Perry’s 40% energy savings story confirms my belief about people who believe in AGW. (And by the way, the effort in itself is laudable, I just disagree on the underlying reason for doing it.)
On the topic of environmental hypocracy, and not so much on global warming itself, let me say that some of the vitriol surrounding AGW stems from two things (which do overlap a bit, but they are distinct enough to separate out):
1. The need to validate ones own choices. After spending money and making a big hoo-ha about solar energy, it’s hard to have to have other people devalue that effort. In the software industry, one might work hard for 6 months coding something to have it invalidated because it’s not needed or something better comes along. But the software developer will fervently defend his work, because he’s not about to let his devotion be invalidated by others.
2. The need to reduce CO2 as a pollutant just because it’s good for the environment*. For some it’s purely symbolic… they’ll just go along just to be on the “better side” of society (which is why there are always two major political parties). For others it’s “hard science” and they’re the ones who will whip out pages and pages of realclimate.org articles to validate their believes. But I suspect there is segment of self-proclaimed AGWists that, inside, really don’t believe that the extra CO2 is causing the recent warming (you know, the lack of a strong 20th century correlation, and the actual percentage of the atmosphere, sunspot correlation, etc.), but continue to argue for it anyway because it’s “good for the environment”
and/or want to continue their association with their side.
(Why is abortion such a hot issue? Well, just like global warming, it’s an issue that is merely a proxy for how you identify yourself: you either side with the conservatives or you’re with the liberals.)
I like recycling my tin cans, glass bottles, milk jugs etc. I drive my wife crazy by digging through the garbage for egg cartons and other recyclable tidbits. But there are reasons to believe that I’m really not helping the environment by doing this (Penn and Teller has a funny documentary about this), but I do it anyway because it makes me feel good, and anyone who would challenge me about the illogic of it, I’ll simply say “yep you’re probably right, but I just don’t like the idea of not giving these materials a chance at reincarnation.” Software developers tend to be compulsive organizers…
* Funny how “green” people want less CO2 considering that CO2 is plant food. (Before you start spitting in my direction, I’m being somewhat–but not completely–facetitious here.)
