Keeping Our Heads Above Water

The disgusting display put on by the media this week had us looking hard at our choice of topics today.

So much of the media is continually lost in the never-ending circus of stupid that surounds Sarah Palin. We could have focused on former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher blowing off Palin, or equally laughable Michele Bachmann and her staff dissing Palin as "not serious." We could have even ridden the story about Sarah Palin's idiotic alternate version of Paul Revere's ride, and her deluded followers. Half the media rolled in that story over the last few days - and the other half thought about it.

We could have focused on the sad and twisted story in Florida, about a dead child, and the mother who is being tried for her daughter's murder. Of course, since CNN Headline News focuses on that story every five minutes, all day, every day, there's really no point in anyone else even mentioning it.

We also could have focused on Congressman Anthony Weiner again - why not? After all, so much of the media is still obsessed with Weiner's wiener, it would be easy to slap some digital ink into another cartoon and throw some cheap shots at a Congressman, like most of them are doing.

Of course, as we pointedly noted yesterday, we'd like to think we're better than that.

From Montana, through the Dakotas, through parts of Minnesota, all over Nebraska and Iowa, and into Missouri, the effects of global climate change, in the form of massive flooding, is making its presence known.

While the chance of an event like the tsunami and earthquake combo that hit Japan this year is nearly zero, at least one nuclear power plant, in Nebraska, is already being affected by the flooding. Drinking wells are endangered. Some river towns are already under inches - or even feet - of water.

These events won't be like the tornadoes that plowed through Joplin and Tuscaloosa, a short, sharp strike of massive damage, and then the clean up begins. Officials are saying the Missouri River flooding could last into mid-August. That will destroy the crops of countless farmers along the river, for this year, and maybe for next year too.

There are still a few idiots that continue to deny climate change exists, and is happening now. Stories that allow them to continue their denial - like the report issued recently that claimed rising forest density is offsetting some effects of climate change - are all they need to keep their rejection of reality going.

The fact is, as climate change has happened, scientists are seeing a faster release of carbon emissions - which only makes the problem worse.

Don't expect to see the governments of any nation doing anything to help the situation, especially at the UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany this week. While Mother Nature's warnings grow louder, that humankind must work - together - to help arrest severe, rapid global climate change, the only thing many humans seem to want to do is expect sacrifice from others, and ignore what they can do themselves.

Strangely, that disgusting display of selfishness may yet be the thing that saves us all. According to a new study, as nations are seeing and hearing more about massive climate change, and are noticing more disasters in their own backyards - like massive flooding, severe storms, huge wildfires and drought. As a result, many nations seem to be picking up speed, adding more legislation, and making moves to lessen their own effects of carbon pollution.

Sadly, America - once again, primarily thanks to our insane political right and our weak political left - seems to be lagging behind other nations in actually doing anything about climate change.