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The Vox Box

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Global Warming: Science or Scare?

Along with traditional celebrations of Green via St. Patrick’s Day, revelers are encouraged to think of the new Green – sustainable ways to minimize their impact on the planet. (The Spokesman-Review)
Along with traditional celebrations of Green via St. Patrick’s Day, revelers are encouraged to think of the new Green – sustainable ways to minimize their impact on the planet. (The Spokesman-Review)

Global warming is a hot debate topic in our country today, but is it actually in existence? Cliff Harris and Dr. Douglass attack the concept from an opposing stand point.

In "The 'cold truth' from Dr. Douglass about global warming," Cliff Harris dissects the research performed by Dr. William Campbell Douglass II, M.D., to disprove the idea of global warming.  A chart with global temperatures dating back to 2500 B.C. and running through 2040 A.D. pointed out major temperature swings, which Harris then used to compare against averages from recent times.  His findings weren't anything extraordinary, either.

In Harris' opinion, the concept of global warming has been blown out of proportion due to politics, paid researchers, and environmental activists.  He says, "Until this global warming hubbub, climatology wasn't considered a life-or-death issue the way medicine is. ...Since global warming has become a divisive political minefield, there's big-time grant and research money being tossed about to help politicians (regardless of their stance on the issue) make their points. ...The same climatologists and researchers who advocate global warming are often being paid to study it."

His opinion, research, and evidence may or may not be enough to sway someone on the topic, but check this out.  He concludes his article (published February 20th in a local newspaper) with weather predictions for the rest of February and early March, based off the data he gathered from earlier temperature swings.  Cliff Harris' predictions for February were dead on, as are his March predictions thus far.  Harris wrote, "Early March should feature some snowy and cold periods with lower than usual snow levels down to the valley floor locations, even along the warmer lakes that are currently free of ice. ...Stay tuned." 

Even if the entire idea of global warming is not real, the fear of its possibility is enough to "scare" the United States into acting for the benefit of the environment, which can protect the U.S. from other environmental problems.  By acting in environmentaly concious ways, the United States safeguards itself from negative environmental effects AND global warming, if global warming exists.  Could this whole issue be nothing more than a scare?  If so, is it because no one knows whether global warming exists, or is it for other reasons?

In 2006, then-editor Steve Smith of The Spokesman-Review had the idea of starting a publication for an often forgotten audience: teenagers. The Vox Box was a continuation of the Vox, an all-student staffed newspaper published by The Spokesman-Review. High school student journalists who staffed the Vox made all content decisions as they learn about the trade of journalism. This blog's mission was to give students an opportunity to publish their voices. The Vox Box and the Vox wrapped up in June 2009, but you can follow former staffers' new blog at http://voxxiez.blogspot.com.