So I have a TV with 60 channels and I'm watching the Fifth Estate on CBC. Go figure. I haven't watched more than ten hours of t.v. since I got home in June, but I'm glad I flipped it on tonight.
Right, so tonight the topic of discussion is global warming and, more specifically, how big business and government have employed spin doctors to raise doubts about the scientific validity of claims that the Earth is heating up. The Bush administration recieved direction from Frank Luntz, who studies the impact of language on people's reactios. In 2000, Luntz wrote a memo for the Republican party, advising them on how to talk about global warming. Actually he suggested they call it 'Climate Change' because it is less threatening and seems like something that is going to happen over a longer period of time. Someone recently challenged me as to the fact that people aren't using the term global warming anymore (although they actually are in places like Australia..just not in America), implying htat perhaps it was because there wasn't sufficient evidence of global warming. Well, nope, it just looks like the Republican party was actually successful at spinning the term 'climate change'., But, well, a rose by any other name....
Anyways, I think it's 'cute' that this debate is still going on about the existence of global warming, when evidence is taking place every day in the form of catastrophic fires, record droughts, unusually high temperatures, super extreme storms, etc. A couple of years ago, I had a hard time talking about global warming with anyone, becuase most people still wanted to believe it wasn't happening, but now I think the proof is too prevalent for the majority of people to ignore. Those that continue to question it are either looking to get a good night's sleep (read Michael Crichton before heading to bed), or have simply been exposed to an excessive amount of 'Luntz' spin via the media, business and government. This was going to be a rant, but I am too tired, so I am going to sleep instead!
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