Global Weirding

Political, economic or environmental: these three areas are different ways to look at the occurrence of climate change

From a political standpoint we can see it as a sticking point for different parties and concerned organizations. Some will say that socialism and communism harbor themselves in the environmental movement or is a threat to political freedoms and diversity.

Economists claim that the environmental movement will curtail our economic progress and freedoms such as the pursuit of wealth. Are we willing to slow down growth in the physical area as well as business space in order to sustain our land?

The environmentalists may say that it is just another part of the global cycle or that it is a phenomenon that has just started in the past centuries due to the industrial revolution, massive expansion and modern “progress” of the human race.

But what is actually going on with our planet? Have we changed it as much as some scientists and Al Gore profess? Is this just another threat to capitalism, democracy and America in general or is it America’s greatest opportunity to once again lead the world in the direction we need to be going?

Lets take a look at some of the facts from each perspective…

According to the study done by Yale and George Mason, climate change global warming ranks 10th out of 11 national issues in the minds of Americans. Ranking behind the economy as the number one concern followed by (in order) the federal deficit, the war, health care, terrorism, social security, education, tax cuts, illegal immigration. The only issue that trails global warming is abortion.

Even though almost 70 percent of Americans say the US should sign an international treaty requiring the US to cut CO2 emissions by 90 percent by 2050, it seems there will be a delay in getting the proper legislation through in Washington. But that is the cumbersome American political process that all of the issues face.

From an economic standpoint we know that the planet can no longer sustain capitalism as we know it. Resources are becoming scarce – natural as well as those stemming from our economy – and are being depleted at an astonishing rate.

Could this be America’s new avenue of growth and development? With proper legislation for responsible resource management and green initiatives we could once again lead the world in innovation. Almost half of the country said that they’re willing to reward or punish companies for their climate change related activities. So buying green is certainly on the mind of consumers.

As for the environmental perspective, there is some undeniable evidence that our planet is changing. Since the mid 1970s, the average surface temperature has warmed about 1°F.
The Earth’s surface is currently warming at a rate of about 0.32ºF/decade.

Observations compiled by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center show that over the contiguous U.S., total annual precipitation increased at an average rate of 6.1 percent per century since 1900.

Sea level has been rising 0.08-0.12 inches per year (2.0-3.0 mm per year) along most of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

Extremists and extreme data such as this have our attention, but many believe it is made up. Are the numbers enough to scare us into change? Perhaps, but the summary of the study concludes that “the success or failure of climate change action in the US will depend, in no small part, on the ability of leaders, organizers and institutions at all levels of society to educate, organize and mobilize the American people.”

Will economic and political factors impede or advance environmental change? Will these global environmental changes push the economists and governments into action for research and development or can the free market move us to create the necessary actions and products to positively impact the changes that are happening now?

1,2,3,4 Action!

1) Reduce your carbon footprint– Here are a few ideas of how you can do that.
2) Investigate arguments on both sides and decide for yourself if it’s real or not.
3) Reward those companies that are “going green” by buying their products.
4) Engage and contact your local political representative or environmental lobbyists