Global Warming- Chicken Little or Real Crisis?

"Global Warming, My Ass"

I begin this essay by confessing outright that I don't know the answer to the title. In other words, is this Global Warning crisis real? I have no idea. If it is real, is it caused by humans? I have no idea. Why do I have no idea? Simple. I am not a scientist, meteorologist or whatever you have to be to claim expertise on this topic. I listen to the debates, but when they get too technical, I get lost. I just don't know what the truth is. So, why am I writing on a topic that I know nothing about? Because I have a feeling no one else knows either, and that is precisely my point.

Now, you say, people like Al Gore know the answer. Have you not watched his movie-"An Inconvenient Truth"? No, I have not. The name Al Gore brings a smirk to my face. After listening to this buffoon for years opining on things political, I just can't bring myself to turn to him for guidance on what is good or bad for the planet. I often derisively dismiss him as "Chicken Little". But more specifically to the point: Last year, I watched Al Gore on the Jay Leno show (only because I like Leno). Gore started off his discussion on global warming by declaring that the scientific debate was over and settled. That was a flat out misstatement. The fact is that numerous scientists disagree with Gore's thesis that Global Warming is real and that it is man-made. Of course, numerous others agree with Gore. So where does that leave us? Right back to my introduction-I don't know.

I freely concede that Mr Gore and his supporters may be right. However, I (like many scientists) am not prepared to concede that he is right. There is a difference. It seems that we have dueling scientists, just as we have dueling lawyers who argue on points of law.

But that all leads to the obvious question? What are we supposed to do here and now when we don't really know? The environmental crowd would have us sign the Kyoto Treaty and abide by its provisions no matter what the economic costs to our country. Never mind the fact that the treaty excludes India and China, two of the World's fastest growing polluters. Environmentalists also don't want us to drill for oil in Alaska or off our coastlines, in the case of the former because it would disturb the mating habits of the caribou!! So I guess we just have to continue to be dependent on foreign oil-dependent on countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Venezuela, Indonesia and Mexico. Wonderful.

Gore and his worshippers also want us to get rid of our SUVs and use more fuel-efficient cars. Yet, Mr Gore, like his pals in Hollywood, fly around the World in private jets. Another classic example of this hypocrisy is Robert F Kennedy Jr., environmental guru, who is forever lecturing us on the way we live, yet drives a Caravan and also moves from one place to another in a private jet. Kennedy also teams up with the rest of the Kennedy clan to oppose wind power in the bay off the Hyannisport mansion since it mars the view!! Yes, there is one set of rules for the Gores and the Kennedys of the World and a separate set of rules for the rest of us. About a year ago, Sean Hannity pointed out these inconsistencies to Kennedy, to which he replied, "Sean, that's a cheap shot!" (The last time I attacked RFK, Jr. I got a couple of emails linking me to his "Draft RFK" for President Committee. It least it reassured me that somebody was reading my posts. )

The most important point to me is that these environmentalists want the US to pretty much dismantle our commercial, industrial, and yes, capitalistic sytem in the name of saving the planet. Before we do that, we need to be absolutely positive that this is the only solution. That leads me to another point. Does anyone see a possible connection here between the Environmentalist Movement and bringing down the US economically? Who were the last people who had that agenda? The communists, that's who. Now, I am not saying that all or even most environmentalists are communists. Remember, Communism collapsed almost 20 years ago, right? But where did all those folks in the US go who were communists? Obviously, very few of them still call themselves communists because they would be laughed out of town by the rest of us who would refer them to Eastern Europeans and former Soviet citizens who know first-hand what a disasterous sytem that was, both economically and politically. No, these folks just spread out into other causes. Many now call themselves "progressives", which actually was a code word for communists even during the Cold War. Could one of those "other causes" be Environmentalism"? Yeah, could be. (Ironically, the communists states in Eastern Euope and the USSR were the absolute worst polluters, creating an environmental disaster that they are still recovering from.)

Look, I also believe in conservation and protecting our environment. I love forests, rivers, lakes and clean air. However, the bottom line is that there has to be a compromise between environmental concerns and those in business and corporate life. The two sides have to come together reasonably and do what is best for all of us. As for whether this is a real crisis or one manufactured by the Chicken Littles of the World- or people with a hidden agenda in mind, I just don't know. So let's proceed with caution before making drastic changes that will weaken us economically.