenda. Often, this is big business. McCain is doing the same thing right now. He is lying to the American public by telling voters he will lower taxes while Obama will raise them! In fact, Obama's plan will lower taxes for 95% of Americans (those who need the help the most) and will increase taxes for those at the very top: those earning a quarter of a million dollars and above. In fact, McCain's "change" would make employer-provided health coverage TAXABLE income!

Sorry... I'm getting a bit off-topic, though it supports the fact that many Americans lack critical thinking and believe what they want to believe... hear what they want to hear. (Don't even get me started on Palin - She's a dangerous extremist, hypocrite.)

The fact is, research on anthropogenic (man-made) climate change has been going on for decades. It was studied in the 70's but ignored by many. (In 1980, the Reagan administration removed perfectly good, working solar thermal panels from the White House (link) Many believe it's because he was such a heavy proponent of oil.

It's now 2008 and many Republicans have finally "flipped" their ignorance-switch OFF on this matter. They've swapped ignorance for reason; they've accepted the science surrounding anthropogenic (man-made) climate change and have recognized that we are in the midst of a climate crisis.

• Republican Presidential candidate John McCain said he admires Gore as an early and outspoken advocate of addressing the global warming problem. (link).
• With all of his flaws, even George W. Bush has admitted the problem exists! In 2001, Dubya said: "Climate change, with its potential to impact every corner of the world, is an issue that must be addressed by the world." (link)
• Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger: "And I also said that the debate is over. We know the science, we see the threat and the time for action is now." (link)

So why do we have a continued denial of science on the part of some Americans? Have they not picked up a newspaper in 15 years?
I could halfway understand a backwoods, ultra right-wing creationist being out of touch with this reality... and a few others. But many people who don't appear at all to be ultra-religious extremist hypocrites are still in denial.

Enough is enough! Some people need to be awakened. Those who have recovered from the slumber of misinformation must help the rest see the light too. Unfortunately, many who consider themselves "open-minded" find comfort in their inertia. For these people, with the wealth of information available today, this self-imposed stupor can only be attributed to their own laziness.

This has been brewing in me since that phone call last night and I just needed to get it out. Whew!

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Monday, September 08, 2008

Tom Friedman on NPR's "Fresh Air" talking about his new book, "Hot, Flat and Crowded" and his views on energy, legislation, John McCain and Rudy "Drill Baby, Drill!" Giuliani. Tom seemed to boil over with frustration when he recounted segments in Giuliani's and John McSame's RNC speeches last week.
Listen to the show now, on NPR.

One of TF's best analogies. It's as if we are on the brink of the computer revolution and all of a sudden a political leader whips a frenzied audience into a chant of "Build More IMB Selectric Typewriters!" "Build more Selectrics! Build more Selectrics!" This is just crazy when this country should be LEADING a green revolution instead of prolonging our addiction to oil.

This little guy's not endangered, he's just taking a breather.

Download "Second Nature" by Rush.