It is true that climate change is a polarizing issue which has caused some scientists to be less than perfectly objective. There is room for debate over the exactly significance of tree ring patterns or butterfly migrations etc. Nonetheless, there is no question that the polar icecaps are in the process of melting and sea levels are slowly rising. Consequently, concerns about climate change and the greenhouse effect are justified.

It is also significant that efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emission would be justifiable anyway, even if we really faced no danger from global warming. Burning fossil fuels produces other by-products in addition to carbon dioxide; it contributes to smog and bad air quality, it contributes to acid rain, and in some cases, widespread lead pollution as well (even though cars no longer burn leaded gasoline, airplanes still do). The economic and political effects of the global oil business are generally bad. The balance of trade is harmed, and nations that are hostile to the US have been greatly enriched. Oil spills in the ocean, either from leaking tankers or underwater oil platforms, have caused terrible environmental damage. And in addition to all that, petroleum reserves will not last forever anyway, and if start shifting our energy economy away from petroleum now, we will suffer much less of a shock when the oil actually runs out.

All other moves toward a more environmentally responsible society would be beneficial even without the concerns for global warming. We would be doing the right thing anyway, to recycle plastics, increase use of solar power, and so forth. So really, even if concerns about global warming are overstated, it's not such a bad thing. In addition I would add that since it difficult to know exactly how bad the problem of global warming really is, it would be prudent to prepare for a worst case scenario. If we underestimate the problem the price we pay could be very high.

I still believe that the world's coastal areas are going to disappear under the sea (and that includes most of the state of Florida) and then everyone will be complaining, why didn't our glorious leaders take this problem more seriously when they had a chance? And everyone, without exception, will claim that they were always urging stronger action on climate change, while it was those other people who stood in the way. I won't say exactly when this will happen and chances are I personally won't be around to see it. But I do think it will happen.