About 7.1 billion people live on this planet. It defies logic that so many people haven’t had a cataclysmic impact on our environment and contributed mightily to climate change.
We spew fossil fuels into our air and water, deforest the earth for lumber and fuel, and negatively impact earth’s ecosystem in many other ways. Unbelievably, the Tea Party ridicules the idea of climate change and jokes about it. Some imbeciles even claim it‘s some sort of tax scheme.
By whom, God? They’re not funny.
When the Olympics were held there, Beijing had to be virtually shut down to improve the air quality for the games. Normally you can barely see across the street in China’s capital. This is happening all over the world. How can anyone insist this does not contribute to climate change?
Australia has had its worst heat wave in its history. ABC news reported that as many as 100,000 bats fell to the earth and died from the heat. The record heat wave killed thousands of other animals. A large number of parrots, emus and kangaroos were found dead due to the extended dry conditions caused by the heat. Some people reported an overwhelming stench caused by dead animals. In Queensland, it has had a devastating impact on cattle farmers, forcing many to send all their cattle to slaughter.
The New Zealand Herald reported farmers saying if significant rains do not fall by autumn their operations will become worthless and they will have to abandon their properties.
Last year, Phoenix reported its hottest summer in history. I didn’t think it could get any hotter in Phoenix. Wrong. California is experiencing a catastrophic drought. Climate change is a fact. Those who would have us do nothing, make fun of anyone claiming it’s caused by so many people inhabiting the earth. They may have already been successful in delaying action passed the point of no return. They can kiss their ash goodbye. And they can kiss my ash also.
Sooner than you think, water will be more prized than oil. Have you seen Lake Mead or Mono Lake lately? The energy coming from Hoover Dam to Southern California could end, and much of its water supply cut off.
The vast majority of uncompromised scientists agree that global warming is a fact. To deny it, and make jokes about it, is plain stupid. Those who do, won’t answer this question: “What happens if we are right and you are wrong?” If we are wrong we will still end up with a cleaner planet. If you are wrong we will end up without this planet. It’s not logical to take that risk.
New Jersey Gov. “It’s my way or the highway,” Chris Christie claims he didn’t know his immediate staff was closing lanes on the George Washington Bridge to punish his enemies. Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer claims Lt. Gov. Kimberly Guadagno, a close Christie confidant, threatened to cut off federal hurricane aid for Hoboken if the Mayor didn’t approve a certain development Christie wanted. If so, Guadagno committed a federal crime.
Even marginally intelligent hands-on governors know what their closest aides are doing. Either Christie condoned their actions, or he was ignorant of what they were doing. Logically he’s either incompetent, or mean spirited and vengeful. He should resign and forget any political aspirations. Who wants a president whose staff might attempt to bribe mayors, or close down Interstate 80 to punish some folks.
Not long ago President Obama made a perfectly logical and 100 percent accurate statement. He said, “There is no doubt that there are some folks who just really dislike me because they don’t like the idea of a black president. Now the flip side is there are some black folks and maybe some white folks who really like me and give me the benefit of the doubt because I am a black president.”
Fox News commentators and others have stated this latter sentence as fact on many occasions. This time they went nuts. This time it was Obama who said it. Sarah Palin, that dizzy quitter from Alaska who probably watched the Olympics from her porch, blasted Obama. She evidently thinks minorities shouldn’t talk about minorities. Fox’s commentators must believe the opposite of Obama, which would be: “There is no one who dislikes Obama simply because he’s a black president. There are no black people and no white people who like and support Obama simply because he’s a black president.” That’s not only illogical, it defies reality.
That’s a Fox trademark.
Glen McAdoo, a Fallon resident, can be contacted at glynn@phonewave.net.