Climate Debate Debate Redux

Must see: This two-minute wind-power clip from Denmark. Wind is cheaper than coal. Danes are “blacked out” less each year on average than we here in the U.S.

Entirely optional: The world’s 10 most dangerous airports. One more reason to stay home this weekend.

And now . . .

. . . circling back to the issue of whether to hold a single-issue DNC climate debate, Ed C. writes:

“A Princeton professor said: ‘This past July was the hottest in human history. The temp reached 94 degrees in the Arctic Circle. Temps reached 114 in France. Temps in India reached 120. The crisis is not coming. We are here. It’s the most crucial question facing the human species. What is the DNC afraid of?’ Do you know the answer?”

→ The DNC is afraid of nothing that I know of, and, as I wrote last week, it shares our concern over the climate crisis.

The professor seems to assume that changing the rules now to make an exception to hold a single-issue climate debate would meaningfully impact . . . what?

Is it his belief that more people would watch a debate knowing it would be only about a single issue? Possibly true. But possibly not.

Is it his belief that a DNC debate would change the minds of science-deniers in a way that dramatic images of the Paradise, California fire that destroyed 14,000 residences and killed 85 people could not?

Is it his feeling that the best course for dealing with climate change will be better charted in two hours on the debate stage than by scientists and policy makers out of the glare of TV lights?

Listen: I totally share the professor’s goals. I would have been fine with making an exception for this one debate topic only.

To me, this little “process” issue — debates versus forums — is SO minor compared with winning everything next year so that we’re in a position to confront the crisis.

It’s a mistake, I think, to make the DNC the enemy for sticking to its rules, when the DNC and all OUR candidates share the professor’s alarm . . . while the Republicans bring snowballs to the floor of the Senate and call the crisis a hoax.

Want to help?

Here’s the case for chipping in — and possible fodder for your own fundraising:

Have a great weekend!