California Dreamin'

It can't be easy being a Republican Governor in the land of fruits & nuts, so Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to forge ahead with "the most aggressive U.S. program to reduce global warming" isn't much of a surprise. Anything that flies in the face of the Bush Administration is political gold as far as Arnold is concerned.

Still, are we really talking about a "breakthrough" as ABC News would have us think? Or is it just more political pandering as the global warming scare continues to build up a head of steam with media-induced hot air?

Here are some recent articles worth a read if you're interested in the anti-hype:

Don't Go Ga-Ga Over Global Warming by John Hawkins, August 16

Once again this summer, the number of global warming alarmists has risen with the temperatures. These environmental extremists blame heatwaves, droughts, hurricanes, floods, hot days, and just about any and every other weather related phenomenon you can imagine on global warming. Then, if you try to point out how hysterical they're getting, they tell you that you have no right to express a contrary opinion if you're not a scientist. Well, granted, I'm not a scientist. But, then again, neither is Al Gore. So, let me introduce a few counterpoints to the sort of unhinged doom mongering the former veep and his acolytes on the left have been spreading far and wide of late.

Don't Fight the Terrorists - Fight the Weather! by Julia Gorin, August 16

No wonder that while Islamic terrorism claims lives by the thousands every year, Hollywood churns out movies about the menace of Joe McCarthy, the Crusaders, Israeli Mossad and Richard Nixon. Freud called it displacement.

Let’s be honest: people fixate on the environment when they can’t deal with real threats. Combating the climate gives the non-hawks a chance to look tough. They figure, “Let’s flex our muscle with this Mother Nature thing. Let’s take a preemptive strike at an SUV. Let’s show ‘em we can be tough too.” So they play up climate change like it’s as urgent as terrorism, which they claim is overstated.

Four Questions for Global Warming Enthusiasts by Lloyd Brown, August 17

Hollywood has rushed into the debate over climate with one-sided movies that will scare a few people and enlighten no one. As much as I like popcorn, I'm not buying any tickets until the global warming alarmists can satisfy my Four-Part Test for Global Warming.

Global-Warming Foes Fight Global-Warming Cures by Deroy Murdock, August 17

If Albert Gore, Jr. is right and global warming is genuine, grave, and the fault of mankind, why do he and so many environmentalists oppose measures that would reduce those pesky carbon-dioxide emissions? Power sources that could cut atmospheric CO2 rarely seem good enough to satisfy the greens.

Unlike oil and coal, nuclear power does not generate CO2. It may be the most practical, atmosphere-friendly power source now available. And yet the former vice-president seems unimpressed.

The Halcyon Days of Y2K by E. Ralph Hostetter, August 16

The dominant media of the nation is the major source of all news. If the dominant media ignores the issue completely too few people learn about it to make a difference. The dominant media controlled the Y2K hoax completely. The dominant media will control the global warming hoax as well and it will prove to be far more costly than Y2K.

Too Much Gore on TV by Dan Gainor, August 16

It was the summer of love all over again. Only this time we didn’t have hookah pipes, tie-dyed shirts and the Doors singing “People Are Strange.” All journalists had was their love for one man – Al Gore – and this summer he and the media both proved the song was right.

Yes, that Al Gore – the former vice president now turned into full-time global warming pitchman. The media couldn’t get enough of the Wonk-in-Chief. The newly crowned movie star and his type of documentary – cinema scare-ité – were discussed on at least 99 TV shows from network news to the SciFi Channel. This summer was hot, but Gore was smokin’ – enough to earn a cover photo on Entertainment Weekly.

In conclusion, I'd like to suggest that none of this really matters anyway... at least according to the aformentioned ABC News.