There's no excuse for serious climatologists not adhering to the highest scientific standards at all times, writes columnist Thomas L. Friedman. That said, the evidence that our planet has been on a broad warming trend outside the normal variation patterns has been documented by a variety of independent research centers. Full Story »
Posted by Walter Cox - via AllTop, NewsRack (Energy)
Thoughtful argument in favor of building a clean-power economy, as a preventive measure to address climate change. The author cleverly cites Dick Cheney's "One Percent Doctrine" to support his point. Insightful article that puts the objections of climate change deniers in perspective.
Friedman is a little weak on evaluating the science, but his basic tack of looking at the monster calamity of extinguishing most the species on the planet, at whatever probability, is one of the long considered valid reasons for taking on the costs of ceasing to burn carbon for energy.
Author Thomas Friedman takes a no-nonsense approach to climate change issues. A recent article noted that the Dutch are committed to spending $100 per year per citizen to reinforce and upgrade their system of dikes, just in case climate change causes sea levels to rise. That seems practical, as the cost is minimal and eminently affordable. The author argues for a similar approach to climate change--the caveat being that global warming hysteria should not motivate us to hobble the industrial base on which we all depend.
This article is refreshing in its lack of extremist environmentalism. Often I see a distinct agenda in the extremist approach, which borders on sheer hatred of the modern world and a self-righteous insistence that profligate humanity must be stopped at all costs--even if that cost might be the death of millions (billions?), especially in the fragile, barely-sustaining developing world, which has become increasingly dependent on advanced technology in agriculture.
Retrieving Comments
