Like it or not, climate change is an issue

Really, really, REALLY, liked this op-ed by Howard Fineman in the HuffingtonPost.

Climate change takes the campaign by storm

The lead:

" We interrupt this presidential campaign to bring you a disturbing special report from the future. It's called Lower Manhattan."

THAT's a stinger.

" The president and his supporters still insist that he has the right idea: While the first Manhattan Project harnessed a form of energy to win a war against fascism, now it's time to find other sources of energy to win the war against the depredations of climate change."

(There have been some pretty dire reports of how much climate change will cost in the future if we don't take action pretty soon now, that being about the same as right away.   It's in our economic best interest, and also health, and security, and even this little thing called the Earth that we find useful to live on).

Compare and contrast:

"Where is Romney on this? Once upon a time, as governor of Massachusetts, he was a standard-issue moderate Republican on environmental issues -- which is to say, he was open to using government to address problems. He was skeptical of coal, for example.

No more. Romney's campaign against Obama is based on the notion that federal action is not only a waste of money but strangling. The notion of communal effort led by Washington to attack a problem -- even an existential one -- is foreign to him, or so he says."

"And his energy platform is straight out of the Bush-Cheney playbook, which focuses almost entirely on drilling, digging and burning."

And, I might add, Romney also used to say that he knew humans were a major factor causing climate change -- and then he said he didn't know what was causing it -- and he reverted back partially to admitting that human activities probably have something to do with it, but basically it isn't so much of a problem that we have to change the way we burn things to make energy anytime soon.

I'd like a guy that understands the issues he's talking about are actually important.  He's so worried about building the economy back and getting jobs for college kids, what about the state and fate of the Earth that our kids in elementary school (and their kids, and their grandkids) are going to be left with?   Empty-suit business platitudes won't be of much use in 50 years when sea levels are a foot higher and global temperatures are a degree (C) warmer -- and that's where we're headed.

As Fineman finishes: 

"We need cheap energy now, and we need jobs now, and one generally helps the other. In a period of slow recovery, it makes sense.  Unless you are in Lower Manhattan."  

(with no power, no subway, no food, no gas, no cell phone, and no way out)

I'm reminded of The Dark Knight Rises.  The rich guys were in just as much trouble as the poor guys, and nobody could get off the island (the river turned out not to be much of an option).  Anarchy is just a block away.  It isn't rich man vs. poor man;  we're all in this together.