Penny Wise, Pound Foolish

The NYT:

In his new book about Mr. Bush, "Rebel in Chief: Inside the Bold and Controversial Presidency of George W. Bush," Fred Barnes recalls a visit to the White House last year by Michael Crichton, whose 2004 best-selling novel, "State of Fear," suggests that global warming is an unproven theory and an overstated threat.

So the NYT really knows how to convey the gravity of global warming and Bush's blatant denial of reality - by reporting that environmentalists are angry about Bush meeting with Crichton. Not only is this shoddy and lazy reporting - if you wanted to do a piece on global warming, talk about the facts of global warming - but the piece also paints environmentalists - you know, those of us who like this place called Earth - as whackjobs who are frothing at the mouth because Bush met with Crichton.

A message to the NYT: Here is some information that you should report on if you are doing a piece on global warming.

ST. LOUIS -- Humans are burning fossil fuels so rapidly that Earth is headed toward its warmest period in 55 million years, a panel of scientists warned yesterday.

If that sounds bad, James Zachos, a researcher from the University of California, Santa Cruz, would agree.

"It's a threat to life as we know it," said Zachos, who joined a panel of researchers discussing global climate change at the annual American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting.

And just for your reference, just because the Bush administration will say it is not so does not make it a separate but equal position. An overwhelming majority - I think it is above 90% - of scientists agree about what is happening to the planet. The Bush administration, and its couple hack scientists that are on its payroll, dissents. If you cannot figure out which position is correct, you need to get out of the business of reporting facts and truth to people.