"The world's top scientists agree that climate change is the most serious threat to ever face our planet."

All the top scientists in the whole world agree on this. There is no disagreement among them. None whatsoever. The top scientists - the top ones of the world, mind you - all agree about climate change. And they think that climate change is very, very, very, horribly rotten.

But don't take my word for it. I'm not one of those top scientists. For Mother Earth's sake, listen to the children.



I have a few thoughts about this:

1. I guess the scientists who would disagree about climate change being the most serious threat to ever face the earth are not top scientists. Because if they were top scientists, they would agree. Those scientists would conform their own personal beliefs with the idea that nothing - nothing! - is more serious right now than climate change. But because they refuse to conform, they can't be a top scientist. If only they would get on the bandwagon.... then they'd be top. Or at least, you know, pretty close to the top, anyway.
2. Are these the children of all those top scientists?
3. One child declares, "Droughts and floods and hurricanes are getting worse." What does this mean, exactly? I take it to mean that droughts, floods, and hurricanes have inflicted more destruction and damage than they have in the past, when people weren't burning fossil fuels and polluting the air and water. But do we have scientific evidence of this? Do we know conclusively that droughts, floods and hurricanes are much worse than they were 100 years ago... or 500 years ago... or 3,000 years ago?
4. If my children don't agree with these children, does it mean that they're not top children?
5. "Really cool animals like polar bears and walruses will lose their habitat." Pity all the uncool animals that lose their habitats. No one cares about them.
6. The children urge the American president to join with leaders of other nations for a meeting in Copenhagen ("That's in Denmark."). They tell us, "The rest of the world is ready," but then they only list eight countries. Hmm. I didn't know the world only had nine nations.
7. I think I'll change all my "global warming" tags to "climate change" tags. Then I'll become a top blogger.
8. Thanks, Anchoress.

The roofs on every home in the world should be painted white

US Energy Secretary Steven Chu says, "If you look at all the buildings and if you make the roofs white and if you make the pavement more of a concrete type of colour rather than a black type of colour and if you do that uniformally, that would be the equivalent of... reducing the carbon emissions due to all the cars in the world by 11 years – just taking them off the road for 11 years."

So, basically, we should all act as if we live in Bermuda.


H/T: Althouse

It's presently 56° here in Danville, Illinois

So, naturally, my thoughts turn to global warming. Should we have that high a temperature at this time of year? We're nearly a third into February now, and I'm thinking it should be at least 20 degrees colder.

Well, while we're pondering our own personal roles in global warming, let's get to watching a heart-warming video, shall we?



Wasn't that wonderful? I'm going outside to enjoy the sunshine now. And, perhaps, pick up an SUV.

goodbye, white lemuroid ringtail possum

You are no more, because of those vile and terrible creatures called Humans. They killed you with their global warming.

Experts fear climate change is to blame for the disappearance of the highly vulnerable strain thanks to a temperature rise of up to 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Researchers will mount a last-ditch expedition early next year deep into the untouched "cloud forests" of the Carbine Range near Mt. Lewis, three hours north of the city of Cairns, in search of the tiny tree-dweller, dubbed the "Dodo of the Daintree."

"It is not looking good," researcher Steve Williams said. "If they have died out it would be first example of something that has gone extinct purely because of global warming."

Which prompts me to wonder: why is this so terrible? If men and women are merely the products of Nature and evolutionary forces, as the atheist believes, would it not be fair to say that Nature is ultimately responsible for the disappearance of the white lemuroid ringtail possum?

After all, Nature allowed humanity to rise to the position that it is in. Ian Malcom said in Jurassic Park, "Dinosaurs had their shot, and Nature selected them for extinction." Humanity - homo sapiens - now have their own shot at ruling the earth, just as dinosaurs did so many years ago. If Nature did indeed select the homo sapien to be the current dominant species, would not anything that occurred - even the erradication of a type of possum - be a natural thing?

I'm not saying that there is no argument that the disappearance of the white lemuroid ringtail possum is an unnatural thing. I'm just saying that I don't see the argument as existing. In other words, I'm agnostic towards that argument. Perhaps someone can help.

global melting

If Al Gore cares to hear about news of the environment, he should probably read this.

Forgive me, Al...

Dr. Sanity has a great little comic on to whom we should confess when we experience "green guilt."

get your global warming here?

If the liberal Hollywood crowd gives you an Oscar, expect to get some heat along with it.

what Al Gore should have said at the Oscars

Al Gore gave two short speeches at the Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, one given before his film won for Documentary. Both speeches were obvious panderings to the Hollywood crowd, who now seems to be completely at peace with his wife Tipper. Many people will remember that Tipper railed against the music industry back in the 80's and formed the Parents' Music Resource Center. I'm sure Frank Zappa recalls those days fondly.

Calling the global warming threat a "moral issue," Gore said, "We have everything we need to get started, with the possible exception of the will to act. That's a renewable resource. Let's renew it."

What he should have said, specifically to the Hollywood crowd, was this:

My fellow wealthy Americans:

It is truly incredible to think of the amount of money represented in this hallowed room tonight. Why, George Lucas' bank account alone could fund the energy bills of entire countries for years to come, to say nothing of the piles of dough belonging to his pal Spielberg. So, just imagine the collective wealth of everyone here. It's really quite stunning.

It's also stunning to think about the amount of living space many people in this room occupy, especially those of you who are seated down front. Why, I was just reading in a recent copy of Architectural Digest about someone's house - no, I won't name who it is, even though I see the person here tonight - having 10,000+ square feet. And this person is the only one who lives there! And (s)he has an apartment in New York, too!! Can you just imagine the energy consumption?

What if we all committed to living in smaller houses, which would take much less energy to power and to heat? What if we had no more than, say, 3,000 square feet of living space? What that be enough for you? Now I know that this would mean that some of you would have to sell off some stuff - but, hey! You could give the money to environmental causes, to show that you're genuinely committed to my film!

And I know that some of you would have to live in "normal" neighborhoods with "ordinary" people living next to you. And some of you are concerned that the paparazzi would have easier access to you. I admit that's a concern for my friend Leo here, but some of you? Seriously, who cares about a picture of Alan Arkin mowing the grass, or Meryl Streep grabbing the paper in her bathrobe?

If you're truly concerned about the environment, be willing to make big changes yourself. Don't just expect those everyday Americans watching us right now to do it for you. And when you come to next year's Oscars, don't rent out some limo - carpool in a Prius!

Thank you. And good - I mean green - night!