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Sigh. Yes, Mike, there are a few scientists who don’t think global warming is a reality, or who think that, if it is, it’s not caused by human interference with the atmosphere–and when you sneeringly refer to the “tiny number of 17,000 scientists” who signed a petition disputing the existence of global warming, you just look stupid. In fact, 17,000 is a tiny number, compared with the vast numbers of scientists who disagree with them. Oh, and there’s the embarrassing little fact that the “petition” you refer to, signed by “scientists,” was discredited when it was discovered that it was not organized by climate scientists and signatories included a member of the Spice Girls and fictional characters from the TV show MAS*H. It’s also interesting that the organizations promoting this petition include ExxonMobil and the Maine Oil Dealers Association–now, what possible interest could they have in the issue of global warming? (To find out more about this devastating petition, check out Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting’s article at www.fair.org/activism/stossel-tampering.html.)
Of course, you give away the game when you say, OK, assume global warming is for real (but why, Mike? It’s a myth, remember?)–it’s actually good for us! The reason? Previous warmer periods with higher CO2 levels saw human civilization’s “greatest periods of growth and intellectual advances.” Even assuming this were true, you’d have to be scientifically illiterate to believe that the advances were due to the warmer climate. They might have been, but, again, you’d have to explain why. Not to mention that current computer models show direct correlations between increased global warming and increased incidence of disease and drought. You’ll probably be OK though, Mike–it’s mostly those pesky brown folks in the third world who’ll suffer.
