Global warming at the level of Central Park

Monday eve

On a night like this, it's hard to believe the dire predictions of the climate change crowd-----though I know all scientific evidence points to a mounting and serious challenge, the gentle warm breezes of a clear summer July night seem to me to be the same delicious experience I recall from my first summer days here over 30 years ago.  A warm July evening in New York recalls warm summer evenings when I was a kid of 7 or 8 or 9--- I couldn't bear the thought of going inside and calling it quits for the day.

Back at my desk now, banging away at the dozens of emails that keep flowing in from Dubai and Abu Dhabi----all requests most urgent now, of course.  Drop everything !  Do this asap.  Oh yeah, and that other thing, too.  And that and that.  I have evolved from COO to a walking talking stalking slightly mad typing machine.  Trying to remember to be grateful for an exciting project and paid work, somewhat at a premium for a media management consultant these days.  But I'd rather be sitting in the park right now, holding someone's hand and counting fireflies.  Those days will return.....

In the last 60 days, I have been paying more attention to cap and gown than cap and trade, so now that climate legislation appears dead for now, we progressives are enraptured in an orgy of hand-wringing about the end of the world as we know it.  There is truth in our disappointment, but am I the only one who thinks that the complex, well-horse-traded outcome we got from the House does not quite fit the bill, so to speak.  These people, Republicans and Democrats both, are so beholden to special interests this close to an election cycle that, upon closer examination, one has to wonder whether the cure is worse than the disease.

I am cynical, agreed.  But I am also one who strongly believes in the power of effective leadership on important national and global issues like the environment.  Powers of example, a shared sense of sacrifice, small and even big things that people can do to make a difference.  What happened to the simple stuff like turning up the thermostat, odd and even license plates to restrict driving, meatless Thursdays to help curb methane and CO2 output from agriculture---one of the biggest causes of greenhouse gases.  Gee, shouldn't someone be asking you and me to do something about it?

You-know-who is putting too many of his marbles on failed foreign military adventures and a bloated military machine to wage large-scale wars where we are neither needed nor wanted.  He's been co-opted by the powers that be and captivated by the group-think of like-minded big gov types who all went to the same schools (mine) and never actually ran a business on any scale before coming into power.  So why would we expect fundamental change when the ideas flow from advisors who have been lofted to the heights by the system as-is.

I expected this.  Just about fed up.  Bring back the Republicans---at least they know how to get action, even if it's imprudent every step of the way.