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.