The Photo As Evidence: Melting Ice and Missing Species
Apparently I was wrong to be concerned about the fate of polar bears. I posted about a report from scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, who said that melting Arctic ice could wipe out two-thirds of the polar bear population in, like, 50 years. That post brought in snickers from several people who have reassured me that the big melt is all media hype. Phew...I'm relieved. And for all the people throwing ashtrays at Jim Balog for his work on the Extreme Ice Survey, well, again, I'm glad to kn
Apparently I was wrong to be concerned about the fate of polar bears. I posted about a report from scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, who said that melting Arctic ice could wipe out two-thirds of the polar bear population in, like, 50 years. That post brought in snickers from several people who have reassured me that the big melt is all media hype. Phew…I’m relieved. And for all the people throwing ashtrays at Jim Balog for his work on the Extreme Ice Survey, well, again, I’m glad to know there is so much scientific evidence to show that global warming is a hoax.
Yes, I’m being sarcastic, which is an unattractive trait, so I apologize for that. But not for admiring the work that photographers like Balog and Gary Braasch are doing. I can show you science that says global warming is real, and you can call it propaganda. You can cite science that says global warming is a hoax, and I can say it’s crap science. Balog and Braasch provide visual evidence that glaciers are melting and that ocean levels are rising. You want to call it propaganda, go ahead. But don’t ask me to disavow the photos because you heard on Fox that not all scientists believe in global warming. That reminds me of Groucho Marx’s famous line: “Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?” With these images, I’m going to go ahead and just believe my lying eyes. Oh, by the way, National Geographic has photos of “the most endangered species of 2007.
–David Schonauer