Morning Commuters Ponderings
I drive to work each morning. I spend between an hour to an hour and half in my car each day. As I drive I listen to NPR and this morning a report by Scott Horsley caught my attention. The topic discussed, global warming.
As the announcements for presidential candidacy come rolling in, politicians are making their positions on hot topics known. The Horsley’s piece highlighted Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman who has moderate views on immigration, same-sex civil unions and until now climate control. Huntsman was a cap and trade leader – capping carbon emissions and trading pollution permits. I say was because though he still finds climate control important, it isn’t as important as the economy. Huntsman told Time magazine until the economy is back on its feet “this isn’t the moment” to pursue cap and trade. Huntsman isn’t the only politician backing away from supporting climate control and other environmental beliefs. Other Republican presidential hopefuls have changed their tune like Tim Pawlenty or Michelle Bachman who, in 2009, said “CO2 is a harmless gas.” Mitt Romney, steadfastly holds as fact that greenhouse gases contribute to global warming but has recently backed off cap and trade.
And it’s not just politicians, but the American public who are changing their mind about global warming. An annual poll released by Gallup in March showed that American concern with global warming has almost reached an all time low at 51 percent. While 2011′s percentage is only one point lower than last years, it has gone down from a high of 66 percent in 2008 and is just one point above the lowest percentage recorded in 1997.
What I don’t understand is how can people change their minds about global warming? Isn’t it scientific fact, just that, fact?
