Global Warming? Who Can Say?

Maybe it's because the big G8 meeting is coming up next month or maybe it's because it hit 95 degrees here in North Florida today, but I've been thinking a little about global warming. I just don't know where I stand on this issue anymore (sigh). While I'm no expert, I have done a little research on the Web and frankly I'm no closer to having a solid position than I was before. There are tons of data and statistics out there that can "prove" the issue one way or another.

Now the New York Times is reporting that a White House official with strong ties to the petroleum industry had changed wording in government climate reports to downplay any link between greenhouse gas emissions and (hypothetical?) global warming. Whether this report is valid or not, I will say this: this fellow, Philip Cooney, who is chief of staff for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, is just another in a long line of policymakers in the Bush administration with close ties to big business, namely the oil industry. And I couldn't trust any of them to make sound decisions for our environment any further than I could chuck 'em.

I googled "global warming" earlier and do you know what I got at the top of the list? A nifty little website called GlobalWarming.org that debunks the global warming theory. It's well put together and provides seemingly solid information, but I noticed a disconnect: the site claims to not act as a political lobby, yet its "paid for and maintained" by an outfit called Consumer Alert, which on their site states that they "frequently submit formal comments and petitions to regulatory agencies to help guide policy decisions that affect consumers." In other words, they lobby politicians. So while GlobalWarming.org may not lobby anyone directly, it is serving as a mouthpiece for Consumer Alert, which is a lobby.

Sounds fishy to me.