Science of Global Warming
While many of our country’s liberal politicians are trying to pass legislation to prevent further global warming, they are facing harsh criticisms from the conservative media. Many Fox News personalities as well as radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh and several conservative internet blogs have claimed that the recent north east snow storm is proof that global warming is a myth. Global warming is a term that many suggest was made popular by former Vice President Al Gore. In 2006 David Guggenheim directed a film titled “Inconvenient Truth” which was a informative film about Al Gore’s message of man’s responsibility for global warming. Many advocates say that the proper term would be “climate change”.
Global warming suggests that through man made pollution, we are damaging the planet’s ozone layer, increasing the sun’s affect on planet earth. Global warming has many supporters, including thousands of scientists who claim to have proven that the issue is real and should not be ignored. Recent studies have shown that the temperatures of 2009 were among the top warmest temperatures since satellites started keeping records. A similar study also suggested that the previous decade, 2000-2009, was the warmest decade in almost 2000 years. Global warming supporters believe that there are several ways to reduce the threat of climate change. These methods include transitioning our main energy sources from coal and other fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources such as solar power, wind power, hydropower, biomass energy and geothermal energy just to name a few.
There are many politicians in both houses of congress that are making global warming their top priority. However, the conservative media is making their goal very hard to achieve. This week in the north east, there was one of the worst snow storms in recent years. Washington D.C. got a majority of the snow which actually canceled scheduled hearings dealing with global warming. The talking heads of the right claimed that the record breaking snow storms in Washington D.C. disproved all of the science that supports global warming. One republican elected official had a picture taken of him with his family next to a big igloo that they made out of the snow and called it “Al Gore’s new home”. This was an obvious attack on the former vice president’s efforts to warn the public of this important issue. Another republican politician was reported saying something along the lines of it’s going to snow in Washington D.C. until Al Gore cries “uncle”. Rush Limbaugh went on an angry rant saying that the recent snow storm was another nail in the coffin on global warming. Some Americans believe that these conservatives are turning an important global threat into a political issue. Many people will suggest that a snow storm in the north east in February does not disprove global warming. If you or someone you know has ever smoked a cigarette and did not develop cancer, that does not disprove the fact that cigarettes cause cancer. Even though most birds and some insects can fly, that does not disprove the laws of gravity. Many of these conservatives should take a look at the overwhelming amount of evidence that prove global warming is a real thing.
Whether you believe that global warming is real or not, we should all agree that it is a good idea to reduce man made pollution. Making our planet a cleaner and safer place will benefit all of us. The conservatives that are trying to make this into a political issue should think about our future. It is possible that global warming can destroy our planet. If that happens it will be the global warming critics who will hold the blame for blocking progress on preventing the situation in the first place. This issue should not be political. It is a real threat that can affect every living person in this world.