This is the third in a three-part ramble on global warming. See also Part 1 and Part 2.

As I said, I know the climate is changing. Climate shifts -- some disastrous -- have occurred throughout earth's history, long before industrialization. We know from the recent National Academy of Sciences study that the earth has been getting warmer for at least the last 400 years, and probably longer than that. So I would suspect that whatever consequences are coming from global warming would have happened with or without fossil fuels in the mix. Once the warming starts, it feeds itself, so that it keeps increasing exponentially (this was confirmed in Tom Brokaw's show). In other words, if the entire world went cold turkey and quit fossil fuels tomorrow, the ice caps would still continue to melt and the globe would still continue to heat up. Fossil fuels might be accelerating the process a little, but I suspect only in such a way that the big climate disaster will happen in, say, 19 years instead of 20 years. (One of Tom Brokaw's interviewees also confirmed that reducing carbon emissions would not stop a climate change, it would just postpone it.)

Maybe this is a quality-of-life issue. Fossil fuels have unquestionably helped our lives in countless ways (assuming you consider conveniences to be a good thing). I know my life completely depends on cars and electricity, which are largely dependant on fossil fuels. When Hurricane Isabel came through Richmond, we had to live 10 days without electricity -- it was miserable. (Even more so because they had electricity at my office so I still had to go to work...) I'm not quite prepared to give up electricity just yet, even if it means sacrificing a couple of good years before the climate change.

Now having said all that, I need to re-state that I'm not against reducing carbon emissions and exploring alternative fuels where it's practical and cost-effective. I guess I'm saying that there are more important reasons to wean ourselves off of fossil fuels than fear of global warming. First, it will make the United States more self-sufficient, and we wouldn't have to deal so much with all the crazy governments that have the oil (you know how those Canadians can get...). Second, the oil will eventually run out. Third, nuclear power is more energy-efficient. If only they could make a nuclear-powered car.

As for what to do about global warming, I would suggest moving away from the coastline. :)