The Washington Post today had features in several sections that dealt with Global Warming. They didn't call it that, unfortunately. To them, it was merely Climate Change. Change is something that could be pleasant, and makes people think that perhaps milder winters would be nice for a change. That isn't what we're looking at, and I'm outraged that a major newspaper would deal so irresponsibly with the issue.
Outrage. Where is it? WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE? Where have our morals gone?
If we don't do anything now, and I mean right now, we will have disasters of Bibilical proportions on our hands. It will be in proportion only that the disasters will be Biblical, because it will be a judgement we have brought down on our own heads.
Let's review. Millions will die in natural disasters caused by the drastic shift in climate. Millions more will die of starvation as farmland turns into desert. Millions more will die from the new diseases birthed in a wetter world. Millions who live inland will die from lack of water. Millions more will die in the wars that spring up over water rights. Coastal cities the world over will sink beneath the waves. Entire species of animals will go extinct.
AND FOR WHAT? For what will we endure the end of life as we know it? So that entrenched powers based on old technology and the control of fossil fuels can retain their power for a little while longer.
Let us be clear about what we are seeing. Our ruling class, our corperate leaders, our politicians, our media moguls are willing to DESTROY THE PLANET so that life remains more pleasant for them in the short term. (Note: We're still going to run out of oil, but if we don't kick the habit now, we're going to have to deal with the fallout of loosing it with the above-mentioned plagues on our heads)
I could belabor this post with arguments about new industry offsetting the loss of old, about overall economic benefit, about how the costs of acting aren't nearly as great as the costs of not acting, but instead I'm going to skip to the punchline.
Where is the public condemnation from religious figures? Where is the outrage? Where is the vehemence? Are religious leaders too busy condemning homosexuals to spare some wrath for the single greatest example of greed and vice in the history of the world? Have we forgotten what real villains, what real evil looks like?
Let me be the first, then. I condemn thee, thou leaders, thou rich, thou powerful! I condemn thee cowards to rot in the worst hells your faith can imagine! Woe unto you and your entire house!