Sitka, Alaska—Among the spectacular beauty of the glacier fields in Alaska, it is a discomfort to think of the impact of global warming.
Here is some stunning evidence: The glaciers are melting as much in five years as they did in 100 years in the previous century. These wonders will still be around in the next few generations, but how much longer is a scientific guess.
The doubters of global warming should be reminded that the scientific community is almost unanimous in agreeing about the damage caused by greenhouse gases and auto emissions.
Some archconservatives are upset over the movie An Inconvenient Truth. Their anger is directed more at former Veep Al Gore, who emcees the movie and is a champion of the environment. It is a reminder to them that Gore polled 500,000 more votes than George W. Bush in the 2000 election. But Bush gained the office with a helpful hand from the Supreme Court in a 5-to-4 decision.
On the environment, the president is living in a dream world. In a recent interview on CNN, he said his administration had " a great record" on the environment. Sorry, Mr. President, your record has been a weak one.
The Bush team has resisted all efforts to put together tougher limits on carbon emissions as well as fuel economy standards. GOP leaders in Congress have stymied legislation to control pollutants.
When the United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 for a meager $2.7 million, it was called Seward's Folly (in honor of then Secretary of State William Seward). We are witnessing Bush's Folly.
John W. Mashek covered politics in Washington for four decades with U.S. News & World Report, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the Boston Globe. His primary beats were Congress, the White House, and national politics. He covered every presidential election from 1960 to 1996. He was a panelist in three televised presidential debates in 1984, 1988, and 1992.
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