Manhattan Under Water

One of three things is going to eventually happen to John Tierney--the lone conservative(ish) columnist at the New York Times: 1) He will save the paper from the left-wing echo-chamber into which it has consigned itself, 2) They will find a way to fire him, or 3) (and most likely in my view), they will keep him around like a pet just to be able to say they are balanced--as if a see-saw with twenty kids on one end and one on the other is balanced by virtue of having someone on each side.

Tierney's Tuesday column is a must-read on global warming:

Since record-keeping began in the 19th century, the sea level in New York has been rising about a foot per century, which happens to be about the same increase estimated to occur over the next century by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The temperature has also risen as New York has been covered with asphalt and concrete, creating an “urban heat island” that’s estimated to have raised nighttime temperatures by 7 degrees Fahrenheit. The warming that has already occurred locally is on the same scale as what’s expected globally in the next century.

The impact of these changes on Lower Manhattan isn’t quite as striking as the computer graphics. We couldn’t see any evidence of the higher sea level near the Bridge Cafe, mainly because Water Street isn’t next to the water anymore. Dr. Lomborg and I had to walk over two-and-a-half blocks of landfill to reach the current shoreline.

The picture at the top of the article is not to be missed: polar bears in a desert. (For some on the left, this will not seem ironic or funny at all; they should get a grip.) Also check out Kimberly Stassel's piece in today's Opinion Journal--also talking about Bjorn Lomborg.