Who is getting rich off of you being green? I find it much more easy to believe that people are getting very rich off of you not being green.

And of course we're trying to scare you into being green, we're scared – it's a scary thing. It's something that we need everyones participation to solve. If we could solve it ourselves – we'd definitely leave you alone.

Now WHAT IS THE HARM in being more eco friendly?

Who's getting rich if you stop buying so many disposable things, if you start growing (a little bit of) your own food, turning lights off when you exit the room, drive less, compost, stop buying bottled water, purchase 2 or 3 canvas bags to replace a lifetime of plastic bags??
Most eco-friendly choices are archaic, cheaper alternatives to todays solutions.

Do you have any idea how much money and garbage I've saved switching from tissues to handkerchiefs!?
How about how much money and plastic I've saved buying a filter for my sink and a good stainless steel water-bottle?

I have no idea how you can look at the exhaust coming out of a smoke stack and say "it couldn't possibly make a difference"? How you can look at all of the cars on this planet and say "it doesn't make a difference". How you can look at the oil and gas refineries in Houston, or the farms spraying petrol-based pesticides directly onto their fields, or the super gas-guzzling hummers needlessly using up tremendous amounts of gas in the name of vanity and say "global warming is a myth".

If you studied climate change without bias you would understand that it does not imply warmer winters in Illinois – but warmer temperatures globally. You would see how it makes sense for us to be plunged into an ice age.

And you ARE biased. You complain about the issue being politicized and yet you're the one who mentions "Al Gore"…

But seriously? What's the harm in being green?
Isn't eco friendliness a safer bet? You don't have to spend money to be green… you just have to make an effort.

But I don't expect to convince you. You've made up your mind and I figure that you wouldn't change it regardless of what I say. I figure I could show you undeniable proof and you'd find a way to deny it. So

what can I do?

I'll recycle a little extra on your behalf.
I'll pick up the trash that you throw out on the street.
I'll invest whatever I can afford into building solar panels and planting trees while you buy paper towels and tissues that are made from ancient forests.
I'll make my commute 3 times longer by taking public transit while you buy yourself a bigger car.
I'll buy fewer things in generaland skip purchasing those things that I don't really need, while you stock-pile cheap things that you don't really need.
I'll buy used and refurbished goods whenever I can.
I'll keep my home temperatures low in the winter and high in the summer.
I'll wait as long as possible before turning on the air-conditioner.
I'll take a 22 hour train ride instead of a 3 hour plane ride.
I will not have kids because another life is a *HUGE* impact on the planet. If I decide I want to be a parent, I'll adopt (and I'm not just saying that).
I'll do whatever I can to soften my impact on the planet and where I can I'll do even more so I can balance out yours.

Believe it or not, green might be trendy but it's definitely not the most popular on the planet. For every eco-friendly lifestyle there are 1000 people who's effort to exist is damaging the planet.
I don't do it because I want to be cool, I don't do it because I think I can save the world.

I do it becuase it's the right thing to do.

I'll continue to do it and I'll try my best to ignore you and others expressing similar sentiment. Please understand why I must pretend you don't exist.

John
GWD

Your attacks on the Heartland Institute are obviously rooted in eco-fundamentalism and not sound science. I appreciate the skepticism of the Heartland Institute and it's efforts to bring another point of view to the American public. While I don't agree with everything they say, I see them as a voice of reason. I have confidence that the scientific community will eventually determine just how much of an influence man has on the earth's climate (likely very tiny), but right now – the scientific process has been tainted by politics. And, the climate models are not yet ready for "prime-time" predictive purposes.

Global warming alarmists like yourself have gone way overboard in your dire predictions and the American public is not falling for it. There is a silent majority out there and the words of an 11 year old boy named Nicholas illustrate this point.

While standing on a street corner waiting for my kid's school bus to arrive one morning this week, Nicholas and I had the following conversation. The bus was late due to heavy snowfall, so I talked about the weather:

Me: "Hey kids, this sure is a cold and snowy winter we are having isn't it?" (We live in northern Illinois near the Wisconsin border)

Nicholas: "Yeah, I think another ice-age is coming."

Me: "Nicholas! How can you say that? Don't they teach you in school about global warming? Haven't you seen the movie by Al Gore?"

Nicholas" "Yes. They teach us all about that stuff, but I don't believe them".

Me: "Really, then why do you think all these scientists and Al Gore talking are talking so much about global warming?"

Nicholas: "Because they want to scare people into being green".

I gave Nicholas a "high-five" and praised him for being so smart. I also told my 10 and six year olds to sit next to Nicholas on the bus cause he's such a smart kid.

If an eleven year old can understand this truth, there is hope for America.

Lighten up George…..the Heartland Institute is not the problem – you are.

-john
Global Warming Denier