The country in question - still deciding "how to move forward" - that Harlan Watson refers to is the Benevolent Kingdom of ExxonMobile, which helped place him as their negotiator. The people of the US of A do not currently have anyone by that name working on their behalf.

Thanks for the link to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. Terrific site, with lots of info. More articles like this, every day, and we can start to stitch together a network of resources and directions. Global warming requires a sea change in awareness. Salon should be at the forefront of it.

or at least it can. Human beings are not divorced from any other species - we are their extensions in time. We are no more or less flawed, or worthy, than any other being on earth. Not pre-failed, not pre-selected. We adapt as we can; there's no reason to stop.

This article is the best summary of facts on the ground - ever - in Salon. It should lead every day. Salon and a handful of progressive sites are in the extraordinary position of being able to spread and solidify this news with speed and force. If comment sections are filled with substantive news about global warming, site agendas will have to respond in kind. There is hope and there is true despair, and we need to know all of it, now.

One major plus - the test of global warming may lead to a major shift in awareness - an adaptation - of our priveleged position on this planet. As Gore suggests - it may spur us to success, not failure. This glorious, one-of-a-kind, one-of-a-billion planet. Blue and green, and teeming with life. Bombarded with life from space, oozing with life from the bottom of the sea. We are caretakers only, and right now we're not doing such a hot job.

I agree with you about the difficulty for most in understanding the science or even the timeline. And it does take a personal catastrophe to make it hit home. My catastrophe was the flooding of New Orleans, which is as connected to global warming (pace la Paglia) as it is to Bush's criminal disinterest in replenishing Louisiana wetlands.

After the flood I moved back to NO, as did many, partly out of an all-hands-on-deck mindset, but oddly enough because New Orleans suddenly seemed not so far from everywhere else on the climate change scale. That water-rich, absurdly-low city is perhaps no less sustainable than overheated Phoenix, low-lying Miami, dust-bowl plains states, waterless L.A. New Orleans (although it may eventually be Atlantis) is still a viable model of a small, densely-zoned, transportation-friendly city with an enironmentally tuned housing stock that has a fighting chance of dealing with peak oil. And you can eat well while you adapt. The city has rejoined southern Louisiana so that much of the displaced population is nearby and on higher ground. If Amsterdam and Sydney can survive, so can we.

New Orleans' plight made me more aware of the need for urban creativity and resourcefulness everywhere. If we can resurrect the city with quality of life, we may end up a model home. And sell our water to Atlanta.

It's unconscionable that you would run Paglia's glib, empty denial of climate change while the Bali conference is ongoing, and the same day that Joseph Romm's cogent summary of the most recent IPCC appears in your pages. It's mind-blowing.

I've googled after Paglia's empty assertions have appeared here previously - all sorts of crank sites pick up the bizzare distortions as gospel, and use them to undermine serious info on the crisis, much less serious debate.

Debate it if you will, but if you allow mindless comments to blind others to the immediacy of this issue - you editors are personally escalating the runaway damage to this planet.

The BBC published today an new estimate that Arctic summer ice will likely disappear completely by 2013, instead of 2050 or 2070 as previously thought. Albedo, permafrost - feedback mechanisms are in place and need to be addressed this instant.

Camille's fixation on Al Gore at the expense of rational analysis on this essential issue casts her entire scattershot agenda as profoundly dishonest and useless - not that she needs much help there. Your tacit support of her disinformation is unforgivable.

The Rich Lowry article cited is quite delicious in its dismembering of Huckabee, to wit:

"...like Dean, his nomination would represent an act of suicide by his party."

"Like Dean, Huckabee is an under-vetted former governor who is manifestly unprepared to be president of the United States."

"Social conservatism has to be part of the Republican message, but it can't be the message in its entirety."

"Huckabee has declared that he doesn't believe in evolution. Even if there are many people in America who agree with him, his position would play into the image of Republicans as the anti-science party."

"Huckabee not only has zero national-security credentials, he basically has no foreign-policy advisers either."

"Wherever you scratch Huckabee on policy, he seems an inch deep. Do Republicans really want to enter what is already a tough political year with a candidate apparently allergic to preparation...?"

Wow - is that Bush 2000 he's talking about or wrinkly, twinkly Huckabee? Where's Lowry been the last 7 years? And if Lowry thinks Democrats must see Huckabee, "as a shiny Christmas present that is too good to be true...", I'm inclined to look at the label a bit more carefully. It's not like we haven't seen inocuous, minor league Republicans turned into Frankensteins right before our eyes. Thanks, Dick! Who are you supporting?!

Good night, and good luck.