Wanted: A Practical Guide For Saving Andrew Sullivan

Let me just say, I really do like Andrew Sullivan- the media could use more independent minded thinkers like him.

But that being said, his piece on wanting a practical guide to save the planet pushes the limits of topics I can agree to disagree on. Disagreement on policy is one thing, but disagreement on the impending doom of the planet is something else entirely.

Some of Sullivan's ideas are great, regardless of the dangers of global warming- market based methods for pollution control would be far more efficient than the command and control methods used by most of the world today. But calling for higher gas prices to spur innovations in alternative energy? Conservatives that truly believe in the free market should be offended by such a proposal. I know I am.

The worst part of all of the global warming discussions (if you can call them discussions) is the lack of ... well ... anything concrete. Just what is going to happen, and when is it going to happen? Obviously, no one can tell us for certain, but there is one question that no one ever asks:

If global warming is occurring, which would be greater- the costs of trying to prevent global warming, or the costs associated with having a warmer earth? (In other words, is global warming actually worth doing anything about?) Couldn't some scientists and economists work on that problem? Maybe that would make too much sense.