Climate Change or Global Warming?

Climate change or global warming?  Potato, potahtoh, tomato, tomahto. 

I'm sure the climate change advocates kick themselves every once in awhile when they hear the terms "global warming"; they wish other terms had been chosen to express what is happening to our planet.  The trouble with the term "global warming" is that when we have brutal winters like the last two, it gives fodder to Inhofe and his ilk who say, "Global warming? Where?"

A more accurate description of what is happening to our planet Earth is climate change.  I remember the brown winters in Oklahoma.  Brown winters had no snow, brown winters found me outside a lot playing basketball with the neighbor kids.  Brown winters found me wishing for snow.  Brown winters were full of moderate temperatures, short days, long nights, but no ice storms and blizzards. Snow was a treat, maybe coming every three to four years, not something to be dreaded.

The climate is changing and it is because of humans.  The Industrial Revolution brought more than labor saving devices.  It also brought factories that belch noxious fumes, automobiles that do the same.  Perhaps the largest change has been that not only the Western world, but the Rest of the world, wants and is gaining access to automobiles and everything else that we have enjoyed for over a century. And why shouldn't the Rest of the world have these things too?  All these emissions can't help but change our earth's atmosphere, and this change affects our global weather.

Humans do make a difference in their environment, for better or worse.  Even if one believes there is no climate change or global warming, live as if there  is.  We should conserve energy where we can, when we can.  We should be more mindful of our daily choices, from what we eat to what we wear, to how we clean, to what the temperature is in our homes.   Encourage alternative energy sources. 

Be more mindful.  Think.  This can only improve us.

Even if there isn't climate change or global warming . . .

What is the use of a house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on? (Henry David Thoreau)

Short post today.  Just this:  even if Inhofe and all the other naysayers are right (which they aren't), but let's pretend - even if they are and there is no climate change/global warming, wouldn't it be better for the world, especially the United States of America, if we all lived as if there were climate change/global warming?

What is the harm of converting automobiles to cleaner fuel?  What is the harm of walking or bicycling more?  What is the harm of taking public transportation? What is the harm of reducing factory emissions?  What is the harm of cleaner water?  What is the harm of discovering alternative ways to heat our homes?

What is the harm of living as if there really is global warming/climate change?  (And there is climate change/global warming.)

Ford, you need to do better!

Sunrise, 10 Dec 2010 at 7:27 a.m.

According to my latest mailing from the Union of Concerned Scientists, of which I am a member (I am not a scientist, but I am concerned), Ford, GM and Chrysler are at the bottom of the UCS’s Automaker Rankings 2010 report.  (The full report can be viewed at www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles)  The rankings were based on average per-mile smog and global warming emissions.  The higher the score, the more the vehicles polluted the atmosphere.

Ford came in just over the industry average at 108. Only GM and Chrysler ranked below Ford. Why am I concerned about Ford?  We drive a Ford.  A lot of people drive Fords.  People drive Fords because they are affordable and, for the most part, dependable.

Honda and Toyota were at the top of the rankings.  Their cars contributed the least amount of pollution to our atmosphere.

In the United States, passenger vehicles account for about 20 percent of US global warming emissions.  Here in my flyover state, we love our cars.  We bought a Ford Freestar van in 2006, before the economic debacle and the rising gasoline prices.  We did it solely because we have five grandchildren whom we like to take on little trips. We didn’t buy a Honda Odyssey because we could not afford a Honda Odyssey.  We can afford a Ford.

Ford needs to up its game and produce cleaner automobiles, while maintaining an affordable price.  Come on, Ford, you can do it.  You are the world's fourth largest automaker.  You have been around over 100 years.  We know you can do better than your current performance.