Nathan Scandella (personal)

Climate Change Losing Attention of ADD Nation

A recent Pew Research Poll showed that the public, the shrewd consumers of scientific data that they are, are increasingly skeptical that climate change is occurring, is a result of human activity, and is a serious problem. The first two are about as close as we can get to empirical facts. There's absolutely zero question that the earth is warming. There is absolutely no possibility that this is either

• A conspiracy by a small number of scientists


• Due to systemic errors in measurement apparatus

We can see that the earth has warmed. Sea ice, and glaciers have receded. Animal migratory patterns have changed. Are the animals and the ice merely reacting to what they read in the papers? I think not.

The only question that remains is regarding the seriousness of the consequences of climate change. All we have to rely on are educated guesses. On one side, we have a large body of scientists who actually have the background, and time, to analyze data on the subject. And on the other hand, we have ignoramus non-scientists, who enjoy using fossil fuels.

Luckily, the younger generation seems to be better at understanding the problem. They've watched their parents and grandparents squander peace and prosperity, and aren't enthusiastic about trusting the inhabitability of the planet they'll live on for several decades to the skeptical hunches of their elders.

Here is a picture of a sit-in that my brother helped organize last week at MIT. They were campaigning for a reduction in atmospheric CO2 to levels below 350 ppm. Good for you, Ben. You can't trust anyone over 30. Do your homework, Young America, and make better choices than the generations before you.

Posted at 12:28AM Oct 26, 2009 by Nathan in Environment  |  Comments[0]