| Frankly, I'm getting tired of having to write about the | | | | that was just published by NOAA (the National |
| global climate situation from the perspective of | | | | Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: another |
| economic expediency. It feels like I'm beating a dying | | | | hotbed of liberalism) in which we learn that the |
| - if not dead - horse. I can imagine those who agree | | | | Southwestern US is likely to face even more intense |
| with me responding with, "Yeah, we know that, how | | | | droughts, while more frequent heavy downpours will |
| about moving on?" while those who disagree will read | | | | affect other parts of the country (like Iowa). To |
| the first few sentences (if they can get beyond the | | | | quote the report, extreme weather events "are |
| title) and then moving along to other things in silent - | | | | among the most serious challenges to society in |
| or not-so-silent - disgust. Yet, since I get a lot of my | | | | coping with a changing climate." Of course, the report |
| inspiration from the news of the day, it feels as | | | | also had the bad taste to link these climatic changes |
| though climate change and our (lack of) response to | | | | to human activities, particularly the release of |
| it has become too important a topic to leave alone. | | | | greenhouse gasses. |
| We're getting more information almost daily and, for | | | | Pardon me for asking, but doesn't the fact that 1.2 |
| the most part, the news is not good. | | | | million acres of corn are under water (to say nothing |
| Our Chief Executive just toured Iowa City and | | | | of the soybean crop), which represents almost 10% |
| reported that, "The good news is that the people in | | | | of the yield of the entire state of Iowa, have any |
| Iowa are tough-minded people." That's the good | | | | economic impact? Isn't agribusiness also significant in |
| news? He reassured them that they'll "come back | | | | the nation's commercial interests? So why are so |
| better." Like the City of New Orleans, perhaps? | | | | many people focusing on the cost of reducing |
| When natural disasters wreak havoc, there's not | | | | greenhouse gas emissions, while not saying anything |
| really any such thing as 'good news' - at least not for | | | | about the cost to the economy of the natural |
| the people affected. | | | | disasters that this activity is generating? The |
| I want to ask one modest question. I want to know | | | | connection seems perfectly clear, yet, even if it isn't |
| what it's going to cost in clean-up, repairs, alternative | | | | perfectly clear, isn't it worth the risk to take |
| housing and assistance, and lost income and revenue | | | | proactive measures just in case the connection is |
| from these floods? I keep going back in my mind to | | | | there? |
| the vitriol that poured out of the members of the US | | | | As a citizen and as a business man, I'm both apalled |
| Chamber of Commerce in their weekly newsletter | | | | and astounded at the depth of our nation's denial. |
| and commentary when the subject of global climate | | | | When will our NIMBY ('Not In My Back Yard') |
| change came up. It seems, according to most of | | | | attitudes change, when the flood waters or sand |
| these irate members, that scientists and | | | | dunes are lapping at our back doors? When we can |
| environmentalists are deliberately trying to wreak the | | | | no longer afford to put food on our tables? When |
| US economy. They want to stop - ore even reverse | | | | the number of bicycles overtake the number of cars |
| - the human causes of global warming. Of course we | | | | on our highways? Or, perhaps, it'll be when we're all |
| know that all of this talk is merely the liberals' way of | | | | out of business because nobody can afford our |
| ruining everything. . . . Or do we? | | | | goods and services. We seem to be a nation led by |
| On the other side of the page from the | | | | ouzelum birds: those are fabulous birds that fly |
| Commander-in-Chief's comments on the good news | | | | backwards and thus do not know where they're |
| in Iowa, there's an article about an 162-page study | | | | going, but like to know where they've been. |