Global Warming

Featuring appearances by Republican heavyweights such as Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and 2010 gubernatorial candidate and former EBay Chief Executive Meg Whitman, the Western Conservative Political Action Conference rolled through Newport Beach this weekend. Organized by Republican activist Jim Lacy, the conference has slowly gained momentum over its five-year existence. “This is the heart and soul of the conservative movement,” said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a longtime conference supporter.

College Park Elementary School third-graders will have a new shade tree to read and daydream under in a few years after their new Willow pittosporum tree takes root in one corner of the school yard. The Newport-Balboa Rotary Club sponsored the donation of the tree, provided by West Coast Arborists, on Thursday in observation of Arbor Day. The club picks a different elementary school each year to honor with a donated tree. “The tree will be a great place for kids to go out and read and sit under,” said College Park Principal John Sanders.

My son is 10 years old. He expressed concern about terrorists launching nerve gas rockets at the United States. Actually, he is concerned about one of the rockets landing in our yard. He is worried about a nerve gas bomb because it is a topic of discussion among his friends. Another reason is that the potential for a war with Iraq was the lead story in a newsletter that is distributed to children in schools across the country. Another reason that this has appeared on his radar is that he has started to read the newspaper.

The running debate between faith and science, which has increased steadily in intensity this year, has two detours just as harsh but considerably less visible that demand more attention: That would be scientists against other scientists, and pseudoscientists who presume expertise without the credentials. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher’s tirades against global warming offer a sterling example. The cartoon “Dilbert” captured this succinctly in the Los Angeles Times.

Had you asked me a week ago what the chances of my voting for Costa Mesa City Councilman Eric Bever for anything ever again, I would have replied something along the lines of "slim to none." But that was then. This is now. Now, I could be tempted to vote for Bever for county supervisor for in the span of one week, Bever is promoting a new set of rules for Costa Mesa buildings that he calls "efficiency incentives." Bever can call it whatever he wants — I'll call it overdue, fabulous and forward-thinking.

The 2009 U.N. Summit on Climate Change opened this week in Copenhagen. Through Dec. 18, the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases — among them, the U.S., China and India — will try to work out deals there setting targets for controlling emissions, which, scientists say, contribute to global warming. Apart from the politicians and scientists, religious leaders representing many faiths have gathered at Copenhagen. Earlier in 2009, leaders from different religions attending a U.N. conference in Bangkok collectively said that reversing global warming is a moral duty.

You may wonder about global warming, but it hasn't affected you yet, so you aren't too concerned about it right now. Enron and Worldcom? You weren't a stockholder, so you didn't lose any money The government wiretaps, legal or not, did not target your phone, so it's easy to dismiss the situation. And the war in Iraq has directly affected very few readers of this newspaper, and though we're troubled by the conflict, let's be honest -- nearly all of us are still living our lives as though there were no war. But bring up illegal immigrants in Costa Mesa, the closing of the city's Job Center, the proposed new city hall in Newport Beach, the expansion of St. Andrew's Church, the development of the Marinapark property, the presence of sea lions in the harbor or any of the other local hot-button issues and there will be no shortage of opinions, no lack of people, yours truly included, who know what's best for everyone and who wonder why everyone else doesn't see what we see. So it's a mystery to some as to why the voter turnout for our local elections is so poor.

I paid a visit to City Hall on Tuesday to reserve a park for my daughter's third birthday party. Seeing as how I have not attended City Council meetings for some time now, I took the opportunity to view the posted agenda for our fair city's council meeting Tuesday night. I cannot begin to express my befuddlement over the council's absolute silliness. The last two items on the agenda, introduced by Mayor Allan Mansoor and Councilwoman Wendy Leece, seethe with hypocrisy and ignorance.