Four years ago, climate change was hot. Politicians from both parties, pressed by an anxious public, seemed poised to act. But that was then. Today, public opinion about the climate issue has cooled, and politicians either ignore the issue or loudly proclaim their skepticism of scientific evidence that human activity is imperiling the planet. What's behind this reversal? FRONTLINE correspondent John Hockenberry of PRI's "The Takeaway" goes inside the organizations that fought the scientific establishment, environmental groups and lawmakers to shift the direction of debate on climate issues and redefined the politics of global warming.
To think after the "perfect storm" of Sandy, followed by a Nor'Easter of snow, and all of the extreme weather patterns that are becoming the "norm" rather than the exception that "public opinion" about climate-change has "cooled" is laughable. The earth is warming; the polar caps are melting; the glaciers are melting; the sea-level is rising. That's not conjecture--It's provable fact.
When you have scientists with 50-60 years of experience saying that "We're getting a 'Hundred-Years' flood/storm/event every two years", you have to be an absolute programmable Kool-Aid drinking "denier" to believe that it's otherwise.
But enjoy your show. I'm sure it ranks right up there with the Tobacco Institute telling you that smoking is safe, and the hazards are "not proven."
LadyJazzer wrote: To think after the "perfect storm" of Sandy, followed by a Nor'Easter of snow, and all of the extreme weather patterns that are becoming the "norm" rather than the exception that "public opinion" about climate-change has "cooled" is laughable. The earth is warming; the polar caps are melting; the glaciers are melting; the sea-level is rising. That's not conjecture--It's provable fact.
When you have scientists with 50-60 years of experience saying that "We're getting a 'Hundred-Years' flood/storm/event every two years", you have to be an absolute programmable Kool-Aid drinking "denier" to believe that it's otherwise.
But enjoy your show. I'm sure it ranks right up there with the Tobacco Institute telling you that smoking is safe, and the hazards are "not proven."
:woo hoo: Sounds like VL, close the thread, debate settled. I thought science constantly was double checking their information, for example, Al Gore's hockey stick didn't happen. So maybe some of this other stuff isnt happening.
And then there comes the problem of how do you solve climate change? Force Americans to conserve by tripling the price of energy to consumers and businesses with carbon credits and taxes? Then will China and India just buy our energy instead, and will that make American corporations lose more business and jobs to oversees corporations who don't have to buy carbon credits?
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
