Terminalcoffee discussion

Comments like this are unbearable: "I was thinking about swapping out my winter clothes for my summer clothes. I do live in florida and it is almost March. However on the radio I heard we have another cold front on the way. Where is this gobal warming?" I took this quote off of Facebook, but it just so happens I could have taken one of three, yes, count them, three similar comments today posted on Facebook from family members and friends.

Why is it that people get so fixated on one descriptor ("global warming") to the exclusion of the real problem ("climate change")? I believe the science that says we are hurting our environment. It won't necessarily equate to record high temperatures in February, folks! That's not the point. The point is that it will create irregularities/extremes in weather throughout the year.

Even Glenn Beck believes in global warming/climate change:

“You’d be an idiot not to notice the temperature change,” he says. He also says there’s a legit case that global warming has, at least in part, been caused by mankind. He has tried to do his part by buying a home with a “green” design and using energy-saving products. “I’m willing to do anything but use the CFLs,” he says of compact fluorescent light bulbs. “I put them in once and couldn’t stand the way they lit up the room.”

http://www.usaweekend.com/article/201...

(Disclaimer: I know he says a lot of crazy shit, whatever, I'm not his lawyer and I only knew of the above because this interview was in my Sunday paper.)

I'm not talking about who's to blame, and I'm definitely not saying that we lower our standard of living to fix past damage. But it's a crock to deny that we've damaged our environment. Just read any number of articles about all the toxic waste issues in China - or, closer to home, read about inexplicable cancer rates near locations that have a high concentration of chemical plants. Less close to home, Australia is what? 12 years in to a freak drought - it ain't natural. There is damage being done, there is damage that has been done. We have definitely contributed to it - and, though you may dispute this, have been the primary cause of it given the way we have change population densities and how we live our lives over the past 150 years.

My *real* point is that the denial of all this by focusing on the term "global warming" and snidely asking "where's your global warming today since it's 30 degrees outside in FEBRUARY" (for pete's sake, it's SUPPOSED to be cold in February, even in Florida!) is complete horse hooey. And it absolves these people of any sense of responsibility if they just make fun of the concept by highlighting a cold day and saying, well, since it's cold today (in FEBRUARY) then there must not be any global warming. Not that I want to hit on any religious discussions about this, but all three comments in my Facebook came from family members or acquaitances who are highly religious - but, more importantly, they are all three very politically conservative (not tea party, just flat out conservative). So, it almost feels that they are being purposefully dense for political reasons, because it advantages their political positions.

Okay, I feel better now. Thank you.

KD - Yes, That sentiment I get completely. I don't want to be told that I can't refrigerate my food or have a cool gadget because it's made of plastic.

Bun, if only I could have summed it up like that.

BunWat wrote: " Gah, family. Can't live with em, can't kill em and make sausage."

Are you sure? ;-D

Whether or not global warming is happening, I think we should live responsibly. I'm not perfect (I'm running the space heater in my office today, as I do most days), but I recycle, I buy green products, I take the bus and walk places when I can.

And yes, I hate the glib comments about cold days "disproving" global warming, too. Way to seriously examine the subject.

BunWat wrote: " Gah, family. Can't live with em, can't kill em and make sausage."


In the post-apocalyptic community in Boulder, annoying family members as sausage may be an option. Just sayin'.

I wish I could walk to work. But I don't want to live in Madison, I like the country, and there really aren't any businesses even close to where I live.

Mary wrote: "BunWat wrote: " Gah, family. Can't live with em, can't kill em and make sausage."


In the post-apocalyptic community in Boulder, annoying family members as sausage may be an option. Just sayin'."

Maybe the cats can heard the weakest to the sausage machine.