Yes, there is a lot of hype going on concerning global warming, and perhaps if there's enough of it, we'll just scrap our efforts altogether. In the political realm, that's what the repubs would have you feel is best. If they make enough strawman arguments about the imperfections of theories, then the more subsatntial ones will be easier to dismiss as well.
I'm with Freddie- I lack the education in the field to understand the scientific discussions much beyond a basic level, but I do understand that there is still much that is not "consensus". Still, we have to understand what a consensus is- it is NOT a complete agreement among ALL human beings on a given subject. In a dream world, it would be an agreement of the majority of "experts" in a given field, but even then, what qualifies as an expert may differ from country to country, quality of education may differ, availability and funding for research may differ, and the personal view of each expert may affect their findings. What one person sees as obvious, the next may feel is still very much up for debate, even scientifically.
What we seem to have a consensus on in the scientific community is that the Earth IS warming, and that humans do play
some part. What to do about it will be debated vehemently, as these options will affect individuals at some very basic levels, and people are loathe to change, whatever the reasons or motivations. Add to that the political implications, and most people will simply believe whatever their party decrees. Lastly, but probably most importantly, it's about money. It's fine to have ideals in the abstract, but when it affects the bottom lines of corporations, governments, nations, negotiations and world standing, you bet you sweet ass it's going to be a brutal fight.
Of course, the most important fact for individuals is that it will affect their personal cash flow, most Americans will be seriously impacted by increased utility costs, and I sincerely doubt that if the government assits in any way for the recommended changeovers that much of the money will do what it always does- disappear.
This administration, by its track record has demonstrated the abilities to rush forward on faulty info, lose billions of dollars and offer no better answers than "Duh?", put trust into unqualified cronies and congratulate them for their failures, push forward a peculiar agenda which has had devastating implications on our education system, armed services, and world standing to name a few. They've also built at taxpayer's expense a Iraqi police academy that was condemned by the health department for sewage spilling out on the recruits and mold and basic heath violations throughout. We've discovered that many of the reports coming from various aggencies such as the EPA have been doctored to fit what the administration wanted them to say, and yesterday I heard on abc news that the FDA was aware of the contaminations of both the spinach and peanut butter before the illnesses were reported.
It's a shit sandwich through and through. For this reason, I am interested in doing very little that involves the government until we get a set of fresh faces. What I can do I will do at home, but I wouldn't trust anything this potentially important being placed into the hands of a group of people who have clearly demonstrated their desire and ability to bilk us dry even in times of tragedy.
