Global Warming

While politicians continue to have academic, abstract discussions of global warming, what it means, whether it's caused by greenhouse gases or just natural cycles -- real people leading real lives are seeing the actual, living color effects of global warming right in front of them.

Some Sherpas in Nepal are worried about their mountain valleys being flooded by melting glaciers. Coastal villagers in Fiji are afraid of rising sea levels. Shortened rain seasons, eroding coastlines and decreasing fish stocks are being noticed by people all over the world.

What do all of these people have in common with the corporate PR hacks and right wing politicians who continue to debate and discuss and analyze whether global warming is real, whether it's natural or man-made? Zilch, nada, zip point shit. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue isn't going to get flooded by a melting glacier or rising sea levels (and if it does it was Clinton's fault). No corporate headquarters are located near melting glaciers or on the edge of a coastline that's steadily eroding.

It's kind of like the Paris peace talks during the Viet Nam war, where all the leaders and diplomats sat in luxury hotels and boardrooms to discuss the war and how to end it. People used to joke at the time that if they were holding the peace talks in a rice paddy in Viet Nam, they'd reach an agreement in five minutes. And there was that international headline during the mid 1970s about a group that met to discuss the world's food crisis, and the meeting took place over the most incredible spread of prime rib, caviar, lobster, you name it. Hello?!?! Talk about cognitive dissonance.

Maybe the White House and Capitol Hill could be moved to northern Alaska, right next to a melting glacier. The most adamant "global warming is a myth" CEOs should move their headquarters to the coast of Fiji, right next to the beach, come on, get a little closer...

Whatever decisions they made, they would at least see and hear and feel the evidence right under their noses, instead of just looking at Power Point presentations and listening to slogans.