The Global Warming Scare
By Miguel Guanipa (06/17/08)
These days it is almost considered a punishable offense to cast doubt on the theory of Anthropogenic Global Warming; but if there is such a thing, it logically follows that its alleged dire consequences would have to be, well, global. This has translated into an almost daily broadcast of the ever growing list of newly catalogued infirmities that have been either incontestably linked and greatly exacerbated by - or are yet to be attributed to this vast atmospheric phenomenon. In fact, Global Warming and George W. Bush share one thing in common besides their first and last initials: they are both interchangeably blamed by liberals for virtually every social, political and natural catastrophe that has befallen all of known life on earth, excluding perhaps only angelic beings.
Naturally, since A.G.W. proponents believe this problem will affect every form of life on the planet, they perceive raising its awareness as a collective responsibility of a supreme moral order. After all, since it was humans who initiated and continue to fuel our perilous descent into this dismal state of affairs, it should be us who take the initiative to find a solution, even if it means that we must now offer sacrifices to atone for our sin of crippling the environment that we share with myriad other much nobler species. Thus, absent any significant awakening from the generally apathetic masses, the next step would be to find the right motivators to encourage, scare and if necessary, shame the disaffected and the unconvinced into wholeheartedly supporting this cause.
Enter Kidney Stone disease, anointed recently at an Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association as the newest, looming future pandemic linked to the scourge of Global Warming; and what may rank as one of the most powerful deterrents to apathy toward this monumental calamity. For as many unfortunate souls are well aware, there are very few stronger incentives for obedience to a cause than the prospect of experiencing the most excruciating pain in the nether regions -- and anybody who has ever had to pass a kidney stone knows the experience is one he or she will not soon forget.
This is also a clear sign that Global Warming provocateurs are not adverse to using fear tactics and threats of bodily harm to get others to join their crusade. It would not be a bad idea if the meager corroborative data which claims to support this alleged link is carefully examined by a Senate Panel of official experts the likes of which were summoned to debate the effectiveness of water boarding as an interrogation technique, as this new revelation has all the earmarks of being just another subtle attempt by A.G.W. proponents to intimidate and coerce those who have hereto hesitated to support their cause into jumping on their bandwagon; or else.
But putting aside the sinister pleasure that A.G.W. supporters derive from scaring their dissenters into compliance, consider briefly the manner in which these scientists reportedly arrived at their conclusions, which should be more than enough reason for some healthy skepticism.
According to the posting in the issue of Science Daily that reported the findings, the researchers reviewed already published data on the link between Dehydration and Kidney Stone Disease and then “applied predictions of temperature increase to determine the impact of global warming on the incidence and cost of stone disease in the United States” A less than profound linear trajectory of hot weather, thirsty people, and (drum roll please) Kidney Stones.
The casual observer may not immediately detect this rather unorthodox approach to building a viable hypothesis, but this is a classic example of media driven extrapolative rhetoric that often leads to impassioned proposals of draconian measures which are periodically stamped with the scientific seal of approval; measures that are soon adopted as socially stifling policies that weigh heavily on the shoulders of the unsuspecting citizens, who often end up bearing the inherent social and economic burdens, as they have little choice but to accept such seemingly authoritative reports of future alleged repercussions as gospel truth, since the main culprit has already been enshrined as the prevailing scientific consensus.
And as long as A.G.W. is viewed as an unquestionable scientific fact – not to mention the primary reason for everything that ails us - there is virtually no cap on the host of predictions that can be cooked up to support it. But the only prediction than can be made with any degree of certainty is that there will be full compliance to the alleged remedial ordinances in store for the weary populace that is understandably experiencing a waning resistance to the alleged facts they are presented with.
Yet one wonders how much rigorous scientific analysis can be conveniently bypassed when a vocal segment of the scientific literati – and a patronizing “green” media as its willful accomplice - can declare without fear of being challenged, that virtually any conceivable global pandemic, natural disaster, species annihilation or cosmological imbalance has now become a near absolute certainty that inexorably hinges upon “applied predictions of temperature increase”.
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