Posted by Joseph Y. Calhoun, III

Kevin Williamson at NRO shows how to look at global warming starting with this reasonable observation:

1. The planet is getting warmer. This seems to accord with what we know. From 1906 to 2005, the average surface temperature rose by 0.74 degrees Celsius by most estimates. The planet seems to have warmed much more quickly during the second half of that interval than in the first half. There has been a recent cooling trend, it is true, but the larger trend seems to be upward. While the Climate Research Unit fraud has given us reason to be skeptical of much of the data touching the global-warming debate, this fundamental claim seems to be reasonably well documented.

That proceeds to this end result which isn’t so reasonable:

6. The planet is getting warmer, human activity is a main factor, the consequences will be catastrophic, and some U.N.-style climate policeman is going to be able to manage a mitigating response — in an economically efficient manner that also is consistent with our political liberties and national sovereignties. And the rational response to this is: Yeah, right.

I’m not even sure the planet is getting warmer any more so I obviously never get past that first one, but even if you do, what is being proposed as a solution is just plain nuts.