Opinion: A ‘heated’ subject for discussion

I ran across some climate change news a few days ago, which is this: The National Press has committed itself to reporting the news of the climate change so that people can understand it.

Apparently one of the poo-bahs in the National Press (wherever and whatever that is) became concerned when one of those surveys about what people are interested in came up with a (for him) disturbing fact: about the only thing most people are really interested in is how to lose weight and keep it off. But almost nobody gives a good gall dang about the alleged climate change, according to the survey. Unless, of course, it is their climate that is changing.

It turns out that the average person finds that all you need to describe the climate change in sufficient detail in one’s own climate is six words: Hot, cold, wet, dry, windy, and calm.

For example, two “average” men might meet on the street in downtown Madera. One might say to the other, “It looks like you’ve lost a little weight.” The other guy says, “Yeah, but I’ll probably find it again.”

Not a word is said about climate change, unless, of course, it’s unusually warm, or unusually wet or unusually dry.

“Hot, ain’t it?” one of the men might say.

“Yep,” the other might reply. At no time does the chit-chat in this conversation turn to the horrors of climate change. And that is even though the poo-bahs in the National Press are insisting that any newspaper, television station, web site, or information printed on milk cartons should be letting the people know in no uncertain terms how serious this climate change thing is. Otherwise that report could create serious doubts in the minds of average Americans.

One of the Democratic candidates for president is pushing this. He is Jay Inslee, the governor of Washington State. Inslee is absolutely convinced that the public is hanging on his every word about the climate.

That’s because he is using another, seventh, word to describe climate change. Oh, he uses hot, cold, windy, calm, dry and rainy. But being from Washington, he has another word to describe the climatologist’s worst nightmare: Foggy. That’s because Washington, especially Western Washington, is known for the ferocity of its fog, especially around Olympia, the state capital.

“I will be talking about climate change, whether they want me to or not, until they get the National Guard out,” Inslee said in an interview with a National Press reporter on July 21.

He said that because some of the other Democratic candidates are beginning to whisper that he should keep his big, fat mouth shut about the climate, and especially about air pollution.

They don’t want to get into a discussion about air pollution. These Dem candidates don’t want Inslee to hint that he and they may be at least partially responsible.

One other possible cause of air pollution that is being discussed is cow exhaust. Some scientists have talked themselves into believing that cow exhaust is more responsible for air pollution than automobiles, or jet airplanes, or diesel trucks, or diesel trains, or maybe even forest fires or volcanoes. It could be that these particular scientists happen to be vegetarians and are a little prejudiced against cows anyway. But meat-eaters might find a way to blame carrots, potatoes and horse radish for our climate problems.

So there you have it, National Press. A good, solid explanation of climate change from Madera, California, which is the center of the universe, or at least of SR 99, where the climate only changes if you are alone or with somebody.