One side paints gloomy portraits such as frequent Katrina-like hurricanes, a thousand-fold increase in incidence of malaria, and extinction of hundreds of species of animals (including our own, potentially). The other side uses warmer and friendlier brush strokes: More temperate, pleasant weather in places with traditionally unbearable winters, a longer, more productive growing season, and an economic boom resulting from a healthier, more productive population (people are happier in warm weather, right?).
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s the global warming debate! How is it possible that two sides of a supposedly scientific issue can see the debate so differently? One reason is that global warming has been politicized, mostly because it’s an issue that matches up nearly perfectly with the political agendas of each side. With some exceptions, you can easily decipher elected officials’ stances on global warming by simply looking for the R or D after their name. The political left knows that global warming is real and dangerous. The right warns against believing the alarmists (like Al Gore) and preaches skepticism and practicality. Global warming has become another battle in the cultural war – a politically polarizing issue that evokes reactions as passionate as those for any other political debate. But it’s not just the politicians. Global warming is an issue that’s captured the public’s interest as well (you may have even noticed several blogs on FacilitiesNet about his topic). While not everyone on each side believes all of the scenarios mentioned above, most polls do suggest an overwhelming majority of the public does believe that global warming is occurring. The real question is why. Is the Earth warming as part of a natural cycle, or, as the majority of scientists seem to believe, are we causing it with our greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants, gas-guzzling SUVs and inefficient buildings? And even if it’s granted that we’re causing global warming, a separate debate rages, mostly based on party affiliation, about appropriate course of action. So even though global warming has the public attention, it’s a much more complex issue than most people probably understand. It’s enough to make your head spin. Believe me.