Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search
« Back to the grid | Next story »

Don't Blame It All on Global Warming

Posted Aug 3, 08 7:57 AM CDT in Science & Health 

(Newser) – Global warming is a serious issue—but it shouldn't blind us to other immediate environmental concerns, writes Joel Achenbach in the Washington Post. “Humans are environment-destroying creatures by nature" and ruining the earth in any number of ways—but instead of paying attention to pressing local issues, every disaster is now written off as the result of climate change, Achenbach warns.

“Even if we stabilized the planet's climate, we'd still have an environmental crisis on our hands,” Achenbach writes. Take Iowa’s floods, for example. Floods may be exacerbated by rising temperatures, but the real culprit is likely from human action such as the killing of wetlands and straightening of streams. “You should worry about global warming. But you don't need to worry about global warming when your house is on fire,” Achenbach notes.

Source Washington Post

1 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Even Planes Are Greener Than This Guy

    Dec 4, 08 7:45 AM CST
    Even Planes Are Greener Than This Guy This week ministers from 187 nations are gathering in Poland to discuss a new treaty on global warming, and one of the central issues will be not belching smokestacks but cows, pigs, and chickens. Rising global living standards have led to soaring meat consumption; emissions from livestock now generate 18% of global greenhouse gases—more than cars or planes—and regulation remains lax.
    More »

  • Slump May Doom Clean Energy Initiatives

    Nov 25, 08 12:25 PM CST
    Slump May Doom Clean Energy Initiatives Just as global warming initiatives were gaining serious momentum around the world, the financial crisis looks like it's undermining both the political will and the math that support them, the New York Times reports. With gas prices plummeting, US automakers may be scaling back investment in new technology. In Europe, "industry is saying we can’t deal with financial crisis and reduce emissions at the same time," a UN official said.
    More »

  • Early Plankton Blooming May Starve Ocean Creatures

    Nov 21, 08 6:23 AM CST
    Early Plankton Blooming May Starve Ocean Creatures A vast and colorful explosion of life in the Arctic Sea—the sudden, unprecedented blossoming of phytoplankton prompted by warming waters—could spell death for untold numbers of creatures, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Phytoplankton, a microscopic but vital part of the food chain, is blooming—and swiftly dying—at the wrong time of year, scientists warn, meaning many migratory animals heading for the Arctic to feed will likely starve.
    More »

  • Obama Vows to 'Engage Vigorously' in Climate Fight

    Nov 18, 08 3:30 PM CST
    Obama Vows to 'Engage Vigorously' in Climate Fight In an unexpected video appearance today at a conference on climate change, President-elect Barack Obama promised to fight global warming, saying the stakes are too high to continue delaying action and denying global warming. He vowed to usher in a “new era of global cooperation” come January and says he'll “engage vigorously” in international negotiations, AFP reports.
    More »

  • Island Paradise Seeks New Home

    Nov 10, 08 11:02 AM CST
    Under serious threat from rising sea levels, the government of the Maldives is saving funds from the islands' biggest industry—tourism—to finance the purchase of a new national home, the Guardian reports. Much of the country, near India, rises less than 5 feet above the water, and the UN predicts that global warming will raise sea level by up to nearly 2 feet by 2100.
    More »

Marine One flies over flooded areas of Coralville, Iowa as President Bush surveys damage from flooding in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City areas on Thursday, June 19, 2008.   (AP Photo/Liz Martin)
The Oakville town sign sits among floodwaters from the nearby Iowa River, Tuesday, July 8, 2008, in Oakville, Iowa.   (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Climate change may be a factor in California wildfires--but we can't forget the issue that people are building homes in the forests, which is "like pitching a tent on the railroad tracks."   (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 3)

Tags

climate change • environment • global warming • human nature


Loading...

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Science & Health Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »