Death and suffering caused by President Bush's trillion-dollar war in Iraq may turn out to be a trifle compared to the loss of life and disease that in time could emerge from intensified global warming.
For nearly four years, Bush callously sat on global warming data that warns of increased swarms of disease-carrying pests and their risks to the poor and elderly. Bush refuses to acknowledge human and industrial causes of global warming, largely to protect business from mandatory anti-pollution legislation that would inevitably emerge once the facts are known.
Finally, a federal judge forced Bush to release the report, as required of the White House every four years, prepared by scientists in his administration and in dependent research groups.
The conclusions are chilling.
"An increased frequency and severity of heat waves is expected," the report concluded, "leading to more illness and death, particularly among the young, elderly, frail and poor." Lyme disease and West Nile virus would have increased ranges because of warming, the report also found.
By refusing to release the report for nearly four years, Bush effectively caused a four-year lag in decision-making by Congress and others on measures that should be taken to accelerate remedies to warming and measures to prepare for the prospect of warmth-induced disease.
President Bush is quick to warn of terrorist threats that seem to be pure fiction. However, he places industry's freedom to pollute above the health and well-being of humans by blacking out data of impending global warming risks.
