Golly, y'know? These Katie Couric debates are just so much and you learn so much about not just Sarah Palin is like and who she is but what she really believes in believing in. Yah? Like climate change [people really need to stop using the phrase Global Warming].
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At 4:30 the conversation turns to climate change...
Now, I'd like to start by congratulating Palin on recognising some key points here: she admits that if climate change does continue unabated Alaska is screwed. And it's all about "Alaska First - Alaska Always" right? And luckily as formed a sub cabinet to sort it all out. Not too sure what they are planning to do, but I guess it probably comes down to shooting Polar Bears so they don't get marooned on floating icebergs.
Palin even concedes that y'know man's activities (though surely not burning all that oil?) may be to blame. But then it all falls off the rails. Y'see Palin's strong record in historically comparative meteorology (isn't in amazing what they teach you in Journalism schools these days?) tells her this is all just a cyclical thing and it'll be fine. But I guess they'll still need to shoot the Polar Bears. Just in case.
But what really got to me was this:
It kinda doesn't matter at this point, as we debate it, how, what casued it. The, the point is: it's real; we need to do something about it.
Now I'm a physicist, and cause and effect is pretty much a key relationship. If you're looking at a problem - be it climate change or medical or whatever you choose - you don't treat the symptoms you treat the cause. So what is Plain suggesting? If the cause doesn't matter then you don't need to worry about decreasing CO2 emissions. You can burn as much oil as you want, keep producing inefficient cars and not bother investing in alternative energy. Because Alaskan oil will meet all our energy needs forever. All you need to do is build mile high walls along the coast to keep the sea out and it'll be fine.
Nonsense. The cause matters! Without accepting that climate change is largely man-made, you'll never be able to combat it effectively. Whilst the talk in recent days has shifted to the economic apocalypse, climate change is still on of the biggest issues facing the next administration and we can't afford another 8 years of failed Bush policies on this one.
Maybe this is just an extension of GOP logic surrounding 9/11? "Y'know - who attacked us isn't important - we need to take action. Against Eye-raq."