It's been a curious experience, each evening recently, turning on the NBC or ABC nightly news, with historic levels of flooding in Iowa as the lead story. ("Uncharted territory," National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Pierce called these floods.) After all, there are those stunning images of Cedar Rapids, a small city now simply in the water. The National Weather Service has already termed what's happened to the city an "historic hydrologic event," with the Cedar River topping its banks at, or above, half-millennium highs. (That's an every 500 year "event"!)

But here's the special strangeness of this TV moment as the flood waters head down the Mississippi: Network news loves weather disasters, and yet, as with historic droughts in the Southeast or Southwest, as with the hordes of tornadoes coursing through the center of the country, as with so many other extreme weather phenomena of recent times, including flooding in Southern China and the Burmese cyclone, when it comes to the Midwestern floods, night after night no TV talking head seems ever to mention the possibility that climate change/global warming might somehow be involved. (Nor, by the way, are our major newspapers any better on the subject.) As an omission, it's kinda staggering, really, for an event already being labeled "a Midwestern Katrina."

All that soggy Iowa acreage and an estimated 20% of the corn and soya crops in the region already lost -- forget ethanol, but think soaring food prices -- and yet not a word. Of course, it's true that no single weather catastrophe like this one can be simply and definitively linked to climate change -- and undoubtedly some may have nothing to do with it. But when the weather is this extreme, wouldn't you want, as a reporter or news editor, to make sure the subject was at least raised and considered? Or is it simply: been there, done that?

My theory of life is that, when you see a four-legged, black-and-white striped horse-like animal on a savannah, you should call it a zebra until evidence proves otherwise. You would certainly think that, this late in the game, this post-Al Gore, this post-all those melting icebergs, icecaps, iced-over seas, and glaciers, such levels of denial might have abated a bit, but no such luck, it seems.

And in this case, where the mainstream media leads, Americans seem inclined to go. So, can we be truly surprised that an April poll from the Pew Research Center actually found a modest decline since January 2007 in "the proportion of Americans who say that the earth is getting warmer"? Or that, while a majority of the world, in Pew's latest Global Attitude Study, blames the U.S., at least in part, for accelerating global warming, we are one of the countries "where majorities do not define global warming as a very serious problem."

Fair warning, then. John Feffer, co-director of Foreign Policy In Focus, has written a piece over at Tomdispatch.com--"Mother Earth's Triple Whammy"--that you should think of as the equivalent of the Surgeon General's caveat on a cigarette pack: If you value the health of your state of denial, you will read his post, in which he suggests that we may now all be North Koreans--remember what happened to them under the pressure of rising energy and food prices and extreme weather events back in the 1990s?--slowly, carefully, and at your peril.

Comments (48)

1. There's no mention of it because individual events like this can't be linked to Global Warming. Of course Global Warming is just a fear tactic used by the left. Please read the letter from the founder of the weather channel.

   http://www.kusi.com/weather/colemanscorner/19842304.html

   And don't forget to thank Al Gore for the high gas prices!

   Posted by abell12ct at 06/19/2008 @ 11:30am

2. Of course, it's true that no single weather catastrophe like this one can be simply and definitively linked to climate change -- and undoubtedly some may have nothing to do with it.

   and then...

   My theory of life is that, when you see a four-legged, black-and-white striped horse-like animal on a savannah, you should call it a zebra until evidence proves otherwise.

   posted by Tom Engelhardt on 06/19/2008 @ 11:19am

   You contradict yourself. Either you can see the zebra, or you cannot.

   Posted by Benchrest at 06/19/2008 @ 11:34am

3. ABell-Global warming has nothing to do with the left and Gore has nothing to do with gas prices.Where do you get this nonsense?

   Posted by i'm nobody at 06/19/2008 @ 12:01pm

4. you also mention melting icebergs, icecaps, iced-over seas, and glaciers, but you forget to talk about the South pole where the majority of ice is on this earth. It has grown to its largest size ever!

   Posted by abell12ct at 06/19/2008 @ 12:04pm

5. I thought that gay people were responsible for flooding.

   Posted by i'm nobody at 06/19/2008 @ 12:05pm

6. ABell-Global warming has nothing to do with the left and Gore has nothing to do with gas prices.Where do you get this nonsense?

   Posted by i'm nobody

   Did you read

   http://www.kusi.com/weather/colemanscorner/19842304.html

   Posted by abell12ct at 06/19/2008 @ 12:05pm

7. I thought that gay people were responsible for flooding.

   Posted by i'm nobody

   No they are responsible for fashion trends

   Posted by abell12ct at 06/19/2008 @ 12:06pm

8. Abell-There is nothing there that shows that global warming is a left wing thing nor does it show that Gore caused gas prices to go up.Many on the right believe in global warming and gas prices are up because of greed.

   Posted by i'm nobody at 06/19/2008 @ 12:08pm

9. Actually they are up because of supply and demand.

   Posted by abell12ct at 06/19/2008 @ 12:10pm

10. And I choose to believe scientists on scientific issues over politicians.

    Posted by abell12ct at 06/19/2008 @ 12:11pm

11. ABell-Prices are up because of greed.The lack of supply is human created in order to raise prices.

    Posted by i'm nobody at 06/19/2008 @ 12:12pm

12. There is a conspiracy everywhere; isn't there?

    Posted by abell12ct at 06/19/2008 @ 12:14pm

13. So you are in favor of off shore drilling?

    Posted by abell12ct at 06/19/2008 @ 12:15pm

14. Demand is also human created.

    Posted by abell12ct at 06/19/2008 @ 12:15pm

15. Well, Mr Engelhardt, buck up....

    Despite the dying dregs of deniers (how's that for an "Agnewism"?...heheh)...

    BOTH Obama AND McCAIN accept the theory of man-made global warming.

    The "ain't no such thang" crowd now isolated even in their own party!

    Posted by Mask at 06/19/2008 @ 12:16pm

16. Mr. Englehardt, why can't you accept the fact that this big blue marble is going to do what it always does and that man will never have any control over it? Violent weather (tornadoes, hurricanes, cyclones, torrential rains, lightning storms, snowstorms) and natural catastophes (earthquakes, mudslides, tsunamis, volcanoes, avalanches) are a part of living on this planet. It is a risk we all take living in the affected areas.

    So, no matter how you view it, we're totally screwed.

    Posted by ACook at 06/19/2008 @ 12:18pm

17. ABell-I favor a return to the horse,but that won't happen so I figure that we may as well move forward and use our technology to no longer need oil.

    Posted by i'm nobody at 06/19/2008 @ 12:18pm

18. "Many on the right believe in global warming and gas prices are up because of greed."

    Posted by i'm nobody at 06/19/2008

    IM, I can't say that I'm convinced on the global warming issue, but I do agree that greed is a factor (along with supply and demand) regarding the high price of natural gas and oil.

    Posted by ACook at 06/19/2008 @ 12:22pm

19. "ABell-I favor a return to the horse,but that won't happen so I figure that we may as well move forward and use our technology to no longer need oil."

    Posted by i'm nobody at 06/19/2008

    Careful, IM, PETA is listening.....

    Posted by ACook at 06/19/2008 @ 12:23pm

20. ACook-Don't know much about global warming.I like taking care of the environment because I believe that trashing your house is counter productive.I try not to use foul language so I won't tell you what my opinion of PETA is,but I like horses.

    Posted by i'm nobody at 06/19/2008 @ 12:32pm

21. "I try not to use foul language so I won't tell you what my opinion of PETA is, but I like horses."

    Posted by i'm nobody at 06/19/2008

    :-0 ...I like horses too....

    Posted by ACook at 06/19/2008 @ 12:36pm

22. ACook-Horses are more friendly than cars and they create their own new models, free of charge.

    Posted by i'm nobody at 06/19/2008 @ 12:40pm

23. ACook-Don't know much about global warming.I like taking care of the environment because I believe that trashing your house is counter productive.I try not to use foul language so I won't tell you what my opinion of PETA is,but I like horses.

    Posted by i'm nobody at 06/19/2008

    Don't know much about history

    Don't know much biology

    Don't know much about a science book

    Don't know much about the french I took

    But I do know that I love you (horses)

    And I know that if you love me too

    What a wonderful world this would be

    Posted by Benchrest at 06/19/2008 @ 12:48pm

24. "I try not to use foul language so I won't tell you what my opinion of PETA is, but I like horses."

    Posted by i'm nobody at 06/19/2008

    They are good barbecued....tastes like chicken!

    Posted by Balrog at 06/19/2008 @ 1:16pm

25. Balrog-Horse doesn't taste like chicken.In fact,they don't taste very good at all which is why we make dog food out of them.

    Posted by i'm nobody at 06/19/2008 @ 1:21pm

26. Posted by abell12ct at 06/19/2008

    I would like Livelips, MBB, JM and the rest of these pro Wall Street jackasses take a gander at this clip.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#25252591

    Go ahead and defend McCain, W and the boys after seeing this.

    Posted by Wolfgang1 at 06/19/2008

    Apparently you should go to Wolfgangs Link ABell because some people have a more plausible explanation for the high price of oil.

    There is a fundamental issue in the comments of the person you posted. First he says that there is an increase by 20% of CO2 in the atmosphere. He then calls this amount insignificant. 20% is not insignificant to anything when you are talking about the environment. 20% arsenic in a bucket of water will still kill you.

    He then says that because CO2 is naturally occurring it can't possibly be bad for us. This is just asinine. We emit methane also which is not good. Anything natural in too high of amounts his harmful. Would you eat large amounts of lead? It occurs naturally in your body so according to this guy it can't possibly be bad for you.

    Founder of the Weather Channel may be good enough for you but it isn't for me. Look up this guys resume. He is not a meteorologist. No where does he mention scientific research that he is affiliated with. His only credential is that he is an On-Camera weatherman and founder of the Weather Channel ( which does not mean he knows anything about weather.) His credentials in the weather science are no better than Al Gores which means they are worthless. Don't quote to me corporate executives and On Air weatherman. They are offering nothing but opinions.

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 06/19/2008 @ 1:21pm

27. And I choose to believe scientists on scientific issues over politicians.

    Posted by abell12ct at 06/19/2008

    Problems is you would realize with two seconds of research that John Coleman is not a scientist he is a weatherman, which if you know anything about nightly news does not in any way shape or form mean you are scientist.

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 06/19/2008 @ 1:26pm

28. So you are in favor of off shore drilling?

    Posted by abell12ct at 06/19/200

    Nope. If you would have bothered to read any scientists about which you claim to listen to, offshore drilling wouldn't be a drop in the bucket. It would take until around 2030 to even be pumping the oil. There are only 21 billion proven barrels in the US. We consume at a current rate of 7.5 billion barrels a year which goes up every year, which disproves everything john coleman said about oil and how the problem is created by global warming scares because demand is not down nor is supply, which means that by 2030 when the oil started pumping the oil supplies in our country would last us no more than 3 years AT THE MAXIMUM.

    You should really do you research before you start saying this stuff. You look just as crazy as the extreme global warming nuts because you obviously know nothing about which you are talking. You quote John Coleman who also knows nothing about what he is talking about. He says that the oil crisis is caused by environmentalists because they are causing a decrease in demand. The problem is oil consumption rises every single year. Which means that there is not a decrease in demand but an increase, rendering everything John Coleman said an absolute farce.

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 06/19/2008 @ 1:33pm

29. Again, what the hell is McCain thinking?

    He puts out his "I fought Bush on global warming" ad....

    the same day he makes his "Let's drill everyplace for oil" speech??!?!!??

    Must be the "experience", huh?

    Posted by Mask at 06/19/2008 @ 1:36pm

30. Careful, IM, PETA is listening.....

    Posted by ACook at 06/19/2008

    Dear God I hate PETA. I hate PETA as much as I hate abortion clinic bombers. They are all loons. With some crazy fringe cause they fight for that is just asinine. As has been so well said before "If God didn't want us to eat animals, he wouldn't have made them so tasty.

    So, no matter how you view it, we're totally screwed.

    Posted by ACook at 06/19/2008

    I never got why people chose to live in a place called tornado alley.

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 06/19/2008 @ 1:38pm

31. I never got why people chose to live in a place called tornado alley.

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 06/19/2008

    It's called home.

    Posted by Benchrest at 06/19/2008 @ 2:07pm

32. Balrog-Horse doesn't taste like chicken.In fact,they don't taste very good at all which is why we make dog food out of them.

    Posted by i'm nobody at 06/19/2008

    It was a joke.

    I have never tasted horse, but I've smelled plenty of dog food, and I never want to taste horse.

    Again, it was a joke. Not a very tasty one, I admit.

    Posted by Balrog at 06/19/2008 @ 2:15pm

33. It's called home.

    Posted by Benchrest at 06/19/2008

    I don't have that concept. I have moved a lot in my short time on this earth.

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 06/19/2008 @ 2:24pm

34. I don't have that concept. I have moved a lot in my short time on this earth.

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 06/19/2008

    I'm sorry. You will someday. You are far advanced from most 21 year olds. I expect you will be very successful in life.

    Posted by Benchrest at 06/19/2008 @ 2:27pm

35. balrog-I knew you were joking.If you had eaten horse you never would have said that it tastes like chicken.

    Posted by i'm nobody at 06/19/2008 @ 2:32pm

36. Home is where you make it. I had 5 acres in the Colorado mountains - my life long dream. Lost it through divorce...

    What I found, though, was that it is just stuff. I now live in Oregon, which is similar to Colorado in some ways and vastly different in many others, but now IT is home.

    Tornado alley constitutes such a large portion of the nation that it can't just be declared uninhabitable. I find, however, that I have limited sympathy for folks who built on floodplains - especially the flood plain of the Mighty Mississippi, which seemingly breaches levees with regularity.

    Hey, in the mountains, we don't build houses in avalanche chutes...on the plains, don't build next to a river that regularly floods.

    Posted by Balrog at 06/19/2008 @ 2:42pm

37. "We emit methane also which is not good."

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 06/19/2008

    Looks like the end of the road for the 3Bs - beer, beans and bratwurst. It's a shame all that potential methane will go to waste....hehehehe

    Posted by ACook at 06/19/2008 @ 5:02pm

38. Looks like the end of the road for the 3Bs - beer, beans and bratwurst. It's a shame all that potential methane will go to waste....hehehehe

    Posted by ACook at 06/19/2008

    Haha. The Germans are going to be pissed.

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 06/19/2008 @ 5:47pm

39. Folks have always hugged the rivers, since we stopped hunting and gathering. It is generally the best land for civilization. Hence every civilization's story of "The Flood" being just as common as fire, and often more devastating.

    We have always looked for some causation that satisfied the magnitude of the disaster. The consensus seems to be that the cause is our wickedness in the eyes of God, in general. Whether that wickedness is false gods and fornication or overconsumption and excessive comfort, our "wickedness" has more to do with our concept of god than is has to do with the river flooding.

    So for now you think we are causing floods by living too richly. Of course. Just don't laugh too hard at the fool who says it's god's wrath for fornication. You are both saying more or less the same thing.

    Dennymack

    Posted by dennymack at 06/19/2008 @ 6:49pm

40. Hmmm... Charlie Gibson led his broadcast with this story tonight on ABC News...

    http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Weather/story?id=5204034&page=1

    Posted by dankochanski at 06/19/2008 @ 9:01pm

41. And don't forget to thank Al Gore for the high gas prices!

    Posted by abell12ct

    al gore is chairman of the fed?

    Posted by frosty zoom at 06/19/2008 @ 10:03pm

42. Actually they are up because of supply and demand.

    Posted by abell12ct

    a little.

    current world production exceeds demand.

    speculation.

    dollar deflation.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 06/19/2008 @ 10:04pm

43. So you are in favor of off shore drilling?

    Posted by abell12ct

    ONE MORE TIME!

    "The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently did a detailed study of the likely outcome of offshore drilling for their Annual Energy Outlook 2007, "Impacts of Increased Access to Oil and Natural Gas Resources in the Lower 48 Federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)." The sobering conclusion:

    The projections in the OCS access case indicate that access to the Pacific, Atlantic, and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030.

    And the impact of the projected 7% (!) increase in lower-48 oil production that might result in 2030 thanks to opening the OCS is … wait for it …

    … any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant."

    BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK! BOINK!

    Posted by frosty zoom at 06/19/2008 @ 10:06pm

44. Looks like the end of the road for the 3Bs - beer, beans and bratwurst. It's a shame all that potential methane will go to waste....hehehehe

    Posted by ACook

    "A new paper published appearing Thursday in the prestigious scientific journal Nature presents the worst-case scenario for runaway climate change that could leave the Earth entirely ice-free within a generation.

    If global temperatures continue to rise, massive amounts of methane gas could be released from the 10,000 gigaton reserves of frozen methane that are currently locked in the world's deep oceans and permafrost. Passing this climate tipping point would result in global warming that would be far worse and more rapid than scientists' current estimates."

    http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/05/could-methane-t.html

    Posted by frosty zoom at 06/19/2008 @ 10:21pm

45. 20% is not insignificant

    Yes it is! If you have a bucket of water that has 1% arsenic in it and increase it by 20% you get a bucket with 1.2% arsenic. The difference is negligible. Also If you read the article you would see that 30,000 scientists agree there is negligible man made global warming.

    Posted by abell12ct at 06/20/2008 @ 08:12am

46. Posted by Cccomfo1

    Keith Olberman! You have got to be kidding me. He is as bad as Rush Limbaugh. Go get some real news!

    Posted by abell12ct at 06/20/2008 @ 08:15am

47. Posted by Cccomfo1

    Keith Olberman! You have got to be kidding me. He is as bad as Rush Limbaugh. Go get some real news!

    Posted by abell12ct at 06/20/2008

    I see you can't dispute any of the other things I said so you attacked two lines instead. You tell me to get some news yet you trust John Coleman a TV weather man who's only real credential is that he was an executive producer of the weather channel as your source for climatology? Are you kidding me. I don't even watch Keith Olbermann I was only quoting that from someone else. At best John Coleman has a degree in meteorology which to anyone who knows anything about science knows that that has nothing to do with studying global changes. What you are looking for are scientist with a degree in climatology not meteorology. Climatology is the study of global mean temperatures and rapid environmental changes due to weather. Meteorology is the study of how to forecast weather. Pick some new sources other than a TV weatherman as your grand and all knowing source.

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 06/20/2008 @ 1:10pm

48. Keith Olberman! You have got to be kidding me. He is as bad as Rush Limbaugh. Go get some real news!

    Posted by abell12ct at 06/20/2008

    Oh and if you are going to mount an argument. Do it against the entirety of what I said not two lines of what I said. It makes you appear as if you actually know what you are talking about instead of just sniping because you were proven to be wrong but don't want to appear as if you are admitting it.

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 06/20/2008 @ 1:12pm