The Price of Global Warming

For the past five years, it seems that I ride my moped later into November (November 20 this year). I and my friends play golf later into the fall. Not only are Fall Seasons longer, but winters are shorter. Caution, these trends can't be posited as proof that we are being affected by global warming. Even Scientists that believe that we are causing massive climate change, caution that looking at the changes in the local weather is poor proof of global warming, but it's hard to ignore.

I have kidded my friend that if short sleeve weather in November is the result of global warming, maybe it's not going to be that bad. Jokes aside now, a highly credible group of scientists working for the United Nations have now issued a report that tells us the facts. We have to do something to reduce carbon emissions or we will alter the climate of the earth. This alteration will change the way we live or result in making human in habitation impossible.

This report predicts massive population dislocation, starvation and general hardship in the short term and chaos in the long term. The problem is that while we might be worrying about the future and the price we may pay, the reason we are in this pickle is because we have not paid the price as we created this situation.

Tom Friedman, in his NY Times column, mentioned his late in the season round of golf in the Washington DC area. While he enjoys the opportunity to play late in the season but he mentioned that he felt guilty about the price we are paying for this. Price! What price?

Americans in particular have used carbon fuels with abandon with no thought or plan as to what the results would be. I truly believe we don't have the right to pollute the air of the world so that we don't have to walk two blocks for a DVD. Yet, I can assure you if you asked the guy on the street to give up his car, we would have a revolt on the order of general chaos. Horse Power can represent manhood. Any political leader that lead the way on serious prohibition on Automobile travel or other life style sacrifices will be laughed at not only by the late night comedians, but the general public.

Al Gore aside, people are urgently interested in other people giving up their SUV's, moving to smaller homes and erecting solar panels to keep their on-demand 100 gallons of hot water ready and waiting, but can't adapt their lives to recycling or simply walking more and leaving the car at home. The problem is that people need leadership in order to see the problem in terms of their contribution and how their changing can assist in solving the problem, but as mentioned, being in front of this problem can cost.

I think we're coming around. There is a modicum of recognition of this problem. And as you might expect, there are the naysayers. "This is another Y2K fiasco" "It's a liberal trick" "Tree-hugger revenge" "There is no scientific proof"... etc. but i think the average guy is finally getting the message. It's being helped by three dollar plus gasoline, which is throwing the whole gas-guzzler equals I-am-successful syndrome. into question. What we haven't done is calculate the cost and, at least as important, is how to exact that cost from the consumers