hell’s handmaiden

The Heartland Institute is a not uncommon source for climate ’skepticism’, which term, by the way, I put is scare quotes as climate ’skepticism’ makes a mockery of skepticism and I find that offensive. Climate ’skepticism’ is an insult to skeptics everywhere. You see, the skeptic questions, the climate ’skeptic’ fabricates and misrepresents in an effort to mislead for the purpose of upholding preconceived notions– or maybe just for cash. Let me restart.

The Heartland Institute is a not uncommon source for climate ’skepticism’, and what a source it is. Let’s take a look.

I’ve written here and there about climate change and I also think that I’ve mentioned my fetish for technology. The problem, rather obviously, is that technology requires power. I like power. I do not wish to return to those halcyon days when long distance travel meant going to the next town and ingrown toenails were a serious medical condition. Not my bag, baby.

The trick then is to generate power without killing ourselves in the process. And that is quite a trick, but I don’t think it is impossible. I’ve made a few offhand comments on the topic.

DeSmogBlog has an interesting string of ‘awards’ right now. Obama headlines with “Obama named SmogMaker of 2007″. The charge is that Obama “has presented himself as someone who can overcome the Bush legacy of inaction on climate change”, but is nonetheless “campaigning on a greenhouse gas reduction ‘target’ that the U.S. won’t have to meet for 42 years and he has continued to promote the current administration’s plan to circumvent the Kyoto Protocol, the only international climate agreement currently in place.”

I found this article rather fascinating mostly because I’ve long thought that “our technological and medical advances have removed most of the selection pressures acting upon us”. That such is not the case makes for interesting possibilities.

Human evolution is speeding up. Around 40,000 years ago our genes began to evolve much faster. By 5000 years ago they were evolving 30 to 40 times faster than ever before and it seems highly likely that we continue to evolve at this super speed today.

Not long ago, I did a little piece on homeopathy. That post did not flatter the… ahem… medical science of homeopathy. Not surprisingly, my honesty and integrity were called into question– repeatedly. I was accused of rejecting homeopathy because I don’t understand science and because I have a prejudice against it. I was asked not to kill homeopathy– the blessing to mankind– because of my selfish motive and ignorance. I was accused of not wanting to read the literature and of basing my conclusions on one flawed study. These are all typical first blush reactions from supporters of faith-based and evidence challenged ideologies, hence my lack of surprise.