The Wall Street Journal: Global Warming, What Me Worry?

What is it with the Wall Street Journal? I understand the business and financial emphasis of the newspaper; I understand that a lot of that business concerns the fossil fuel industry. So I understand that the editorial page needs to support the fossil fuel industry. But it really sent my head spinning when I read this editorial: Dialing Back the Alarm on Climate Change. While celebrating the finding in the soon to be released IPCC report that anticipates a lower rate of global warming than what previous reports found, the author contends that a moderate increase in global temperatures would be a good thing.

            While it seems that northern countries like Russia could capitalize on warmer and longer summers to grow more food, for the most part most of what I read about global warming is pretty nasty. We are just beginning to get the enormity of the ecological ramifications of climate change. Most of the experts in this area try to be conservative in their estimates, but they are nonetheless predicting substantial ecological damage, such as greatly accelerated pace of extinctions.[i] A lot of folks are talking about such drastic measures as assisted migrations.[ii]

            The world is starting to experience the wanderings of climate refugees. And that says nothing of the instability, suffering, and warfare that will happen because of a warmer world and rising seas. Maybe the author should have read the Christian Science Monitor and this article on the possible link between global warming and the war in Syria.

            If this editorial wasn’t enough, the Journal also published this opinion piece in which a number of scientists say that climate change is nothing to worry over.

            Extinctions? Droughts? Refugees? Warfare? Nothing to worry over?

            Does anybody take the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal seriously?

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[i] GREGORY SHUFELDT, et al. "Expert Opinion On Climate Change And Threats To Biodiversity." Bioscience 63.8 (2013): 666-673. Environment Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2013.

[ii] C. Ste-Marie, et al. "Why We Disagree About Assisted Migration: Ethical Implications Of A Key Debate Regarding The Future Of Canada's Forests." Forestry Chronicle 87.6 (2011): 755-765. Environment Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2013.