Just Askin': Why Is Climate Change a Partisan Issue?

The issue of climate change (or global warming) is--for some reason--a massively partisan issue. Most liberals and progressives will be firmly on the side of climate change science, and believe that something must be done to protect the environment. Many (most?) conservatives believe that climate change is a massive hoax, and that while the climate may be in flux, nothing proves that humans have anything to do with it.

Mmkay. I can see how a person might come to that conclusion, but why is it almost as contentious as abortion, god, guns and gays?

It is true that the earth has gone through warming and cooling periods in eras when man did not produce massive amounts of pollution. It is true that climate science can and has been incorrect in the past. But to conclude that 110+ years of industrial polluting, and automotive exhaust can't possibly affect the environment just seems incredibly naive and stupid to me.

If you've ever seen a model of the earth's atmosphere in relation to the size of the planet, you can see that it is just a thin shell of protection. It seems plausible, in fact likely that pumping metric tons of pollution into the sky must have some kind of effect. But the party of no says. . .well. . .no.

When they will concede that the climate is changing--just that man can't be responsible--and that cutting pollution is desirable, they always have a caveat. Namely, that any effort expended toward that goal should not adversely affect business. And here, I believe we have the core of the partisan nature of the debate.

I know that big business would continue dumping and spewing without care were there no regulations. And I'm aware that Republicans have in the past cut those kinds of regulations and continue to attempt to get rid of them. All politicians, but Republicans especially, are beholden to their corporate campaign funds. Their mouthpieces, like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh are beholden to if not Republican at least what now passes for conservative ideals, and those ideals now include backing up corporate interests.

In my experience, many hardcore conservatives are fans of FOX "News" and conservative talk radio, and have a remarkable ability to argue--nearly verbatim--Sean Hannity's or Bill O'Reilly's side of any issue. They seldom can answer follow-up questions, but they have the main talking points down. So when Beck or one of the others rants and raves about the global warming "hoax," their fans are all loaded up with their belief system. No thought required. It just amazes me how easily people can take these opinions to heart, even if it goes against their own self interest. Even if it falls apart under close scrutiny.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, these pundits and talkers must have zero respect for their audience. If you constantly fed your audience a bullshit buffet, and they continued to line up with a plate and fork, could you have any respect for them? Just askin.'