Global Warming

"You fool look around, the planet's destroying itself!" - William Shatner
"I know! Exhilarating isn't it?" - Christopher Lloyd
~ Star Trek III

Global Warming, as the result of man's actions, is not proved Science. However, like so many issues, the environment has been captured by political partisans and turned into an all or nothing litmus tests. Either you are a sycophantic Al Gore butt kisser or you must allow coal plants to directly pump smoke from their plants into day care centers.

The recent push has been Clean Coal Campaign. I know there are several types of coal and each grade of coal has differing qualities, minute contents and burns differently. I also know the cause of Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis (the infamous Black Lung Disease) isn't at all mysterious.

I think coal can be used but I'm conflicted because I know from reading and official statements many of those who fervently deny Global Warming also just as fervently deny Evolution and seem to be against any sort of regulation on air, water and ground pollution. And this leads to things of which I am not conflicted, say when British Petroleum successfully lobbies the State Government of Indiana to poison people by continuing to dump Mercury directly into Lake Michigan.

Mercury is toxic, people including Chicagoans drink water from Lake Michigan, people eat fish from the Lake. It is unacceptable for such direct poisoning of people to continue merely because a few grubby dollars have been thrust into the right hands.

Also, the quite ridiculous and now extinct Clean Coal Carolers didn't add anything constructive to the debate and fortunately superwoman Rachel Maddow corrected described what Frosty the Coal Lump really was:

"But what strikes me is that this is a PR technique that is aimed at the American consumer. This is broadly trying to make Americans like the idea of coal and feel cuddly about it." (From the Rachel Maddow Show 12/11/08).

What needs to be done is those wedded to the Right/Left divide need to expunge the fanatics and come together in attempt to dispassionately study the issue and come to some unbiased conclusions. Of course this will never happen and we'll be left with:

"If we don't help each other, we'll die here!" - William Shatner
"Perfect. Then That's the way it shall be." - Christopher LLoyd
~ Star Trek III