Welcome to our blog!

As part of Professor Heldman's Politics 101 class at Occidental College this spring semester, we are addressing the most critical current issues facing Washington DC policymakers, and we chose to tackle the topic of the current debate over policy involving climate change, the environment, and the possible cap and trade system.

As and Urban and Environmental Policy major, I am interested in numerous environmental issues, but I think that right now it really comes down to the looming threat of climate change. As some Americans balk at the mere possibility of the existence of global warming and policymakers stall in the movement to enact policy that can deal with this problem, the atmosphere is slowly evolving and causing serious changes in the world around us. I think the purpose of this blog is to disseminate information about the issue and possible solutions, discuss the policies currently in debate and those that have been passed, and expose any new developments so that we can get a good grasp on this issue. Our group also hopes to put together a final project involving what we've worked on in our blog.

If you are one of the many people who still question global warming and the need for all of this hullaballoo, check out the following videos. The first is a documentary on "The Great Global Warming Swindle." It will likely reinforce doubts in those who question the existence of this phenomenon or even convert you into a non-believer.




The second video is a critical examination of the first, exposing the misleading data and unsavory spin techniques the producers of the first video used to convince people that global warming doesn't exist.



I have been thoroughly convinced that global warming is a serious threat and a scientific fact and I hope that others feel as strongly so that we can together create a stronger movement and pressure our government to enact legislation that we need. But whatever your beliefs one global warming, I hope you take away from these videos the message that there is a powerful ideological and economic machine behind anti-global warming propaganda and we need to take all of the information to which we are exposed with a grain of salt.
-Morgan Flake