I’m not sure what grade I was in when I first heard of the imminent threat of over-population; but, I remember that I spent a great deal of time worrying about the fact that in a very short time there would be no place for people to live and we were all going to starve to death. Then we drove to the Canadian wilderness and it struck me—what are they talking about?

Global warming is just the latest in a series of prophecies and predictions on the demise of the planet earth.

Before the over-population scare they had children hiding under desks to save them from nuclear holocaust—like that was going to help. There was the 1975 threat of Global cooling (http://www.numberwatch.co.uk/...), the danger of acid rain where our rivers and streams would all be poison and our hair would fall out from eating fish, the 1997 Doomsday Asteroid scare and of course, the ever popular warning of impending nuclear winter.

There were the shark scares, when the truth of the matter was that 15x more swimmers were killed each year by falling coconuts than by sharks, there was Ebola—the virus that would eat your flesh, the electrical wires and cancer scare, the cell phone and cancer scare, and the grilled meat and cancer scare.

And don’t forget the KILLER BEES which sent children and adults alike screaming into the house at the sight of a sweat bee.

In the late 80s came the Asbestos scare where despite the fact that in most schools asbestos levels were extremely low (less than the amount that in 10 years of exposure might cause one additional death in 100,000 over a lifetime -- one-third the risk of being struck by lightning), by 1990 some $6 billion had been spent on asbestos abatement in schools. Many experts believe that asbestos removal, which increased airborne asbestos, created a far greater hazard to the children, who might have benefited far more had this money been spent on enhancing their education. (NY Times).

Last but not least, let’s pay homage to the deadly SARS outbreak which had in April of 2003 claimed slightly over 100 deaths WORLDWIDE. Yet, here are just a few of the headlines from that time:
SARS claims 116 as lethal virus spreads, How a killer was unmasked, Gloom is contagious, China raises SARS death toll to 55, Killer virus here to stay, say experts, Beijing urged to come clean on extent of infection, Australia's only SARS case 'false alarm', Cockroaches linked to virus outbreak, SARS fear in US Chinatown neighbourhoods, Disease hunters like rock stars in China and World Bank chief warns of SARS fallout.

Even if all of these dire predictions had a grain of truth to them, why do politicians and the media—the great protectors of children-- feel it necessary to make them prisoners to fear? As parents, we try and protect children from losing their innocence too quickly. There are certain things we don’t share with them; our worry that dad might lose his job or the fact that the checking account is nearly empty . Yet, we allow the schools to frighten them unnecessarily with visions of starvation, poison rivers, floods and dying polar bears. Children cannot affect change so the only thing left for them to do is to become fearful and anxious.

The headline of my 3rd grade nephew’s Weekly Reader was: “Unhappy Feet: Over-fishing and melting ice spell trouble for penguins”. The article went on to say that global warming is caused by driving cars and using electricity. Translated to a 3rd grader: every time mommy drives me to school or I watch television, somewhere in the world a penguin is dying.

So just what is the purpose behind bombarding them with these images and scenarios of destruction?

It is obvious why the media has a stake in the concept of a fearful public. It keeps viewers coming back and it keeps their industry viable. For instance, the Center for Media and public Affairs reported that during the 1990s the homicide rate in the U.S. dropped 50 percent, yet homicide news coverage increased by an incredible 700 percent. Stories involving murder, shark attack, road rage, and carjacking are cited as examples of reporting that was skewed by the overuse of frightening headlines and images, incomplete research, and the tacit rule "If it bleeds, it leads."

It is equally as obvious why politicians continue to indoctrinate with fear.

There is power in causing someone to be fearful. It puts people at the mercy of someone who has the apparent power to prevent this terrible thing from happening. It is how for hundreds of years people in power have lorded it over others. The church kept people under control using the fear of eternal damnation while communism utilized the fear of retribution and death.

By painting the picture that regardless of the problem-- the answer is Government--Liberals have a captive audience. Ultimately, fear is just another way to hold people captive. Self-sufficiency renders the notion of Liberalism irrelevant and by indoctrinating our children with the belief that they cannot survive without the help and influence of government they have an entire generation of potential voters.

Even people who believe in the concept of man-made global warming agree that man is only responsible for a small percentage of the earth’s greenhouse gas. These percentages are dwarfed by natural causes over which we have no control. Yet we show Al Gore’s movie in our schools—present it as fact-- and a new generation of children are captive to the fear of something over which they are powerless-- as if they don’t have enough to worry about.

Remember to recycle that bottle little Jimmy—or you, mommy, daddy and the cute little penguins are going to be incinerated by the sun.

That is not just irresponsible it’s criminal.

Ottomanprang: Thank you for asking me to fill in. Hope you are relaxing and I'll do my best.  This is something I wrote earlier and wouldn't have used it here except it is a segue for a follow-up piece I'm working on about why Liberals want to scare our children.  I will post it as soon as I'm finished.  In the meantime, here is part one.

I’ve begun to believe that the gears that keep American society turning are powered by unnecessary and often exaggerated fear. I blame this on two things: the media and our own inability to tolerate set-backs.

I think that the media has managed to virtually cripple our society by concentrating on the negative and creating the impression that it is somehow possible for the world to be a fair place. It has created a nation of victims.

There have always been natural disasters, fatal illnesses, economic uncertainties, murder and mayhem. What has changed is the media has gone from reporting the story to trying to make the story.

Prior to radio, television and the internet, news traveled slowly. Tornadoes came and went, women died from childbirth, the family farm went into foreclosure. People expected that life was uncertain and they dealt with it. They made decisions on how to move forward, picked themselves up, brushed themselves off and did the best they could. Now, the story is not over until there is someone to blame…or better yet, someone to sue.

That’s why our kids can’t play on the playground at recess, obstetricians are opting out because they can’t guarantee a healthy baby, and McDonald’s serves lukewarm coffee. Our society cannot function without people warning us of every possible pitfall…and if there is not something to be frightened of at the moment… they’ll dig until they find it.

There is not always a cause, a culprit or a cure for what happens in our universe, but, that is not good enough for the liberal media.

The constant barrage of news has taught us to live in fear of the unforeseen ‘what ifs’. What if I lose my job? What if there is a hurricane and the government doesn’t bail me out? What if there is an epidemic and we don’t have a vaccine? Our sense of security is stripped away not by the fact that disaster might befall us—but, by the fact that someone else is in control of our destiny if it does.

By saturating us with a constant influx of bad news and impending disasters, and by encouraging a victim mentality, the media has stripped us of the self-sufficiency that is our reassurance in difficult times. The result of that is fearfulness and uncertainty.

I rarely watch the news. I like to assume that the world is a better place than they would have us believe. If I see someone hurting, I try and help. If I could end wars and world hunger, I would do it in a heartbeat. The hard and sad truth is that, usually the things that change people’s lives rarely make the news—whether that’s here in Michigan or in some remote village in Africa. Their celebrations and tragedies are for the most part confined to their little corner of the world and they learn to make the best of it…it’s not pretty…it just is. We live and we die. It is how the world has always worked…even before CNN.
 

Spring Break is fast upon me. Review and Comment on the News will resume 3/19/07. Lori  from Lessons Along the Scenic Route Through Purgatory may fill in from time to time should she feel the need to wax political. I will be stalking Merlin Olsen....

This is the forum in which the Global Warming debate belongs:

As Bush plunders, aliens flee their
Global Warming ravaged world...

OTTAWA (AFP) - A former Canadian defense minister is demanding governments worldwide disclose and use secret alien technologies obtained in alleged UFO crashes to stem climate change, a local paper said Wednesday.

I would like to see what (alien) technology there might be that could eliminate the burning of fossil fuels within a generation ... that could be a way to save our planet," Paul Hellyer, 83, told the Ottawa Citizen.

Alien spacecrafts would have traveled vast distances to reach Earth, and so must be equipped with advanced propulsion systems or used exceptional fuels, he told the newspaper.

...of course Global Warming was prominently featured at the Oscars so depending on one's perspective.... Little Green Men desperately purchasing Carbon Offsets:

Simultaneous warming on Earth and Mars suggests that our planet's recent climate changes have a natural—and not a human- induced—cause, according to one scientist's controversial theory.

Controversial? Why??

Earth is currently experiencing rapid warming, which the vast majority of climate scientists says is due to humans pumping huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Mars, too, appears to be enjoying more mild and balmy temperatures.

In 2005 data from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and Odyssey missions revealed that the carbon dioxide "ice caps" near Mars's south pole had been diminishing for three summers in a row.

Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of the St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in Russia, says the Mars data is evidence that the current global warming on Earth is being caused by changes in the sun.

"The long-term increase in solar irradiance is heating both Earth and Mars," he said.

Solar Cycles

Abdussamatov believes that changes in the sun's heat output can account for almost all the climate changes we see on both planets.

Mars and Earth, for instance, have experienced periodic ice ages throughout their histories.

"Man-made greenhouse warming has made a small contribution to the warming seen on Earth in recent years, but it cannot compete with the increase in solar irradiance," Abdussamatov said.

By studying fluctuations in the warmth of the sun, Abdussamatov believes he can see a pattern that fits with the ups and downs in climate we see on Earth and Mars.

Abdussamatov's work, however, has not been well received by other climate scientists.

...well, of course not, he's just trodden all over the prevailing pet theory amongst the Gore / Dicaprio contingent. Anyone who can't see the sun's role in determining our climate......


Chimpstein's Wrath- Mars in flames

Coulter uses the "F" word, millions enraged. CDS: Meanwhile, if this were said regarding a Democrat:

Maher Sorry the Assassination Attempt on Cheney Failed.

...said Coulterlike entity in question would hang.

Trailer Park Owners desperately purchasing Carbon Offsets:

Killer Tornadoes linked to Climate Change:

The tornadoes that tore across the south-eastern US on Thursday, killing at least 19 people, were devastating but not unprecedented, say tornado experts. However, the twisters did strike unusually early in the year.

The tornado season in the US normally reaches its peak between mid-April and June. The tornadoes tend to get stronger as the year progresses because warming temperatures increase the amount of energy in the atmosphere.

"Early March is a bit early for a severe tornado," says Nigel Bolton, national forecaster at the UK Met Office and member of the UK-based Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO). But he notes that such events have happened before this early in the year, when the key atmospheric circumstances combine.

In this case, the extremely cold US was probably a contributing factor. Tornadoes in the US form when a front of dry, cold air descending from the north meets warm, moist air coming up from the south. Sometimes, a body of the cold air slides over the top of the warm air, trapping it underneath.

This creates unstable atmospheric conditions, and if there is enough energy in the system, the warm air will punch through the denser cold air above, triggering thunderstorms. The next step required is for the winds to be changing their speed and direction with altitude. "If there's enough rotation you get a tornado," says Bolton (see graphic).

Perfect conditions

Bolton says a depression has indeed been drawing the cold northern air down across the southern US. At the same time, the anticlockwise motion of the depression drew warm, moist air in from the Florida coast.

Furthermore, the temperatures in Alabama on Thursday were above 20°C, with high levels of humidity. All this will have created the right conditions for the tornado, Bolton says.

There have already been several killer tornadoes in the US in 2007, though none as strong as the F4-level tornado that hit Enterprise, Alabama on Thursday. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, two F3 tornadoes hit Florida in February, killing 20 people between them.

Climate change

There is no evidence that the world's warming climate is leading to an increase in tornadoes, says Terence Meaden, deputy head of TORRO.

"Higher average temperatures mean the air is able to contain more water vapour, which increases the tendency towards more severe thunderstorms, and more severe thunderstorms tend to produce tornadoes," he says. "But are the small average temperature increases that we're seeing across the planet having any influence on tornadoes? I don't know."

More tornadoes are being reported each year, but both Meaden and Bolton say it is impossible to say whether that is simply because people are more aware of tornadoes and have more cameras to document them.

According to Bolton, an early severe tornado also does not bear any relationship as to how many there will be later in the season. Some years, a very active start is followed by a quiet period, while in other years the pattern is reversed.

For a report on the damage caused by Thursday's tornadoes, see Tornadoes wreak havoc across US and NOAA's map of the twisters.


Trailer residents now safe from tornadoes
thanks to Carbon Offsets...

Al takes up hangliding...