Change of Opinions on Climate Change

It seems as though more and more skeptics are changing their opinion on global warming.

"…science has changed from ambiguous to near-unanimous. As an environmental commentator, I have a long record of opposing alarmism. But based on the data, I’m now switching sides regarding global warming, from skeptic to convert." Gregg Easterbrook of the Brookings Institution and senior editor of The New Republic. (Those of you who read ESPN.com Page 2 will recognize Easterbrook as the Tuesday Morning Quarterback - a must read for NFL fans.)

Representative Bob Inglis (R-NC and chairman of the House Science Research subcommittee) says he “pooh-poohed” global warming until a trip to the South Pole in January convinced him otherwise. "I think we should all be concerned. There are more and more Republicans willing to stop laughing at climate change who are ready to get serious about reclaiming their heritage as conservationists."

"I was a certified global warming skeptic…[but] I eventually came to the judgment that I was wrong and global warming was real, largely caused by human activities and profoundly changing the planet on which we live," admitted Stu Ostro, senior meteorologist and director of weather communications for The Weather Channel.

"I used to be skeptical…but now I’m absolutely convinced that the world is spiraling out of control. CO2 is like a brushfire that gets bigger and bigger every year." Richard Branson, founder of The Virgin Group.

"It is getting hotter, and the icecaps are melting and there is a build-up of carbon dioxide in the air. We really need to address the burning of fossil fuels. If we are contributing to the destruction of this planet, we need to do something about it," said Rev. Pat Robertson on a recent broadcast of the “700 Club.” He also added that the recent heat waves had made a “convert” out of him on the issue.

"There is no doubt about it in my mind that climate change is happening, and there is no doubt about it that it would be wise for us to stop doing the foolish things we're doing that could potentially be causing this. In my mind there is no downside to being cautious." Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals based in Colorado Springs.

The last two comments are very interesting, as our current president likes to be considered the evangelical president. In fact, 86 other evangelical leaders signed the "Evangelical Climate Initiative" earlier this year to fight global warming. These evangelical leaders included presidents of 39 evangelical colleges, leaders of aid groups and churches, like the Salvation Army, and pastors of megachurches, including Rick Warren, author of the best seller "The Purpose-Driven Life."

Even Ah-nuld has recently made the news regarding global warming. Gov. Schwarzenegger sent a letter to President Bush this week scolding the president for ignoring his plea for more leeway to toughen California's vehicle exhaust standards. Schwarzenegger complained about "the absence of a coherent federal policy" to stop global warming.

All of this seems to point out that President Bush is in fact the oil president, not the republican or evangelical president. But, if he stays the course of his past decisions he will likely go down in the history books as the worst president.

Sources:
2/28/06, The New York Times, "Evangelical Leaders Join Global Warming Initiative," by Laurie Goodstein.
10/25/06, LA Times, "Governor is Blunt to Bush," by Michael Finnegan and Scott Martelle.
8/3/06, The Christian Post, “Heat wave makes Pat Robertson a global warming convert,” the AP.
5/24/06, The New York Times, “Finally feeling the heat,” by Gregg Easterbrook.
4/24/06, Bloomberg News, “Bush faces growing dissent from Republicans on climate change,” by Kim Chapman.
9/24/06, The Weather Channel Blog, “If this isn’t global warming, I don’t know what is (confessions of an ex-skeptic), by Stu Ostro.
7/27/06, Business 2.0 Magazine, “Branson’s next big move,” by Carleen Hawn.

Stay the Course

Unbelievable

Another Must Read

The following article was posted on www.truthdig.com. I felt that I had to post it on my blog, because Kevin Tillman put into words what so many of us are feeling about the current state of affairs in the USA. For those of you not familiar with Pat Tillman, do a little research on him. He gave up millions of dollars to defend his country after 9-11. Unfortunately, he was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan, although the Army tried to cover up the truth. Here is the article by his brother.

(Editor’s note: Kevin Tillman joined the Army with his brother Pat in 2002, and they served together in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pat was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. Kevin, who was discharged in 2005, has written a powerful, must-read document.)

It is Pat’s birthday on November 6, and elections are the day after. It gets me thinking about a conversation I had with Pat before we joined the military. He spoke about the risks with signing the papers. How once we committed, we were at the mercy of the American leadership and the American people. How we could be thrown in a direction not of our volition. How fighting as a soldier would leave us without a voice… until we got out.

Much has happened since we handed over our voice:

Somehow we were sent to invade a nation because it was a direct threat to the American people, or to the world, or harbored terrorists, or was involved in the September 11 attacks, or received weapons-grade uranium from Niger, or had mobile weapons labs, or WMD, or had a need to be liberated, or we needed to establish a democracy, or stop an insurgency, or stop a civil war we created that can’t be called a civil war even though it is. Something like that.

Somehow our elected leaders were subverting international law and humanity by setting up secret prisons around the world, secretly kidnapping people, secretly holding them indefinitely, secretly not charging them with anything, secretly torturing them. Somehow that overt policy of torture became the fault of a few “bad apples” in the military.

Somehow back at home, support for the soldiers meant having a five-year-old kindergartener scribble a picture with crayons and send it overseas, or slapping stickers on cars, or lobbying Congress for an extra pad in a helmet. It’s interesting that a soldier on his third or fourth tour should care about a drawing from a five-year-old; or a faded sticker on a car as his friends die around him; or an extra pad in a helmet, as if it will protect him when an IED throws his vehicle 50 feet into the air as his body comes apart and his skin melts to the seat.

Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes.

Somehow American leadership, whose only credit is lying to its people and illegally invading a nation, has been allowed to steal the courage, virtue and honor of its soldiers on the ground.

Somehow those afraid to fight an illegal invasion decades ago are allowed to send soldiers to die for an illegal invasion they started.

Somehow faking character, virtue and strength is tolerated.

Somehow profiting from tragedy and horror is tolerated.

Somehow the death of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people is tolerated.

Somehow subversion of the Bill of Rights and The Constitution is tolerated.

Somehow suspension of Habeas Corpus is supposed to keep this country safe.

Somehow torture is tolerated.

Somehow lying is tolerated.

Somehow reason is being discarded for faith, dogma, and nonsense.

Somehow American leadership managed to create a more dangerous world.

Somehow a narrative is more important than reality.

Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.

Somehow the most reasonable, trusted and respected country in the world has become one of the most irrational, belligerent, feared, and distrusted countries in the world.

Somehow being politically informed, diligent, and skeptical has been replaced by apathy through active ignorance.

Somehow the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country.

Somehow this is tolerated.

Somehow nobody is accountable for this.

In a democracy, the policy of the leaders is the policy of the people. So don’t be shocked when our grandkids bury much of this generation as traitors to the nation, to the world and to humanity. Most likely, they will come to know that “somehow” was nurtured by fear, insecurity and indifference, leaving the country vulnerable to unchecked, unchallenged parasites.

Luckily this country is still a democracy. People still have a voice. People still can take action. It can start after Pat’s birthday.

Brother and Friend of Pat Tillman,

Kevin Tillman

That's Not Dope

Canadian soldiers battle Taliban, marijuana.

Tough Game Ahead for the Broncos

The Broncos are up for a tough game on Monday night, as the undefeated Baltimore Ravens come to town for a defensive battle. The Broncos have historically had a difficult time facing the Ravens. Going back to the 2000-2001 season, the Ravens have won 4 of 5 games against the Broncos. Last year, the Broncos managed to end a four game losing streak to the Ravens by defeating the Kyle Boller led team, in what amounted to a much closer game than was expected.

I have been paying attention to some of the head to head matchups over the past few years in the AFC. In addition to having difficulties against the Ravens, the Broncos have also had a great deal of trouble against the Indianapolis Colts. The Broncos are 2-4 against the Colts since 2001, with one of those wins coming in the final game of the season with the Colt's starters on the bench. Over that same period of time, the Colts have struggled mightily against the Patriots, going 1-6. Meanwhile, the Broncos have won 4 of 5 against the Patriots since 2001. So what does this mean? Not a whole lot, except that certain teams matchup well against others. The Broncos don't want to face the Ravens or Colts in the playoffs, the Colts don't want to meet the Patriots, and the Patriots don't want to meet the Broncos.

Read This

This is one of the most pertinent and incisive commentaries on the debacle of the George W Bush presidency. I urge all to take the time to read this. Thank you Keith Olbermann for seeing through the lies and deception.