Change vs Status Quo

Election Year 2008 ushered in an era of “change”.  Or, did it?  There is an adage that alludes to “...the more we change, the more we stay the same...”

It appears true as partisan bickering still rules the halls of Congress.  Four years ago it was the Democrat Party digging in with adamant opposition to everything.  Today it is the Republican Party digging in with adamant opposition to everything.

Yes, the Democrats can pass legislation with sheer numbers; as long as it is under special rules allowing simple majority, no debate and no amendments.  Is that change?

Next on the agenda is climate control.  Yes, man is going to step up and try to control “mother nature”.  But, wait, one side says that man is responsible for what is happening.   Or, is man responsible?

Is the climate changing?  Yes.  It has been changing for the past 10,000 plus years.  Actually, even longer as science does support that the earth has been warmer (and colder) in the past.  To focus the discussion, let’s just say that since the last ice-age (roughly 10,000 years ago) the earth has been getting progressively warmer.

In more recent history (within the past 2,000 years) man has established a foothold and endured a series of mini-ice ages and heat waves.  Of interest, each mini-ice age has caused server impact to human life.  And, each heat wave has seen periods of prosperity.

But, global warming has really increased since about 1990 and the world-wide temperature measurements prove it.  Or, has it?  Consider that in about 1990, the former Soviet Union was a participant in contributing data to the world-wide temperature measurement.  In a cost-saving move after the break-up of the Soviet Union, almost 100 temperature monitoring stations in Siberia were taken off-line; no longer contributing their data.  Instantly, world-wide temperatures showed a spike.  Seems the cold temperatures reported from Siberia actually kept the world-wide temperature numbers down.  Instantly, global warming became a media darling with cries about the falling sky.  

Mark twain is attributed with stating:  “If you don’t read the newspaper you are uninformed, if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.”

And that's my view.......