We need someone to direct us, and currently we have mass confusion… headless chickens. And my point is, “we” will not do what needs to be done. “You” might. “I” might. But “we” never will, unless “we” are forced to by the government. Hell, most of us will live with a toothache until it becomes unbearable before we even consider going to the dentist, and then it’s only because our wives force us to (or maybe that’s just me).

Human Beings will live with things getting worse. It’s in our nature. Now, if you told us that we had 1 week to all get new lightbulbs or the world would explode, we could probably manage to get a good portion of us to comply (of course, not all of us, even with the risk of impending destruction).

We need a specific goal, a specific timeframe and specific consequences. Without that, it’s all just a bunch of hippies making noise. And to me, I understand the need to act, but I can’t afford to install solar power, and I can’t afford to buy a hybrid (and I’ve heard the EPA overestimates their fuel efficiency and that battery issues cause significant problems). And I want real problems and real solutions, but the media just wants a story, so we see sad penguins, which as Vin pointed out, do not live at the North Pole.

People buying hybrid cars are not getting the mileage they were promised, because EPA standards are off, the batteries can have problems, etc. Nuclear power is viable, but no one wants it around. And on top of it all, we can’t trust the media to give us the real scoop on this stuff. And I’m too busy sorting my recyclables to research it myself. That’s what they get paid for.

Just to make the point one more time though, I think the least credible group is the group whose strategy has been to simply deny the existence of a problem and smear those who claim there is one for the past couple of decades.

I agree. It’s one thing to say that the problem and its causes are open for debate and discussion. Denying a problem altogether is downright ridiculous.

I would say an unbearable shit load of it. You’re right. If you really care about though, I’d say go straight to the source. Honestly, I haven’t watched a network news program in 3 years. As Vinny has just demonstrated, they’re garbage. There are plenty of scientific organizations that, while they still have their biases, I would guess give you climate change information in a much purer form.

Just to make the point one more time though, I think the least credible group is the group whose strategy has been to simply deny the existence of a problem and smear those who claim there is one for the past couple of decades.

If the situation is as dire as it’s made to seem, then in my opinion, we as a planet need to work overtime to make a dent at all. The problem is, that doesn’t work in real world economics. Countries won’t take the steps necessary and if we have to rely on individuals, then the world is fucked. Plus, are we able to stop the climate issues, or only postpone them? If we can postpone them 100 or 200 years, ok… if all of these changes are only going to stave things off for another 20, is it really worth the effort (because in the end, unless you force compliance, the majority of people just wont do it)?

Look, I’m looking to get on board, but I’m not sure where the train is headin’. I do my small part now, but I can’t get crazy about it. And for that I blame corporate greed, political posturing, and the media.

…oh, and god, for not giving us an instruction manual.

But I’m confused, Vinny. Is this discussion about media bias or is it about Global Warming?

“I don’t believe a thing anymore.”

Take heart, buddy. Tomorrow might be a better day.

It’s so stupid… every hot day that’s not in August, everyone starts saying “Say… global warming is real!” and then when it’s cold out all I hear is “Global warming my ass!!!”.

And with this penguin crap, who the hell knows what to believe. I don’t believe a thing anymore. I don’t try to eat super healthy, I don’t go nuts in my house about all that “green” crap. The soon as you do one thing, they tell you it’s not as good as you thought. And conservatives blame liberals, liberals blame conservatives. Life has become such a joke, and it seems to be the media’s fault.

When someone finds the instruction manual for life and the planet, I’m in. Until then, it seems to change as the wind blows, so I don’t go overboard on anything.