Climate Change in the News

I was surprised to see the Star-Bulletin run a couple of articles on "Global Warming" in their Sunday issue this past week. I was surprised by the articles because within the last year they were running columns by Charles Memminger explaining how global warming was a media hoax.

One blurb from the Associated Press reported that 2008 was the 8th warmest year ever. This ran above a longer article on the warming in Antarctica specifically. It's frustrating that these articles accept the simplification of climate change as merely "warming" and overlook the other changes caused by the increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, namely the changes to ocean currents, desertification, and ocean acidication, among other issues.

The Advertiser followed up a couple days later with an article from the L.A. Times on a recent study reporting that it will take 1,000 years or longer to reverse the changes already made to the climate. This article at least alluded to the complexity of the positive feedback loop caused by the increased carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.

Also this week, NPR broadcast an Oxford-style debate on whether major reductions in carbon emissions would be worth the money. Sadly, after viewing the debates, the audience was swayed in favor of the affirmative who argued that the carbon reductions would NOT be worth the money. Note: the debate was not on the reality of climate but rather over whether reductions would be worth the cost; debaters on both side made this clear.

Meanwhile over in Washington, Obama is busy trying to persuade House and Senate Republicans to vote for his enormous bailout package which (if he follows through on his campaign promises) would include major green iniatives.