The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Bill

Whether the Cap and Trade Bill is good or bad hinges upon a single question, which is scientific and not political in nature.

Does human activity comprise a major component in the production of greenhouse gases?

Most scientists say yes.

Republicans seem to think otherwise, and they cite a few scientists here and there that support their position.

I find it an unlikely coincidence that global warming has suddenly come upon the radar so soon following the Industrial Revolution and that its severity is increasing at such a rapid pace.

It is indisputable that the human population has increased exponentially in the past several hundred years, and that our race has reshaped the planet Earth, eliminating vast swaths of forest and jungle, and contributing to desertification in many areas, and adding vast amounts of exhaust gases, not just carbon dioxide, to the atmosphere.

If there is even a one percent chance that the majority of scientists are correct, then that would favor intervention by all governments on Earth, in order to protect future generations of human beings.

By finding alternatives to fossil fuels, we will also diminish the threats posed by dangerous regimes, many of which receive revenue from oil.

Even if the cost of Cap and Trade rose to such an enormous sum as a trillion dollars, then it still would be a bargain, compared to the costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The Bill may even be a case of "too little, too late" at this stage, but at least it represents an attempt at doing what should have been done years ago.

You cannot persuade a conservative Republican about global warming. They want their wars, their bombings, and their prisons. Nothing else matters to them but violence, conflict, and money. They would gladly sacrifice both the East and the West coast of the United States, if only to have more wars. It is what they live for. If future generations are to die by the hundreds of millions, too bad.

Republicans take pleasure in the notion that "their tribe" will survive the catastrophes. What is "their tribe"? The wealthy, who will construct fortified compounds in mountainous regions, away from vulnerable coastlines. To the upper-class Republicans, global warming brings good tidings, washing away the impoverished and dusky races of the planet.

However, the consequences of global warming may not be predictable. The damage may not be confined to coastlines.

A planet with weather as mild and temperate as ours is uncommon, both in our Solar System and elsewhere, as we continue to discover.

Playing a dangerous game of "chicken" with the environment is not a gamble that is worth taking.

Whereas Bin Laden was a gnat in need of swatting, global warming is a dragon set to devour the human race. Republicans have squandered our nation's treasure in swatting a gnat, while turning their back upon a dragon.