Cool it on the Climate Warming!

A Yogi offered the following advice to the Class of 1996, Montclair State University: “You can observe a lot by watching.” I’ve tried to take that advice to heart, and I was reminded of it today when I did a little net surfing. Over at the Washington Post, I observed that scientists were concerned about global warming.

Well, I knew that global warming was a problem. But the WaPo had a new twist. Here’s how their article began:

Now that most scientists agree human activity is causing Earth to warm, the central debate has shifted to whether climate change is progressing so rapidly that, within decades, humans may be helpless to slow or reverse the trend.

This “tipping point” scenario has begun to consume many prominent researchers in the United States and abroad, because the answer could determine how drastically countries need to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years. While scientists remain uncertain when such a point might occur, many say it is urgent that policymakers cut global carbon dioxide emissions in half over the next 50 years or risk the triggering of changes that would be irreversible.

Uh, oh. That sounds really bad.

I sure hope that the government is paying attention, because I would expect them to be taking some steps to deal with the problem. Indeed, the New York Times, describes the Administration response on Page 1. Here’s the way they began their story:

The top climate scientist at NASA says the Bush administration has tried to stop him from speaking out since he gave a lecture last month calling for prompt reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases linked to global warming.

Well, as the Ole Perfessor would say, “You can look it up.”

“… and tell ’em Big Mitch sent ya!”