An “Inconvenient” Inconvenient Truth?
The other day I got an e-mail from a friend that said that I should “stop drinking the cool aid” and realize the global warming is a myth…that the proponents of global warming only want our money. My response? Sigh…ok…watch this George Carlin video and you’ll clearly understand how I feel:
In a nutshell, I think both extremist views on global warming (believe it and don’t believe it) are just as wrong with every bad statement they make. If you 100% believe that global warming is a crisis then the worst thing you can do is pass off anything that isn’t 100% conclusive as fact. That is just stupid and irresponsible. Don’t label shit as fact if you can’t back it up.
On the other hand, there is enough evidence out there to suggest that global warming is a problem and that we need to investigate it further to see if it is indeed a crisis. I think it would be far more irresponsible to simply label it as a myth and a hoax and just keep on doing what we’ve been doing.
Who’s drinking the cool aid? Pretending it’s a myth and believing that the majority of people who are drumming up controversy on global warming have some sort of extended agenda is exactly what the oil companies and rich assholes of this world want you to think and do. I can’t deny that there are some rich assholes and politicians who are using the whole global warming thing as a way to make a shitload of money….but you gotta admit that the alternative sucks even worse.
So what would you rather have? World leaders who want to push an agenda that involves taking a serious look at global warming and determining whether to take serious action? Or world leaders who just want to continue waging war with other sovereign countries over oil with fear tactics and other bullshit measures? It’s like “Cake or death?” Umm…cake please!
With the recent British judge ruling, yes, I agree that teachers need to be careful and point out to their students the parts of “An Inconvenient Truth” that are either inaccurate or not 100% conclusive. I think a good portion of what Gore talks about are worst case scenarios…in other words, shit that could happen if oil production continues to rise and no one does a damn thing. Is it 100% accurate? Probably not…but he achieved what he set out to do and that is to raise awareness and get people talking.
But talk is cheap. And I’m tired of people talking, bitching, moaning, and whining. Actions speak louder than words. Keep spending a ton of money on gas guzzling Hummers, pick-up trucks, and BMF SUV’s. Keep using 100-watt lightbulbs in every room. Crank up the A/C and the heat and drive your electricity bill way up. Just keep on using up all those wonderful resources you take for granted and let’s see where it takes us in the next 50 years.
Personally, I don’t give a shit about any of it. I drive a more fuel efficient car and I’m interested in hybrids and cleaner burning diesel engines simply because I’d rather see a day when I can drive downtown without seeing so much fucking smog polluting the air! I’ve decided to use fluorescent bulbs that use only a 10th of the power or less of a normal bulb simply because in doing so I can significantly reduce the amount of my electricity bill. I don’t know about you…but a 16 watt bulb that produces the same amount of light as a 60 watt bulb and with less heat is a real winner to me!
Point is that I think a lot of the folks who complain about the kinds of conservation that I’m talking about are the same kind of people who claim that global warming is a myth. Kind of reminds me of the people who think the holocaust never happened. Yes, there are people who believe that was a hoax! Can you believe that? Think you can prove to those people that, yes, the Nazi did kill a shitload a Jews in gas chambers? Energy conservation is kind of the same thing. Whether you believe in global warming or not, you can’t deny that we need to start thinking about ways to cut down on energy consumption and pollution. It’s just as undeniable as the holocaust.
Tags: environment
