The extraordinary Fourth National Climate Assessment, released by thirteen federal agencies coordinated by the US Global Change Research Program, established by Congress decades ago, came out last Friday. On the day after Thanksgiving, the notorious Black Friday. For some reason.
Ironically, if this excellent interview and breaking news segment on the assessment on The World can be trusted, this apparent attempt by the Trump administration to bury a huge bad news climate story seems to have backfired in fairly spectacular fashion, inspiring several more news cycles of coverage and mockery.
Certainly, the contrast between the bluster of the President, and the level-headed factuality of Katherine Hayhoe on contrasting statements and an interview on the World makes ridiculous in juxtaposition the President’s bluster.
Hayhoe, who leads a Climate Science Center at Texas Tech, and who is a Christian and a scholar in both political science and atmospheric chemistry, makes the President look, as Trevor Noah said, as if he has been genetically engineered for superhuman powers of stupidity.
Here’s what Hayhoe said:
“This report brings the issue of climate change home to the places where we live. So often it seems like [global warming] only really matters to the polar bears and maybe future generations,” she said. “But this report talks about what is changing and how that affects real people today. And how we have responded; which is, you know, we are responding, but not enough. And what are the bigger changes we need to make to make sure that we are all going to be okay in the future.”
Highly recommended. This segment on The World, for Monday, November 26, 2018. Fascinating and inspiring. Yes — we can prepare ourselves! And we must.
Here’s a painting, called Crown Ridge, that makes specific this general subject by my efriend Barbara Medaille, She beautifies it too.
Kit Stolz 