Hi Chuck,

As always, your critical thinking, wit and admirable passion for burrowing in
on topics were all well engaged and also as always, your comments were
respected and appreciated by me.

I was struck by your Hollywood comment as it speaks an unfortunate truth
relative to science. However, at the same time, I am reminded that Hollywood can
be a powerful motivating force if properly harnessed and directed. As you know,
mankind has been using morality plays to teach lessons to the masses since at
least the time of the ancient Greeks.  Maybe a script could be developed
about how a group of  legislators are duped in to passing meaningless
environmental protection laws by ignoring the reasoned council of science... No, wait,
that one has already been done in real life... ;-)

A couple of quick other comments... the author states that evidence is that
temperature swings do happen and that the cause is still being debated even as
it is here in this forum. Still, the social implications of the environmental
impact of future cyclical thermal event does demand some measure of
forethought regardless of what causes the time uncertain, impending event. (IMO)

Raid or starve? As the author notes, history tells the tale relative to
mankind's propensity in such situations. Either way, Malthus' population controls
of war, famine and disease seem likely to kick in. That is unless, of course,
we learn to control population by some other means. Education and increased
individual wealth perhaps? Both of these tend to stave off reproduction rates.

While economist John Maynard Keynes is credited with saying "In the long run
.... we are all dead." (Certainly true when our sun burns out if not before) I
am nevertheless reminded of another quote, the author of which I don't know
who said: "The greatest mistake that one can make is to do nothing because one
can only do a little".  New Age bunk? Each must decide for him or herself, but
then in matters where science does not yet have clear cut and definitive
answers, I find no harm in seeing half full glasses and attempting to properly add
to them. Those actions to fill the galss would be based on the facts that I
have at the time. I can then hope and trust that I will be (to paraphrase the
movie title) "Doing the Right Thing"... ;-)

Best regards,
Joe