Of UFOs, Chuck Norris, and Global Warming
by Greg Haegele, Sierra Club on 01.17.08
The world’s scientific community has determined that global warming is a human-caused crisis of the highest order, threatening our economic prosperity, international security, environmental stability, and the survival of millions. The need to act is urgent: the chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says, “If there’s no action before 2012, that’s too late. What we do in the next two or three years will determine our future.”
It’s obvious to nearly everyone that energy and global warming are two of the most important issues the next president will deal with. Most of the candidates understand that these are central issues for the country, and all of them know voters care. Every Democratic candidate has a plan and addresses the issue on her or his website. Of the Republicans, website coverage ranges from none (Romney, Huckabee, Paul), to a slight nod (Giuliani), to flat-out acceptance and concern: McCain says in a video clip on his website, “I believe climate change is real. I think it’s devastating. I think we have to act.”
The candidates are not alone—American business leaders, the mainstream media, local elected officials, and a large majority of voters get it: global warming is real; the need to deal with it is urgent; the time to act is now. So it’s disconcerting to see that the country’s top five political reporters have not joined the rest of us.
The League of Conservation Voters reviewed interviews held in 2007 by Tim Russert, Wolf Blitzer, George Stephanopoulos, Chris Wallace and Bob Schieffer, and found that out of 2,679 questions asked by the reporters, only three questions mentioned global warming. These elite reporters have taken the precious time they have with the candidates to ask more questions about UFOs, baseball, and Chuck Norris than about the candidates’ plans to deal with climate change, one of the defining issues of our time.
I don’t begrudge them some fun questions to lighten up a long campaign, but I do question their sense of priority. America and the world are facing an epochal challenge, and all of us, but especially those who have the chance to talk to the candidates so often, should be asking tough questions of the candidates about what they will do to make America a leader in rising to this challenge.
Too many of us didn’t ask tough enough questions when the Bush Administration rushed the country into Iraq, and the cost to this country has been immense. Too many focused on the inside political game behind the war instead of asking the fundamental questions about its wisdom. Too many of us fiddled while Rome burned. Let’s not make the same mistake again. The world is heating up—we can rise to the challenge, but it will take all of us working together to do so. I call on these enormously talented, well-placed reporters to join the rest of us: use your rare access to the candidates to challenge them on what they will do to deal with global warming and create a prosperous, clean energy future.
Each candidate hopes to be the leader of the most powerful nation on earth. Americans need to know how each of them plans to curb what could be, as McCain says, a “devastating” trend. It’s incumbent upon the nation’s reporters to make this a public discussion, to ask hard questions, to focus on the human race instead of the horse race.
The Sierra Club has a petition asking these reporters to start asking the important questions about this defining issue. We hope you’ll sign it.
Image credits::Blognet News, Democratic Candidates, AND New York Times, Republican Candidates AND UfoInfoWorld.com AND Chuck Norris, The Official Website, AND Post Game Blog, Wrigley Field
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I dunno. Chuck Norris might well be the greater threat to Western civilization.
I think that the upcoming debates around super-tuesday will also allow the candidates to better explain/defend/rationalize their positions on global warming. It may not be as important to voters in Iowa or NH, but as the candidates get further south and further west, I'm sure they'll get a lot more questions and a better chance to explain their positions.
i'd support chuck norris if he ran for president. it's a no-brainer. he's a hero. he would kick global warming's toosh.
all jokes aside, i sure hope the reporters get their acts together and provide the public the answers we need. since many of us can't be everywhere each politician is, we depend upon them to share the information prudent to making educated decisions.
We knew ,of course, the American public is part of the greater moron human race... now we know how they are kept stupid.
Sorry tried not to generalize but just couldn't help myself.
You probably won't dare to publish this, but at least I got my two cents worth. Not intelligent and civil enough? What are the other comments above then?
how come noone is talking about www.disclosureproject.com when the subject is global warming and UFO technologies?
I do believe that zero point energy is the definitive technology that will save our planet
but it seems too few people know about this amazing alternative source of clean and infinite energy
please, check this out: www.disclosureproject.com
regards
Why is everyone talking about global warming only when the bigger issue is the consumption of non-renewable resources. Our planet has been here for millions of years and will be around for millions more - even if we are not. But how are we to survive with no rewources? We need to move to wind, small hydro, and solar power. Solar is now as inexpensive as other electricity in the commercial market. Soon it may be for residential as well. Check out these videos - http://solarjoules.com/?cat=3