Don't Blame It All on Global Warming

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. (More environment stories.)