Re: [asa] Why the opposition to global warming

There are several problems with this 'argument'. First of all, how
come that so many conservatives cannot determine the scientific nature
of the global warming issue themselves? Countless others have been
able to do so. And why should the conversation be between scientists
and conservatives only? Those 'socialist' environmentalists or
whatever they may be called, derisively, have done more to the
understanding of global warming and its potential threats than many
conservative who keeps insisting that global warming has 'not been
proven'. Sound familiar?
i think that it is time that conservatives take the step closer to
science and scientists and stop blaming others for their level of
ignorance. Global warming is by definition a global issue and requires
global action.

On 2/3/07, Bill Hamilton <williamehamiltonjr@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I agree with David. The scientists who are convinced that global warming is a
> serious problem (and I agree with David that it is a problem) need to distance
> themselves from the environmental movement, who have turned conservatives off
> with their socialist, pantheistic and oppressive government ways. If they will
> do that perhaps some intelligent discussion can take place, which will lead to
> real solutions.
>
> --- David Opderbeck <dopderbeck@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > We've discussed this before, but I think you need to understand the context
> > of the environmental movement to answer this question. The environmental
> > movement has made many doomsday predictions that have failed to materialize,
> > the most notorious involving population control. Coupled with those
> > predictions, some leaders in the environmental movement have operated from a
> > neo-pantheistic worldview and have made suggestions that smack of
> > totalitarianism -- again, population control being the most notorious
> > example. And, as to warming in particular, the most prominent policy
> > proposal, the Kyoto treaty, represents a massively costly global regulatory
> > regime that impinges on state sovereignty and voter oversight -- thereby
> > weakining some basic building blocks of democratic governance.
> >
> > So, among conservatives of any stripe -- not just fundamentalist religious
> > conservatives, but also more serious economic and libertarian conservatives
> > -- there is a deep suspicion of *any *suggestion that the world is facing an
> > immanent, massive crisis that can be addressed only through world-wide
> > regulation. Personally, I think at least some of that skepticism is a good
> > thing, even if (as I believe) there is a very real problem that needs to be
> > addressed in global warming. We need to find ways to address this problem
> > without sacrificing freedom and liberty, and the libertarian skeptical
> > voices at least remind us of that.

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Received on Sat Feb 3 20:15:47 2007