Non-Default Headline

Finally got around to reading State of Fear on the honeymoon. The idea that we don't know if mankind's actions have a major effect on global climate is probably not new to most here. Note that not knowing is different from knowing that we're not. We should continue to take steps toward not screwing up the planet, we just don't need to shoot ourselves in the foot while doing so. Some realities of climate change are nicely expressed in the book, as are a couple other examples of man's generally unremarked upon ineptitude.
The best thing about the book is that it points out the folly of man's pride. Even with the best of intentions we often screw things up because we act before we know what we should be doing. Pride keeps us from seeing our lack of knowledge. Take forest fires. We wanted to preserve wilderness so we put out forest fires to keep ithe wilderness from burning down. Turns out that forest fires were a critical part of what naturally preserved the wilderness. So we think we've figured it out and start letting fires happen. Turns out that we've now let so much underbrush grow that the fire burns so hot that in some places it sterilizes the ground. I'm sure it will turn out that we replantted with the wrong mix of seeds and screwed things up further.
On top of all that, there's the whole idea that we are somehow doing something noble for the planet with this preservation. I'm all for preservation of the wilderness, but let's admit that it's a selfish act as far as mankind is conserned. We're preserving nature for our children and their children and so on. Nature doesn't care about "untouched" american forests. Nature was touching the heck out of american forests 10,000 years ago while they were crushed under glaciers. Only in our pride do we imagine that our lifetime is the measure of the world. "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."