Is This One Of The Signs Of The Apocalypse?

Those concerned about climate change gain an unexpected ally...

Reuters: Heat converts Bush ally Robertson on global warming

Conservative Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson said on Thursday the wave of scorching temperatures across the United States had converted him into a believer in global warming.

The view put him at odds with fellow Republican President George W. Bush, who has benefited politically from Robertson's backing and who has refused to embrace the concept of human-caused global warming.

"We really need to address the burning of fossil fuels," Robertson said on his "700 Club" broadcast. "It is getting hotter, and the icecaps are melting and there is a buildup of carbon dioxide in the air."...

Does this make President Bush more behind the times than Pat Robertson? A frightening thought.

Hopefully, though, as the 'debate' over this science decreases and concensus grows, it will mean more action. The increase of dialogue about climate change is encouraging, but all that talk means nothing unless it is followed up by broad, global action. Joining most of the world in ratifying Kyoto- much as it would anger conservatives- would be a good start. Increasing the tax incentives for owning hybrid/alternative enery cars (Andrew Sullivan makes a good case for a broader gas tax) is another no-brainer. And maybe also all those things I heard talked about when I was fifth grade but to this day remain uncommon- solar panels, wind power, ethanol, etc- can be widely implemented with the government's help. None of this is crazy, radical stuff either; these are commonsense solutions.

For now, I'll remain cautiously optimistic for a shift in this direction.

[Related- More Frequent Heat Waves Linked to Global Warming (Washington Post)]