Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Disbelief on global warming

Image by Mike Edwards
Global warming is a hot button and strangely partisan issue according to the PEW Research Center. Apparently, 53% of Republicans do not believe there is any evidence for global warming, up from 31% in 2007.

I find this shift interesting. My perception is that, about a decade ago, most Republicans shared this opinion. Then the rhetoric changed to agreeing that the problem existed, but that it was already too late to take action.

As conservative humorist P.J. O'Rourke puts it: "My argument is that we can't do anything [about climate change]. So, my suggestion is to install air conditioning and buy beachfront land in Greenland."

Now we're back to disbelief. Very odd, I think.

By no means am I an expert on climate change, but my perception is that the scientific community believes it is occurring, so I defer to their expertise. Wherever you stand on this issue, I think we could all agree with Bill O'Reily; and no, that's not a typo -- I said Bill O'Reily:
"My opinion is a cleaner planet is better for everyone. So I don't care whether it's the automobiles that are making it dirty or some guys in Ohio with smoke stacks or it's the natural cycle of the universe. It doesn't matter. When we have a cleaner planet it's better for everyone. So let's all work together to get the planet clean. That's all."
That's a good starting point, I feel.

1 comment:

  1. I've noticed the odd shift. The way I saw it was going from "It's not happening" to "It's happening but it's natural, not man made" back to "It's not happening." To me, I see it as people letting political policy preferences inform their view of the facts, as opposed to letting facts inform political policy preferences. They know they don't want new taxes or regulations on energy and fuel, while many liberals do, so they oppose the belief in anything that might support that liberal position.

    I don't intend any endorsement of any policy by this post, nor do I think only Republicans use this way of thinking. It's just the fucked up way "national debates" happen in this country.

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