The heated debate over global warming

The Bush administration's reluctance to act on the matter of global warming is drawing some new criticism (or heat if one wants a pun) from Canada, the UN, environmentalists, economists, and even the Inuit:
1. Canadian Leader Faults U.S. Stance on Global Warming
2. U.S. rejects bid for post-Kyoto talks
3. 'Gas muzzlers' challenge Bush
4. Wealthy Nations Owe 'Climate Debt' to Poor, Greens Say
5. Economists urge Bush to act on emissions
6. 12/8 update: US 'isolated' at climate talks
7. 12/8 update: Inuit sue US over climate policy
8. 12/9 update: Clinton Says Bush Is 'Flat Wrong' on Kyoto
9. 12/11 update: 'Hot death' warning on climate

Bush's general blanket position is that any effort to curtail emmissions of greenhouse gases would harm the US economy. This is, of course, when he doesn't express uncertainty that global warming is even occuring and justify his policy in this manner.

Global warming is widely accepted in the scientific community by a vast majority. There are skeptics, but, unfortunately, a large number of these are financed by the energy industry. They oftentimes have persuasive but unsubstantiated claims that are not peer-reviewed. Ross Gelbspan outlines this fairly succinctly in his book The Heat is On. In it, he argues, among other things, that the ambivalence on the subject of global warming is due to the media's tendency to represent opposing views with equal emphasis (when a vast majority of climate scientists acknowledge the trend) and the energy industry's extensive lobbying and political efforts.

So is global warming occuring? Is it caused by humans? Probably:
1. Scientists claim final proof of global warming
2. Core Evidence That Humans Affect Climate Change
3. Rise in Gases Unmatched by a History in Ancient Ice
4. Arctic ice 'disappearing quickly'
5. CO2 'highest for 650,000 years'

There was also a speech delivered today by Canada's Minister of the Environment, Stéphane Dion at the United Nations Climate Change Conference. In it, he details the common impacts associated with global warming:
1. Opening Ceremony, Arctic Day Parallel Event

Articles containing other implications:
1. Experts say global warming is causing stronger hurricanes
2. Scientists Say Slower Atlantic Currents Could Mean a Colder Europe

Unlike other domestic matters, this one doesn't just affect us. As 2% of the world's population, the United States is releasing more CO2 into the atmosphere than any other country by far. Considering the far-reaching ecological affects of global warming, other countries have a right to be mad at us. And as one of the foremost "developed" nations, our reluctance to engage in negotations is stalling progress on a global scale.

Something needs to be done. There's never a time when enacting regulations will not have some effect on the economy, all regulations do this. Just because global warming's effects aren't as immediate and readily observable as, say, a nuclear strike, does not mean that it does not have its consequences-i.e. species extinction, desertification, more intense hurricanes and tropical storms, property damage caused by rising coastlines, and many others. Severe long-term problems need to be addressed, which is done better sooner than later. Simply putting it off to an indefinite date is irresponsible and unethical.

12/11 update:
1. Details of the Montreal Agreements
2. U.S. Won't Join in Binding Climate Talks
3. U.S. agrees to informal talks on pollution, climate change