Steady As She Goes: Climate Week In Review
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.16.07
TreeHugger writers are solid on the importance of optimism, and a resolute practicality in the face of climate change. Facts and thoughtful analysis will best carry the flag we thought. We were wrong. At times a polite silence, perhaps a half-smile, can be the most effective action. Via Financial Times of March 15, 2006, the chief execs of US car makers testified jointly, this week, before Congressional Committee. Reportedly, the executives were unanimous in support of a Cap-And-Trade regime. John Dingell, (D) MI, and Chairman of the Committee, was quoted as saying:- " "Ladies and gentlemen, Hannibal is at the gates...We need to talk about what can be done and what will work." A particularly interesting remark, given that Al Gore was scheduled to testify later in the week. Now here's the money quote from FT:- "In spite of a past record of skepticism on climate change, all four executives politely declined to agree with a suggestion by Joe Barton, a senior Republican member, that man-made carbon emissions were trivial." Perhaps the execs were practiced in their politeness, having already learned from their own PR people that, according to NOAA (a US Federal Agency) " Winter in the Northern Hemisphere this year has been the warmest since records began more than 125 years ago,...temperatures were continuing to rise by a fifth of a degree every decade. The 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 1995. Weather experts predict that 2007 could be the hottest year on record." (Via BBC) Image credit: NOAA.
