There has been a sharp decline over the past year in the percentage of Americans who say there is solid evidence that global temperatures are rising. And fewer also see global warming as a very serious problem – 35% say that today, down from 44% in April 2008.I compare the fight over global warming to the quick and decisive response to CFCs with the Montreal Protocol. In that case the science was clear and the danger obvious, so action was quick and decisive. The global warming hubbub is not so clear. If the CO2 fanatics were serious they would push legislation to slaughter all cattle because methane is a much more serious greenhouse gas and it is easy to pass a bill to kill all the cows. Next they might target termites and exterminate them as a major source of methane. Maybe set fire to the bogs and the undersea methane hydrate deposits to ensure that the stuff doesn't bubble up into the atmosphere. There are lots of things that can be done besides putting curbs on industry and telling people to wear triple layers of sweaters. Don't get me wrong. I see nothing wrong with being conservative in our energy use. I'm as ready as the next fellow to stand on the street corner and blast away at Hummers and SUVs to teach those people an environmental lesson. But going after CO2 strikes me as odd where there are easier targets to start with.
By the way, H2O is a serious green house gas. I guess we could Mars-iform the Earth by getting rid of the oceans to eliminate that source of greenhouse gases. But I'm fight tooth-and-nail to keep the water on earth. Let the eco-nuts go live on Mars.
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