Global warming is a real threat to the world. Nearly every one in this world of 6 billion people has been affected by its after effects and from what scientists tell us, this is just the begining. Yet, if one were to believe the US Government and particularly President Bush, its not so important. Not even the havoc caused by too many hurricanes can faze this administration and all the loonies that are in it…the biggest one being the vice-president Dick Cheney.
One of the biggest immediate challenges is the melting of snow in the Arctic. Just this summer the tiny Alaskan town of Shishmaref has voted to move inland to avoid the rising waters caused by climate warming.
As reported in the Scientific American
Two coastal villages, Kivalina and Shishmaref, have suffered from erosion that …..attributes to three factors, all directly deriving from warming. Permafrost has thawed, causing houses to slide off suddenly muddy cliffs; sea ice has thinned, creating expanses of open water that rise up in ever higher storm surges; and glaciers are melting, leading local sea levels to climb (albeit very slightly). The townships must be relocated (at an estimated cost of more than $100 million), so they should stand a good chance…that they suffered damages because of global warming.
With the Arctic ice melting, the world water levels rise, the above is just the tip of the iceberg (no pun intended !!!) The oil lobby and the anti-environments do everything in their capacity to steamroll any initiatives that could slow down the process of global warming
The article raises a very valid point about the perpetrators not being the ones who suffer.
Shifting the cost of global warming to those who are disproportionately the perpetrators, … could make fossil fuels more expensive and thus force corporations to pay more attention to renewable energy. Environmental groups have been frustrated by the Bush administration’s rejection of the Kyoto treaty and …its tendency to “deny, deflect blame and delay” when it comes to issues involving global warming. So don’t be surprised if “See you in court” becomes the environmentalist’s new rallying cry.
Finally when all seems lost, there is at least one sane voice that seems to stand out.
In an email I received today, Senator John McCain writes about his recent trip to Alaska and Canada. Here is the text of the email
I leave you with this message from a sensible man, and hope that the other powers that be will make a change in their thinking.
—–Original Message—–
From: Stop Global Warming Virtual March on Washington http://stopglobalwarming.org
Sent: Wed Oct 05 17:28:21 2005
Subject: A message from Senator John McCain
Dear Fellow Marcher,
Recently, a number of my Senate colleagues and I traveled to Canada and Alaska to witness the devastating impacts of global warming on the Arctic. We left even more convinced of what we already knew: global warming is real and it’s not some future phenomenon – it’s here now. The impacts are visible if we just open our eyes to them. Visit my travel log to learn more about the consequences of global warming that are clearly visible today.
Just as in Canada and Alaska, the impacts of global warming in other areas of the country are real and they are happening now. This week, the March is stopping in Buffalo Creek Minnesota. Read more about the impact of global warming on Buffalo Creek.
I’m marching so that we don’t hand our children and grandchildren a world vastly different from the one that we now inhabit. The March is almost halfway through its yearlong virtual tour around the United States. Our voices are amplified by the power of over 130,000 other voices marching together!
Visit here to read more about my travels and details about our current stop at Buffalo Creek.
Thank you for the joining the March, and adding your voice to the many speaking out to raise public awareness of the urgent problem of global warming.
Sincerely,
Senator John McCain
Marcher
