Follow this link to the blog entitled "My Global Warming Story" and tell your story about how you have personally felt the effects of global warming in your life.
Leave your stories here at My Global Warming Story.
Flip it.
Why leave a story? Three reasons.
First, it will be huge blow to the current internet disinformation campaign being waged by the right. For example, this website for the "Global Warming Information Center" comes up when I google "global warming 2000." It has a pretty picture of a tree in the mist, and presents itself as a benevolent giver of global warming truths, but it is actually the opposite. It links to anti-environmental authors, and only anti-environmental authors. (see Think Progress’ article on this website). Thus, writing your true story on the blog will be a way to push back against the liars.
Second, it will put a human face on what is a complicated scientific issue.
Third, on a personal note, it is an opportunity to memorialize that we are witnessing the Earth as it changes around us, and we do not approve.
Why us? Two reasons.
First, posterity. As you know, Governor Terminator recently enacted some forceful anti-global warming laws for California, and rumor has it President George W(ar) Bush is announcing anti-global warming policy at his State of the Union address. These actions must be placed in proper perspective, however, because Democrats/progressives have been calling for a change in energy/environment policy for years now. Indeed, there has been an active campaign to spread lies about Global Warming by those same energy companies that have blood-red hands from the Iraq war, which means their potential influence in the policies announced by the bought-and-paid-for Republican party makes those policies unreliable. Remember that John (I heart Torture) McCain’s criticism of Bush’s Iraq policy magically manifested itself after the presidential election. Democrats, quite simply are the only party you can rely upon for competent energy and environmental policy.
Second, as future generations look back at this time, especially if our leaders fail and global warming takes its full toll, the internet will be a more reliable record of the voice of the people than will the traditional media.
Why now?
The hurricane of attention that Al Gore, an environmental hero in my opinion, started and aimed at global warming has set the issue ablaze. Now is the time to throw our hats in the ring and leave our mark.
Here’s my story:
It was really hot last summer. Way hot. I remember going downstairs from my office in Midtown Manhattan to get lunch at the deli next door and being quite shocked at how hot it was. You could tell others felt the same way simply by looking at their faces, but nobody was talking about the heat, like a big, hot elephant in the room. This was the first time I noticed that global waming was effecting my everyday life.
I saw a show on the National Geographic Channel (I think) about the Great Barrier Reef. A certain species of Starfish is devouring the reef at a stunning rate. They’ve actually started teams of divers to spend hours underwater killing them with poison, trying to stem the irreversible damage to the ecosystem. They’re not able to stop it. Apparently, the warming of the ocean has influenced the breeding patters of the animal such that they are in abundance for many more months than they were before, thus there are many more of them to eat. The reef can’t sustain the surge in population. I remember feeling worried because, as I understand it, the Reef is responsible for converting a great deal of carbon dioxide to the breathable oxygen on the Earth.
More recently, I had to cancel a ski trip planned for the Pocconos. I love skiing, and it was a disappointment that I couldn’t go because the mountain simply didn’t have enough snow. Then, I read an article about how the ski industry is suffering this season for the very same reason. Jokingly, I told my friends "maybe there will be more attention paid to global warming now that ski trips are being cancelled."
Here’s a link again to My Global Warming Story. Head over there and let it fly.