So Bad, We Must Do Little About It

In the environmentalist lexicon, any problem is a “crisis.” This rhetorical strategy has succeeded in persuading Americans that the planet is going to hell in a handbasket. But has it built a constituency for action? An ABC News/Washington Post survey suggests not. Fifty-nine percent of adults said they are convinced that global warming is under way, and 79 percent think it will affect future generations. But just 38 percent favor immediate government action to deal with the matter.