{"content":[{"text":"the rapid, global effort needed to avoid disaster. The convenient truth is that an opportunity still exists to resolve \n this apparent contradiction. Al Gore need merely state unequivocally that he does not support this \n environmentally damaging “solution” to the energy crisis. \n 7. The inconvenient truth is that the US State of Colorado Wildlife Commission is proposing to use \n explosive gases to eradicate prairie dogs (McGuire 2006). These insolent critters are digging burrows in OUR \n lands. As a boy, I remember looking out a train window at prairie dogs for hours. The convenient truth lies with \n the prairie dogs – what if they are not comfortable living with a barbaric species like Homo sapiens? \n 8. Where’s pappy? The inconvenient truth is that no one knows. His cemetery was scraped away by \n surface mining operations (Tzerman 2006). The convenient truth is that no one will ever rest in peace in a \n cemetery near a coal seam – might as well be cremated so that the remains will be mobile. \n 9. The inconvenient truth is that news reports on climate change have been labeled “climate porn” by the \n British Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) (Black 2006). The web definition of pornography is “any \n sexually explicit writing and/or picture intended to arouse sexual desire (www.nationaltcc.org/tcc). Perhaps the \n British are unique in this regard, but I do not feel that pictures of melting glaciers arouse sexual desire. Perhaps \n Al Gore’s film on global warming should only be viewed by adults. Better yet, the British should be observed \n after they are exposed to “climate porn.” Finally, is this situation the explanation of the unanimity of world \n scientists on global warming? Why those dirty old women and men! The convenient truth is stated clearly by \n Ian Birrell of The Independent: “If our readers thought we put climate change on our front pages for the same \n reason that porn mags put naked women on their front pages, they would stop reading us.” Perhaps the staff of \n IPPR just needs a good dictionary. On the other hand, perhaps I should give this global warming stuff another \n read. \n 10. The inconvenient truth is that China has a scheme to divert water from Tibet to the Yellow River. Li \n Guoying, the director of the Yellow River Water Conservancy Committee, states that the project was essential \n because the Yellow River’s current flow is being exhausted by development demands in the west (Reuters \n 2006). However, the most applicable web definition is “Conservancy – conservation of natural resources.” This \n plan is really appropriation from another drainage basin, not conservation. The convenient truth is that Mother \n Nature will have the final say. Tibet’s water is both limited and dependent on glaciers that are receding. For \n natural systems, natural law will be the major determinant of water distribution despite technological plans of \n humans. In fact, no one wants to admit either one of these truths. \n 11. The inconvenient truth is that hazardous organic compounds, such as benzene and trichloroethylene \n (TCE), exist in industrial waste water. In fact, the US National Academy of Sciences just reported that TCE, \n used in adhesives and paint, can cause cancer (Thomson 2006). The convenient truth is that this problem can \n be reduced by drinking beer since a byproduct of beer bran removes toxic substances and is less expensive \n and less energy consuming to produce, as Atsuko Adachi of Kobe Pharmaceutical University in Japan has \n announced (Thomson 2006). So, one can double the pleasure by drinking beer and watching “climate porn.” \n 12. The inconvenient truth is that many unplanned pregnancies result from lack of contraception materials. \n The convenient truth is that research with mice indicates that smoking marijuana at the time of conception could \n cause the pregnancies to fail, as could the slimming drug rimonabaut (Day 2006). However, before rejoicing, \n note that this discovery poses worrying questions about the ability of marijuana to harm pregnancies, planning \n ahead and using conventional contraceptives is advised. \n 13. The inconvenient truth is that insurance premiums will probably rise as a consequence of the \n increasing frequency of destructive weather events associated with climate change (Bennett 2006). Chris Ryan, \n chief executive of the Insurance Council of New Zealand stated: “Events here won’t drive premiums but climate \n events internationally will.” The convenient truth is that politicians with close ties to the fossil fuel industry, who \n have denigrated the preponderance of scientific evidence on global warming, may shift their position because \n “the pocket book nerve” is very sensitive. \n 14. The inconvenient truth is that productive land is being converted to deserts globally through overuse \n and mismanagement (Brown 2006). For example, Mohammad Jarian, head of Iran’s Anti-Desertification \n Organization, reported that, in 2002, sand storms had buried 124 villages in the southeastern province of Sistan- \n Balunchistan, forcing their abandonment. The villagers were also deprived of their livelihood because drifting \n sands had covered grazing areas and starved livestock. On the bright side, more desert area is available \n annually for those who like solitude. \n 15. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Union of Concerned Scientists 2006) has produced \n an extensively peer-reviewed report that involved hundreds of scientists in over 120 countries, and detailed \n reports have been produced by the US National Academy of Sciences – both are illustrative of the vast \n professional literature on global warming. The inconvenient truth is that professional columnist Peggy Noonan \n (2006) either was unaware of this literature or chose to ignore it when she lamented that the world’s greatest \n scientists have not gathered and discussed this issue nor poured over the evidence and decided whether global","bbox":{"left":0.094116,"top":0.070794,"width":0.811034,"height":0.844958}},{"text":"2","bbox":{"left":0.49451,"top":0.934924,"width":0.010901999999999967,"height":0.020818000000000003}}],"images_bbox":[],"images_bbox_not_text_overlap":[]}