Miles O'Brien and Bill Nye dicussed the "angry planet" on CNN just now.

[highplainsdem]

They even had "The Angry Planet" as a headline/banner for the segment. Miles was saying it's important to "connect the dots" when we consider the stronger hurricanes, flooding, and other extreme weather. Both agreed there's too much evidence for global warming to ignore, and while there still isn't absolute proof that humans are responsible, "if you were a betting man" you'd want to start acting to limit manmade impacts on global warming. Build more energy-efficient homes, for instance.

It's good that they're finally talking more about this. Unfortunately, it's too little, and probably way too late, and it's tragic that it took two monster hurricanes hitting the Gulf Coast before the "angry planet" finally got their attention.

[Skidmore]

1. By any other name and philosophy,

global warming is known as the "end times." Ask Pat Robertson. As long as these religious nutjobs are in power, we will not be able to address these serious problems. They embrace this as the living embodiment of their eschatology.

[EST]

2. The point that gets neglected, unfortunately,

when discussing the consequences of global warming is the fact that the melting of those huge icecaps and the rising sea levels change the stress on the earth's crust.
As has been pointed out with the rising of the appalachian range and the earthquakes in the area of the Aswan dam, among others, this rapid change should be expected to touch off an extraordinary number of tectonic disturbances, resulting, most likely, in an enormous increase in the quantity and intensity of volcanoes and earthquakes, world wide. This increase is not likely to subside for fifty thousand years or more. Damn dumb humans.

[Cary]

3. You talk reason.

Reason has no place in rightist ideology. One of the more "reasonable" rightists with whom I have had exchanges considers "intelligent design" to be unreasonable, and she has shown hostility to social conservatives generally.

But then she goes and equates the science behind global warming with the
"science" behind "intelligent design."

You cannot reason with the purveyors of "intelligent design" any more than you can reason with this more "reasonable" rightist. They don't believe in reason and they will find a way to turn logic against anyone who attempts to use it to what they deem to be their disadvantage.

Well, I guess those whom you refer to as "they" have to keep trying. But those who oppose acting on this unquestionable reason are truly beyond the looking glass.

[hatrack]

4. Gosh, and it only took CNN 17 years to get the drift . . .

Wait a minute - are you telling me they didn't have someone on from AEI/Washington Times/Greening Earth Society/Frontiers of Freedom Foundation or (gasping intake of breath) celebrity bestselling dinosaur adventure novel author MICHAEL CRICHTON on to refute all those silly, silly scientists?!?!?!?

:sarcasm:

[RandomKoolzip]

5. Mother Jones had a great article a while back on the anti-Global Warming

pundits who show up to refute the claims of legitimate environmentalists.

When you hear some guy say "Global Warming is no big deal!" or something to that effect, that person is being paid by either a right-wing think tank or a PR firm hired by a large corporation. There are NO legitimate scientists out there who actually believe climate change doesn't exist and we are the cause.

The book "Trust Us, We're Experts!" is also helpful in determining who's legit and who's getting paid bookoo bucks for "debunking" global warming.

[hatrack]

6. But you just HAVE to have balance, doncha know?!?

"Coming up next on Fox News - Gravity - the growing controversy!

We'll look at both sides of an issue that has Americans hot and bothered about public school science curricula!!!"

[Ready4Change]

7. Nye had a good point re: rebuilding New Orleans

He suggested rebuilding those homes to higher standards of insulation and efficiency. To consider the rebuilding not as a task but as an opportunity to make big improvements.

Good way of looking at it.