Global Warming

Here in NYC the latest heat wave as done nothing to diminish the perception of the realities of global warming. I've seen hotter summers here, with more dispair and power outages, so I find it hard to make firm linkage between my sweaty chestnuts and the larger issue of global warming.

With the current hurricane season approaching, various media outlets will start pumping out terrifying predictions of the destruction and disasters to come, all amplified by the cumbustible effects of global warming. Yes, the weather has become big news. A frightened public makes for good ratings, as the networks and The Weather Channel pump out the horrorible predictions of what is going to befall us. Responsible scientists know that global warming is a slow, insidious, creeping process, a story that doesn't play well on the evening news, so television news outlets ratchet-up the estimates and the predictions to a shrieking, teeth gnashing, cresendo that may ultimately hurt the worldwide movement to control greenhouse gas emissions.

I, for one, would prefer that environmentally aware individuals not play into the stereotype of screeching, eggheaded, treehugging, oddballs, by exaggerating global warming as a component of daily weather change. On the other hand, the recent G8 conference is a prime example (with G.W. leading or not leading the way) of the major industrial powers dragging their feet on the issue. Let's strike some balance and get on with actually doing something constructive.
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