I see that Governor Doyle has created another task force, this time to see what can be done about global warming. I had recently attended a public hearing on the task force created to address the problem of overrepresentation among some minorities in our prison system. I concluded at the time that this was a political dog and pony show designed to create the impression that Democrats are on the side of minorities, rather than a serious effort to examine the factors (namely criminal behavior) leading to incarceration.
Anyway, his latest task force has even dropped the pretense of objectivity. "What it won't do is debate the science of whether global warming is real" reports David Steinkraus of the Journal Times. Well there you have it. We will have a task force where citizens are free to discuss their opinions and policy preferences, so long as they are in agreement with the governor.
Can you imagine the uproar if a Republican governor created a task force on studying the importance of faith, so long as the existence of God is not questioned?
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3 comments:
C'mon Denis. you'd have to be nuts to still insist that global warming isn't real. Global temperatures ARE increasing. The question is - why? Is it due to mankinds influence on the environment? natural climate rythms? solar cycles? This question hasn't been banned, apparently. More importantly, you have to set ground rules for discussions. I had a philosphy course back in college where one idiot would respond to every scenario with "Well, because of God". Eventually, the prof had to forbid this line of discussion. IT was absorbing all of our time, and not allowing us to address the real topic of the class. Perhaps the governor could creat another task force for people who want to debate things like global warming, evolution, gravity, moon landings, and the shape of the earth. I'm sure it would be very productive.
I think it’s becoming more common for people to say global warming isn’t real, when in fact what they really mean is that they don’t believe that global warming is a “real threat” and / or that they believe that the urgent message of global warming is more politically motivated than actual reality.
My impression is that most people don’t deny the scientific record indicating slightly rising temperatures. I think where the subject turns sticky is when there is disagreement regarding what is causing it (natural or man made) and if something should (or needs) to be done about it. There are plenty of scientists on both sides of the argument.
(Regarding the task force)
With this in mind, having not ascertained the “cause” or “results” of slightly rising temperatures and then making assumptions about what needs to be done about it, seems rather pointless to me. To me it would seem (at the very least) a big waste of human and state resources. What decisions will be made as a result those assumptions? What taxes will be levied on our state based on those assumptions?
So, I guess what I’m opining is that regardless of what questions are allowed or disallowed, this taskforce is a foolish idea.
Fishmonger, after rereading my post, I can see why you reached the impression that I may be in doubt of global warming. From the various articles that I have read on the subject, it seems that there is a consensus among scientists that the earth is warming slightly.
I got the impression from reading about Doyle's task force that the conclusion that man is the primary cause of global warming will not be questioned. Otherwise, why would there be a task force to deal with global warming if the cause is natural and outside the control of humans.
There is no agreement among scientists that man is the cause of global warming. And Caledonication is correct, as usual, that the task force is a waste of time. Adittionally, it could be harmful if we come up with "solutions" that will harm the economy and our personal freedoms while doing nothing to alter the world's temperature.
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