Comments thalweg has made

Too nuanced?

All the above are good and useful points, but let's not get lost down in the weeds, lest the trees topple on us: For instance, we can spend a good deal of effort in an attempt to determine the extent to which the recent flooding in PNW is due to to direct and indirect effects of increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and to what extent it is due to logging and agriculture.  Yet, we do know with certainty that all factors are industrial practices gone wild.  Global warming is right up there, nay above,   global deforestation, global overfishing, global water pollution,etc.

Further, I guess I don't quite understand the caution in some of the messages above to be careful that we don't overplay our hand regarding global warming:  we've already overplayed our hand when it comes to dealing with Mother Earth, so worrying about how loud we are whistling in the wind strikes me as a misplaced concern about one's manners. This is readily apparent in the way in which the term "climate change" has usurped "global warming."

To quote from an international conservation organization's web page:  "The terms global warming and climate change are often used interchangeably, but the two phenomena are different. Global warming is the rise in global temperatures due to an increase of heat-trapping carbon emissions in the atmosphere.  Climate change, on the other hand, is a more general term that refers to changes in many climatic factors (such as temperature and precipitation) around the world. These changes are happening at different rates and in different ways."  This wording may be nifty, but it only serves to obfuscate the reality that the only reason we are talking about "climate change" is due to the frequency of severe weather events and relatively rapid changes in regional climate trends -- all of which are a consequence of greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere from the beginning of the industrial age.  Let's call a spade a spade. I know that neuroscience has recently suggested that liberals' brains are more attuned to nuance, but the danger is that one can be too nuanced.On Northwest flooding gives some clues posted 1 year, 11 months ago 5 Responses

And the point is . . .?

If you haven't already, I suggest you read "The World According to Pimm," (McGraw-Hill), which is a straightforward scientific audit of the various natural systems we depend upon.  It aint' a pretty picture, but hey it's about as "crap-free" as you can get.On An open letter to Nicholas Kristof posted 4 years, 8 months ago 19 Responses