Helping The President Pull His Head Out Of His Greenhouse Gas

The AP reports that the National Academy of Sciences, a private organization chartered by Congress to advise the government of scientific matters, has reported to the House Science Committee that the earth is the hottest it's been in 2,000 years. This runs contrary to the contentions of the Bush Administration who maintain that the global warming threat is not severe enough to warrant new pollution controls that they say would have cost 5 million Americans their jobs. In 2001, President Bush pulled the United States out of the Kyoto Accords citing that it excluded poor nations and that emissions caps would harm the U.S. economy. Ironic isn't it. This from an administration that doesn't seem one whit concerned about the growing number of jobs being outsourced to China and India.

I Hate To Put It This Crassly, But Dead People Don't Need Jobs

The United States has really fallen asleep on this issue. While we remain one of the biggest polluters on the planet, emitting 24% of the world's greenhouse gasses (China is second with 12.1%), we have sat on the sidelines and let the rest of the world try to handle it. I am amazed every time I hear someone criticize someone like Al Gore for being an environmental activist. Is it so wrong to not want to breathe in, drink or absorb cancer causing agents? Is it wrong to not want our children and grandchildren to do so?

In A Fight Between Humanity And The Earth, The Earth Is Going To Kick Our Ass!

There's nothing more dangerous than a pissed off mother and, without a doubt, there is compelling evidence that the earth is fighting back against years of abuse by humankind. History has shown that Mr. Bush is usually up for a good fight, whether it makes sense or not, but this is one that he can't win. And contrary to what the President maintains, good environmental policy could just as easily add jobs and improve the economic welfare of the United States. Here's how I see it:

- Renewable technologies require manufacturing. Manufacturing creates good paying jobs.

- Fossil Fuels are a finite resource, renewable fuels are not. Need more soy or corn based fuel? No problem, grow it.
Added benefit? America's farmers get a big boost.

- Decreased pollution leads to decreases in health care costs, through less environmentally triggered diseases (i.e. asthma,
cancer).

It is my hope that this is the beginning of a new understanding between government and the scientific community. Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y., my Congressperson and chair of the House Science Committee, said, "This report shows the value of Congress handling scientific disputes by asking scientists to give us guidance. There is nothing in this report that should raise any doubts about the broad scientific consensus on global climate change." Yep, that's right, my Republican Congressperson gets it.

Let's hope that the rest of Congress gets the message and that they can shove the Executive Branch into gear.