Miami Dade College Students Bring Gardens and Worms to Public Schools
Submitted by Real Food Challenge on Mon, 09/29/2008 - 19:08.
in spotlight student garden
September 27, 2008
Miami, FL-- On a sweltering hot Saturday, twenty people gathered behind a junior high school. Three students shoveled soil and compost into a new garden bed, while others removed basil, pepper and tomato plants from their pots to place in the fresh soil. Others held boards of wood while a teacher from Miami Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) nailed the boards together.
Teachers and future educators came together to plant a garden and share ideas about how to bring healthy eating and an awareness of the origins of food to their students. The workshop, part of the Real Food Now! Month of Action, was sponsored by the Earth Ethics Institute at Miami Dade College (MDC) and is the continuation of a long-standing partnership between MDC and MDCPS. "This was my first time planting--now I can plant my own herb garden! And it'll be easy to integrate into my lesson plans," said MDC student Marilyn Morejon.
For the past four years, the Earth Ethics Institute's Organic Gardens Program has been working with MDCPS teachers to support their efforts to bring real food to the classroom. Each year teachers plant gardens with their students, selecting culturally appropriate foods that students might be accustomed to eating at home, as well as introducing new herbs and vegetables. The garden is then incorporated into all aspects of the curriculum--students measure and chart plant growth, interview family members and record family recipes to share with classmates, and learn about the nutrient cycle through the practice of daily composting. MDCPS teachers look forward to getting started on their gardens. As teacher Elizabeth Hernandez said, "I'm really excited to make worm bins with my students!"
This year, MDC student leaders with Future Educators of America are also getting involved. Students who plan to teach a wide range of subjects from science to social studies have chosen to do their service learning in the garden. They meet MDCPS teachers and their classes throughout the semester to help build gardens, germinate seeds, plant, weed, and harvest. Together with teachers, MDC students are empowering kids to grow their own real food!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Better To Have Hair On Your Feet Than Your Head
Better To Have Hair On Your Feet Than Your Head
A lack of hair on your feet may be a sign of circulatory problems, explains Andrew Manganaro, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Life Line Screening:
When I was a resident surgeon, many years ago, one of my professors, himself a world renowned vascular surgeon, once said, "It is better to have hair on your feet than on your head."
A receding hairline on your head may not be your favorite look, but lack of hair on your feet is much more dangerous. It is could be a sign that your feet are not getting adequate blood flow.
The good news is that this can be checked with a simple screening that measures the blood pressure in your feet called an Ankle-Brachial Index. This screening can let you know if you are at risk for Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) or other circulatory problems.
Are your feet giving you a warning sign?
Find out today.
The Wall Street Journal's Melinda Beck also reports on the value of feet in evaluating circulatory health in her June 23rd article "What Your Body is Telling You." She writes, "Circulatory problems can manifest as numbness and tingling in the feet... When circulation is compromised, even a minor scratch or sore on the feet can become infected easily."
People with diabetes are at increased risk and should conduct regular checks of their feet for scratches. Life Line Screening offers several packages that include screenings for diabetes and PAD.
A lack of hair on your feet may be a sign of circulatory problems, explains Andrew Manganaro, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Life Line Screening:
When I was a resident surgeon, many years ago, one of my professors, himself a world renowned vascular surgeon, once said, "It is better to have hair on your feet than on your head."
A receding hairline on your head may not be your favorite look, but lack of hair on your feet is much more dangerous. It is could be a sign that your feet are not getting adequate blood flow.
The good news is that this can be checked with a simple screening that measures the blood pressure in your feet called an Ankle-Brachial Index. This screening can let you know if you are at risk for Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) or other circulatory problems.
Are your feet giving you a warning sign?
Find out today.
The Wall Street Journal's Melinda Beck also reports on the value of feet in evaluating circulatory health in her June 23rd article "What Your Body is Telling You." She writes, "Circulatory problems can manifest as numbness and tingling in the feet... When circulation is compromised, even a minor scratch or sore on the feet can become infected easily."
People with diabetes are at increased risk and should conduct regular checks of their feet for scratches. Life Line Screening offers several packages that include screenings for diabetes and PAD.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations in Oregon
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Hillsboro, Oregon Going, Going, Gone Electric
Written by Joanna Schroeder
Published on July 1st, 2009Posted in Electric Cars (EVs), Electric Grid, Hybrid-electric EVs
“Our city is progressive and aggressive in implementing sustainable solutions to environmental and economic challenges.”
–David Robinson, director of Facilities and Fleet, City of Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro, Oregon, the 5th largest city in the state and known as “Silicon Forest” is joining the growing electric community with the announcement that it will be the first in the state to install public ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations for both plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles. The city will install 16 charging stations downtown, one as part of its “green” intermodal transit facility due to be constructed this year.
It’s not surprising that this announcement comes from the environmentally progressive Northwest. Robinson noted that the community has a, “large forward-thinking population ready to embrace electric vehicle technology,” and that the City is committed to providing the facilities that its community needs.
» See also: The CitiCar Capital Of The USA (And Perhaps The World): Browntown, Wisconsin
» Get Gas 2.0 by RSS or sign up by email.
The technology is manufactured by Coulomb Technologies, Inc. who currently have ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations in San Francisco and Walnut Creek, California, Wisconsin and Amsterdam. The charging stations can be used for municipalities, utilities, green office buildings, and parking garages, all ideal locations for consumers with cars that can re-charged.
So how does it work? A consumer with a plug-in hybrid or all-electric car subscribes to the ChargePoint Network and receives a ChargePoint Smart Card that allows him to charge his car at any charging station around the world. This is the same concept as a person who has a Shell gasoline credit card. She can use the credit card at any station throughout the world to fill up.
Also, to continue the analogy to a traditional gas station which provides the driver other benefits besides gas such as car washes, food, beverages, and lottery tickets, and provides the owner with revenue (more on food and beverages than gas) the ChargePoint Network charging stations also provide benefits to both the owner (such as the city of Hillsboro) as well as to the consumer.
Owner benefits include:
Revenue stream to pay for electricity, capital equipment and maintenance.
Authenticated access to eliminate energy theft.
Authorized energizing for safety.
Remote monitoring and diagnostics.
Smart Grid integration for utility load management with future V2G capabilities.
Consumer benefits include:
Ability to charge at any ChargePoint charging station around the world.
Ability to locate ChargePoint charging stations at www.mychargepoint.net.
The ability for drivers to find unoccupied charging stations via web-enabled cell phones.
Notification by SMS text or email when charging is complete.
It looks like the country is on the move to installing much needed electric infrastructure to charge the growing number of plug-in electric cars on the road. Now I just need to find someone to give me an electric car so that I can utilize these growing resources….
Hillsboro, Oregon Going, Going, Gone Electric
Written by Joanna Schroeder
Published on July 1st, 2009Posted in Electric Cars (EVs), Electric Grid, Hybrid-electric EVs
“Our city is progressive and aggressive in implementing sustainable solutions to environmental and economic challenges.”
–David Robinson, director of Facilities and Fleet, City of Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro, Oregon, the 5th largest city in the state and known as “Silicon Forest” is joining the growing electric community with the announcement that it will be the first in the state to install public ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations for both plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles. The city will install 16 charging stations downtown, one as part of its “green” intermodal transit facility due to be constructed this year.
It’s not surprising that this announcement comes from the environmentally progressive Northwest. Robinson noted that the community has a, “large forward-thinking population ready to embrace electric vehicle technology,” and that the City is committed to providing the facilities that its community needs.
» See also: The CitiCar Capital Of The USA (And Perhaps The World): Browntown, Wisconsin
» Get Gas 2.0 by RSS or sign up by email.
The technology is manufactured by Coulomb Technologies, Inc. who currently have ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations in San Francisco and Walnut Creek, California, Wisconsin and Amsterdam. The charging stations can be used for municipalities, utilities, green office buildings, and parking garages, all ideal locations for consumers with cars that can re-charged.
So how does it work? A consumer with a plug-in hybrid or all-electric car subscribes to the ChargePoint Network and receives a ChargePoint Smart Card that allows him to charge his car at any charging station around the world. This is the same concept as a person who has a Shell gasoline credit card. She can use the credit card at any station throughout the world to fill up.
Also, to continue the analogy to a traditional gas station which provides the driver other benefits besides gas such as car washes, food, beverages, and lottery tickets, and provides the owner with revenue (more on food and beverages than gas) the ChargePoint Network charging stations also provide benefits to both the owner (such as the city of Hillsboro) as well as to the consumer.
Owner benefits include:
Revenue stream to pay for electricity, capital equipment and maintenance.
Authenticated access to eliminate energy theft.
Authorized energizing for safety.
Remote monitoring and diagnostics.
Smart Grid integration for utility load management with future V2G capabilities.
Consumer benefits include:
Ability to charge at any ChargePoint charging station around the world.
Ability to locate ChargePoint charging stations at www.mychargepoint.net.
The ability for drivers to find unoccupied charging stations via web-enabled cell phones.
Notification by SMS text or email when charging is complete.
It looks like the country is on the move to installing much needed electric infrastructure to charge the growing number of plug-in electric cars on the road. Now I just need to find someone to give me an electric car so that I can utilize these growing resources….
The Nature Conservancy
Did you know:
- the average American household produces more than 200 pounds of garbage every year?
and that just applies to food, not the packaging.
- every 30 seconds Americans consume 106,000 aluminum cans
- they use 410,000 paper cups every 15 minutes
- 2 million plastic bottles and 15 million sheets of office paper every FIVE minutes
- 1.4 million paper bags are used every hour
- and 60,000 plastic bags every FIVE SECONDS
- the average American household produces more than 200 pounds of garbage every year?
and that just applies to food, not the packaging.
- every 30 seconds Americans consume 106,000 aluminum cans
- they use 410,000 paper cups every 15 minutes
- 2 million plastic bottles and 15 million sheets of office paper every FIVE minutes
- 1.4 million paper bags are used every hour
- and 60,000 plastic bags every FIVE SECONDS
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Should You Wash Your Car Naturally with Rain?
Should You Wash Your Car Naturally with Rain?
It's free, wet, and plentiful in some areas, but is it a viable, green substitute for Washing Your Vehicle?
By Eric Leech
Denver, CO, USA | Thu May 28 15:30:00 EDT 2009
While some folks never think much about it, a clean vehicle is actually a happier vehicle. Years of neglect on the outside surface of paint can eventually do its share of damage, slashing the overall worth of a vehicle in no time. While it is true that washing your vehicle's exterior too often can be wasteful, never washing it for the sake of the environment can be financially costly in terms of both paint damage and resale value.
To a lesser degree, a clean vehicle has also been said to offer slightly better aerodynamics. Does it offer enough of a gain to make it worth the extra effort in keeping the vehicle sparkling clean? Well, probably not, but that is exactly why today we are going to explore a much more sustainable method for keeping your vehicle reasonably clean without visiting a car wash... it's called rain! Rain water has been said to do wonders for your hair, so perhaps it can do wonders for your car too.
The Positive Side of a Rain Wash
Can rain wash a vehicle? Why yes indeed it can. The force of a good rainstorm has been known to rinse off stubborn pollen, stuck on bugs, and even bring a bit of shine back to that old, weathered paint. However, you're not going to be able to get off heavy road grime from the rain alone, so if you want to combine the best of both worlds, you can hand wash your car during a good sprinkle for maximum benefit.
Use a good biodegradable car wash product that is phosphate-free, or you can mix up your own brew using a few teaspoons of Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid. Start by putting on a swimsuit, give your vehicle a good rub down with the soap and a sponge, then let the rain do the rinsing-off for you. Have the bucket, solution, and sponge waiting by the door to make the most of a quick burst of Mother Nature's generosity.
The Negative Side of a Rain Wash
If you live in an area of heavy smog and pollution, acid rain is something that you are probably well acquainted with. Just as much as acid rain can damage the earth, it can also damage your vehicle's paint over time. Once this type of rainwater gets on your vehicle, the acid concentrates itself on the paint as it dries. It is then reactivated every time the vehicle becomes wet, causing only further damage.
In areas of high pollution, it is best to keep your vehicle out of the elements as much as possible. This is one time when a dirty vehicle is actually better off just staying that way. If you live in an area of high pollution, take your vehicle to the nearest eco-friendly car wash whenever it needs cleaned. If you are practical with your car washing schedule, you can minimize water usage, while also maximizing the life of your vehicle's paint.
It's free, wet, and plentiful in some areas, but is it a viable, green substitute for Washing Your Vehicle?
By Eric Leech
Denver, CO, USA | Thu May 28 15:30:00 EDT 2009
While some folks never think much about it, a clean vehicle is actually a happier vehicle. Years of neglect on the outside surface of paint can eventually do its share of damage, slashing the overall worth of a vehicle in no time. While it is true that washing your vehicle's exterior too often can be wasteful, never washing it for the sake of the environment can be financially costly in terms of both paint damage and resale value.
To a lesser degree, a clean vehicle has also been said to offer slightly better aerodynamics. Does it offer enough of a gain to make it worth the extra effort in keeping the vehicle sparkling clean? Well, probably not, but that is exactly why today we are going to explore a much more sustainable method for keeping your vehicle reasonably clean without visiting a car wash... it's called rain! Rain water has been said to do wonders for your hair, so perhaps it can do wonders for your car too.
The Positive Side of a Rain Wash
Can rain wash a vehicle? Why yes indeed it can. The force of a good rainstorm has been known to rinse off stubborn pollen, stuck on bugs, and even bring a bit of shine back to that old, weathered paint. However, you're not going to be able to get off heavy road grime from the rain alone, so if you want to combine the best of both worlds, you can hand wash your car during a good sprinkle for maximum benefit.
Use a good biodegradable car wash product that is phosphate-free, or you can mix up your own brew using a few teaspoons of Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid. Start by putting on a swimsuit, give your vehicle a good rub down with the soap and a sponge, then let the rain do the rinsing-off for you. Have the bucket, solution, and sponge waiting by the door to make the most of a quick burst of Mother Nature's generosity.
The Negative Side of a Rain Wash
If you live in an area of heavy smog and pollution, acid rain is something that you are probably well acquainted with. Just as much as acid rain can damage the earth, it can also damage your vehicle's paint over time. Once this type of rainwater gets on your vehicle, the acid concentrates itself on the paint as it dries. It is then reactivated every time the vehicle becomes wet, causing only further damage.
In areas of high pollution, it is best to keep your vehicle out of the elements as much as possible. This is one time when a dirty vehicle is actually better off just staying that way. If you live in an area of high pollution, take your vehicle to the nearest eco-friendly car wash whenever it needs cleaned. If you are practical with your car washing schedule, you can minimize water usage, while also maximizing the life of your vehicle's paint.
Green Glossary: Bagasse
Green Glossary: Bagasse
By Mickey Z.
Astoria, NY, USA | Tue Jun 30 15:20:00 EDT 2009
Michael Pettigrew
READ MORE ABOUT:
Alternative Fuels | Green Glossary
Sugarcane, according to HowStuffWorks is "the source of a number of other products in addition to sugar. Among these products are molasses, which is made by boiling sugarcane juice; and rum, which is distilled from fermented molasses or fermented sugarcane juice. Other products are made from bagasse, the woody residue left after the juice is extracted from the cane."
The gang at GreenEcoServices call bagasse a "sweet find" and explain that it's a "byproduct of sugarcane processing is a type of biomass, an organic, non-petroleum fuel source." Bagasse, they say, is "the fibrous material left over after sugarcane stalks are pressed to release their juice. Rather than tossing this material away, workers can burn it, providing the fuel to run the mill itself, or creating energy to sell to a local utility company. It's a clean, efficient process, and entirely free of waste, since the ash left over after burning can then be used in the sugarcane fields to enrich the soil. Alternatively, bagasse fiber can be used as a sturdy, substitute for cardboard or polystyrene—in food containers, for example. It's yet another reason to feel good about your sugar fix."
Bagasse is "often used as a primary fuel source for sugar mills; when burned in quantity, it produces sufficient heat energy to supply all the needs of a typical sugar mill, with energy to spare. To this end, a secondary use for this waste product is in cogeneration, the use of a fuel source to provide both heat energy, used in the mill, and electricity, which is typically sold on to the consumer electricity grid. The resulting CO2 emissions are equal to the amount of CO2 that the sugarcane plant absorbed from the atmosphere during its growing phase, which makes the process of cogeneration greenhouse gas-neutral."
By Mickey Z.
Astoria, NY, USA | Tue Jun 30 15:20:00 EDT 2009
Michael Pettigrew
READ MORE ABOUT:
Alternative Fuels | Green Glossary
Sugarcane, according to HowStuffWorks is "the source of a number of other products in addition to sugar. Among these products are molasses, which is made by boiling sugarcane juice; and rum, which is distilled from fermented molasses or fermented sugarcane juice. Other products are made from bagasse, the woody residue left after the juice is extracted from the cane."
The gang at GreenEcoServices call bagasse a "sweet find" and explain that it's a "byproduct of sugarcane processing is a type of biomass, an organic, non-petroleum fuel source." Bagasse, they say, is "the fibrous material left over after sugarcane stalks are pressed to release their juice. Rather than tossing this material away, workers can burn it, providing the fuel to run the mill itself, or creating energy to sell to a local utility company. It's a clean, efficient process, and entirely free of waste, since the ash left over after burning can then be used in the sugarcane fields to enrich the soil. Alternatively, bagasse fiber can be used as a sturdy, substitute for cardboard or polystyrene—in food containers, for example. It's yet another reason to feel good about your sugar fix."
Bagasse is "often used as a primary fuel source for sugar mills; when burned in quantity, it produces sufficient heat energy to supply all the needs of a typical sugar mill, with energy to spare. To this end, a secondary use for this waste product is in cogeneration, the use of a fuel source to provide both heat energy, used in the mill, and electricity, which is typically sold on to the consumer electricity grid. The resulting CO2 emissions are equal to the amount of CO2 that the sugarcane plant absorbed from the atmosphere during its growing phase, which makes the process of cogeneration greenhouse gas-neutral."
Betraying the Planet
Op-Ed Columnist
Betraying the Planet
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: June 28, 2009
So the House passed the Waxman-Markey climate-change bill. In political terms, it was a remarkable achievement.
Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times
Paul Krugman
But 212 representatives voted no. A handful of these no votes came from representatives who considered the bill too weak, but most rejected the bill because they rejected the whole notion that we have to do something about greenhouse gases.
And as I watched the deniers make their arguments, I couldn’t help thinking that I was watching a form of treason — treason against the planet.
To fully appreciate the irresponsibility and immorality of climate-change denial, you need to know about the grim turn taken by the latest climate research.
The fact is that the planet is changing faster than even pessimists expected: ice caps are shrinking, arid zones spreading, at a terrifying rate. And according to a number of recent studies, catastrophe — a rise in temperature so large as to be almost unthinkable — can no longer be considered a mere possibility. It is, instead, the most likely outcome if we continue along our present course.
Thus researchers at M.I.T., who were previously predicting a temperature rise of a little more than 4 degrees by the end of this century, are now predicting a rise of more than 9 degrees. Why? Global greenhouse gas emissions are rising faster than expected; some mitigating factors, like absorption of carbon dioxide by the oceans, are turning out to be weaker than hoped; and there’s growing evidence that climate change is self-reinforcing — that, for example, rising temperatures will cause some arctic tundra to defrost, releasing even more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Temperature increases on the scale predicted by the M.I.T. researchers and others would create huge disruptions in our lives and our economy. As a recent authoritative U.S. government report points out, by the end of this century New Hampshire may well have the climate of North Carolina today, Illinois may have the climate of East Texas, and across the country extreme, deadly heat waves — the kind that traditionally occur only once in a generation — may become annual or biannual events.
In other words, we’re facing a clear and present danger to our way of life, perhaps even to civilization itself. How can anyone justify failing to act?
Well, sometimes even the most authoritative analyses get things wrong. And if dissenting opinion-makers and politicians based their dissent on hard work and hard thinking — if they had carefully studied the issue, consulted with experts and concluded that the overwhelming scientific consensus was misguided — they could at least claim to be acting responsibly.
But if you watched the debate on Friday, you didn’t see people who’ve thought hard about a crucial issue, and are trying to do the right thing. What you saw, instead, were people who show no sign of being interested in the truth. They don’t like the political and policy implications of climate change, so they’ve decided not to believe in it — and they’ll grab any argument, no matter how disreputable, that feeds their denial.
Indeed, if there was a defining moment in Friday’s debate, it was the declaration by Representative Paul Broun of Georgia that climate change is nothing but a “hoax” that has been “perpetrated out of the scientific community.” I’d call this a crazy conspiracy theory, but doing so would actually be unfair to crazy conspiracy theorists. After all, to believe that global warming is a hoax you have to believe in a vast cabal consisting of thousands of scientists — a cabal so powerful that it has managed to create false records on everything from global temperatures to Arctic sea ice.
Yet Mr. Broun’s declaration was met with applause.
Given this contempt for hard science, I’m almost reluctant to mention the deniers’ dishonesty on matters economic. But in addition to rejecting climate science, the opponents of the climate bill made a point of misrepresenting the results of studies of the bill’s economic impact, which all suggest that the cost will be relatively low.
Still, is it fair to call climate denial a form of treason? Isn’t it politics as usual?
Yes, it is — and that’s why it’s unforgivable.
Do you remember the days when Bush administration officials claimed that terrorism posed an “existential threat” to America, a threat in whose face normal rules no longer applied? That was hyperbole — but the existential threat from climate change is all too real.
Yet the deniers are choosing, willfully, to ignore that threat, placing future generations of Americans in grave danger, simply because it’s in their political interest to pretend that there’s nothing to worry about. If that’s not betrayal, I don’t know what is.
Betraying the Planet
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: June 28, 2009
So the House passed the Waxman-Markey climate-change bill. In political terms, it was a remarkable achievement.
Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times
Paul Krugman
But 212 representatives voted no. A handful of these no votes came from representatives who considered the bill too weak, but most rejected the bill because they rejected the whole notion that we have to do something about greenhouse gases.
And as I watched the deniers make their arguments, I couldn’t help thinking that I was watching a form of treason — treason against the planet.
To fully appreciate the irresponsibility and immorality of climate-change denial, you need to know about the grim turn taken by the latest climate research.
The fact is that the planet is changing faster than even pessimists expected: ice caps are shrinking, arid zones spreading, at a terrifying rate. And according to a number of recent studies, catastrophe — a rise in temperature so large as to be almost unthinkable — can no longer be considered a mere possibility. It is, instead, the most likely outcome if we continue along our present course.
Thus researchers at M.I.T., who were previously predicting a temperature rise of a little more than 4 degrees by the end of this century, are now predicting a rise of more than 9 degrees. Why? Global greenhouse gas emissions are rising faster than expected; some mitigating factors, like absorption of carbon dioxide by the oceans, are turning out to be weaker than hoped; and there’s growing evidence that climate change is self-reinforcing — that, for example, rising temperatures will cause some arctic tundra to defrost, releasing even more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Temperature increases on the scale predicted by the M.I.T. researchers and others would create huge disruptions in our lives and our economy. As a recent authoritative U.S. government report points out, by the end of this century New Hampshire may well have the climate of North Carolina today, Illinois may have the climate of East Texas, and across the country extreme, deadly heat waves — the kind that traditionally occur only once in a generation — may become annual or biannual events.
In other words, we’re facing a clear and present danger to our way of life, perhaps even to civilization itself. How can anyone justify failing to act?
Well, sometimes even the most authoritative analyses get things wrong. And if dissenting opinion-makers and politicians based their dissent on hard work and hard thinking — if they had carefully studied the issue, consulted with experts and concluded that the overwhelming scientific consensus was misguided — they could at least claim to be acting responsibly.
But if you watched the debate on Friday, you didn’t see people who’ve thought hard about a crucial issue, and are trying to do the right thing. What you saw, instead, were people who show no sign of being interested in the truth. They don’t like the political and policy implications of climate change, so they’ve decided not to believe in it — and they’ll grab any argument, no matter how disreputable, that feeds their denial.
Indeed, if there was a defining moment in Friday’s debate, it was the declaration by Representative Paul Broun of Georgia that climate change is nothing but a “hoax” that has been “perpetrated out of the scientific community.” I’d call this a crazy conspiracy theory, but doing so would actually be unfair to crazy conspiracy theorists. After all, to believe that global warming is a hoax you have to believe in a vast cabal consisting of thousands of scientists — a cabal so powerful that it has managed to create false records on everything from global temperatures to Arctic sea ice.
Yet Mr. Broun’s declaration was met with applause.
Given this contempt for hard science, I’m almost reluctant to mention the deniers’ dishonesty on matters economic. But in addition to rejecting climate science, the opponents of the climate bill made a point of misrepresenting the results of studies of the bill’s economic impact, which all suggest that the cost will be relatively low.
Still, is it fair to call climate denial a form of treason? Isn’t it politics as usual?
Yes, it is — and that’s why it’s unforgivable.
Do you remember the days when Bush administration officials claimed that terrorism posed an “existential threat” to America, a threat in whose face normal rules no longer applied? That was hyperbole — but the existential threat from climate change is all too real.
Yet the deniers are choosing, willfully, to ignore that threat, placing future generations of Americans in grave danger, simply because it’s in their political interest to pretend that there’s nothing to worry about. If that’s not betrayal, I don’t know what is.
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