I Love Cynics!

Scientific consensus, particularly when it comes to global warming, is a much misunderstood and often misrepresented term. At it’s simplest, the term means that through a process of experimentation and peer review a scientific concept has been accepted, without any substantial doubt, by the scientific community.

This happens to be the case for global warming, where the majority of doubt doesn’t come from the scientific community, but from politicians and industry leaders. So I read with interest today an article on a gathering of mayors from around the country near Portage Glacier here in Alaska.

There’s another stereotype out there of the obstinate politician, unwavering, refusing to budge even when presented with indubitable evidence. Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich breaks that stereotype.

Once an absolute skeptic of global warming, he is now a vocal supporter of change after attending a meeting on global warming last year and, as the article states, listening to speakers describes Alaska as the “ground zero” of warming effects.

The message clicked with what he has seen in his own community, from the glacier to the bark beetles that have devastated spruce trees in south-central Alaska, making them more susceptible to wildfire.

In the 20 plus years I’ve lived in Alaska, I’ve watched the same things. It’s good to see politicians catching on.

The article goes on to mention that nearly 300 mayors have signed a Climate Protection Agreement which seeks to reduce carbon dioxide pollution in their cities to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. I hope their words have weight behind them.