Turning Up the Heat

It was 20 years ago today that a little known NASA scientist testified on Capital Hill and first sounded the alarm on a radical new idea: Global warming.

That testimony took place in 1988 which went on to become the warmest year on record--up till then. Since 1988, 14 years have been even warmer.

In the two decades since, James Hansen--now director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies--has become a leading expert on the dangers of global warming. The Bush administration, ever vigilant in its efforts to marginalize science. has in recent years sought to tone down or even suppress Hansen's reports.

Even outside the White House, there remain skeptics who say global warming is a myth. One of those is Senator James M. Inhofe (R-Oklahoma, who said "the alleged 'consensus' over man-made climate fears continues to wane and more and more scientists declare their dissent." This opinion is not surprising coming from someone like Inhofe, who has succeeded in permanently acclimating his body to an average temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, that's to be expected when you spend all your time with your head up your ass.