Government Technology - February 2008 - (Page 12)

the last mile Climate Change: A New Religion? ith so much chatter focused on green technology, has this infatuation evolved into something akin to a religious movement? The world’s major religions have more in common than their respective followers would prefer to admit. Typically each maintains an elaborate dogma that dictates believers act a certain way and engage in traditional rituals. Most religions also warn of some world-ending cataclysm that can be avoided only by strict adherence to religious principles. Critics of religion often compare these true believers to sheep, blindly following a leader out of willful ignorance. Today green technology is part of a movement that’s winning millions of converts, many of whom would count themselves among the critics of traditional religion. This new belief system used to be called Global Warming, though its disciples now prefer Climate Change as the more accurate term. And woe unto he who neglecteth the tenets of Climate Change, for surely he will bring upon us the End Times. Many who oppose religion do so based on science, a perfectly valid position to take. Ironically the science — or dogma if you wish — that drives the Climate Change movement is anything but agreed upon. Yet Climate Change believers are often so passionate about their “religion” that if you are in their numbers, you’re probably seething right now — even before discerning the position I take. Clearly finding renewable energy sources, deploying Earth-friendly technology and discouraging pollution are sensible goals Group Publisher: EDITORIAL Editor: Associate Editors: DON PEARSON dpearson@govtech.com STEVE TOWNS stowns@govtech.com EMILY MONTANDON emontandon@govtech.com JESSICA JONES jjones@govtech.com MIRIAM JONES mjones@govtech.com KAREN STEWARTSON kstewartson@govtech.com JIM MCKAY jmckay@govtech.com CHAD VANDER VEEN cvanderveen@govtech.com ANDY OPSAHL aopsahl@govtech.com MATT WILLIAMS mwilliams@govtech.com CORTNEY TOWNS ctowns@govtech.com TOD NEWCOMBE tnewcombe@govtech.com ADAM STONE, TAMARA WARTA, REID GOLDSBOROUGH, SUZANE BRICKER, JOE MASCARI KELLY MARTINELLI kmartinelli@govtech.com CRYSTAL HOPSON chopson@govtech.com MICHELLE HAMM mhamm@govtech.com JOE COLOMBO jcolombo@govtech.com TOM MCKEITH tmckeith@govtech.com STEPHAN WIDMAIER swidm@govtech.com JOEI HEART jheart@govtech.com JUDE HANSEN jhansen@govtech.com JON FYFFE jfyffe@govtech.com TIM KARNEY tkarney@govtech.com EAST PAM FYFFE pfyffe@govtech.com WEST, CENTRAL LESLIE HUNTER lhunter@govtech.com EAST SHELLEY BALLARD sballard@govtech.com WEST, CENTRAL KRISTA O’SULLIVAN kosullivan@govtech.com WEST, CENTRAL MELISSA CANO mcano@govtech.com EAST ERIN HUX ehux@govtech.com WEST, CENTRAL ANDREA KLEINBARDT akleinbardt@govtech.com SHANNON DURHAM sdurham@govtech.com NANCY GLASS nglass@govtech.com SABRINA SHEWMAKE sshewmake@govtech.com WHITNEY SWEET wsweet@govtech.com LANA HERRERA lherrera@govtech.com KARIN PRADO kprado@govtech.com STACEY TOLES stoles@govtech.com JIM MEYERS jmeyers@govtech.com GLENN SWENSON gswenson@govtech.com VIKKI PALAZZARI vpalazzari@govtech.com PETER SIMEK psimek@govtech.com MICHELLE MROTEK mmrotek@govtech.com JULIE DEDEAUX jdedeaux@govtech.com GOSIA USTASZEWSKA subscriptions@govtech.com DENNIS MCKENNA dmckenna@govtech.com DON PEARSON dpearson@govtech.com CATHILEA ROBINETT crobinet@centerdigitalgov.com LISA BERNARD lbernard@govtech.com PAUL HARNEY pharney@govtech.com ALAN COX acox@govtech.com BY C HA D VA NDER VEEN TECHNOLOGY AND POLITICS EDITOR Chief Copy Editor: Managing Editor: Justice/Public Safety Editor: Technology and Politics Editor: Features Editor: Staff Writer: Editorial Assistant: Contributing Editor: Contributing Writers: DESIGN Creative Director: Graphic Designers: Illustrator: Production Director: Production Manager: Internet Director: PUBLISHING VP Strategic Accounts: VP Bus. Development: Sr. Director of Sales: Regional Sales Directors: W regardless of whether manmade climate change is real. And even the staunchest Climate Change opponent might admit global temperatures are on the rise. The debate is what role, if any, man plays in contributing to this warming. Both history and science tell us conclusively that the Earth’s mean temperature is in perpetual flux. But just as Christianity teaches the sinful nature of man will be his undoing, so Climate Change tells us man’s mistreatment of the environment will spell our doom. The Climate Change clergy demands we live to as-yet undefined green standards, lest we create a global catastrophe. Many believers in manmade climate change are quick to mock religious beliefs as baseless superstitions; they also bristle at any suggestion that their own beliefs are debatable. But like other religions, there’s no irrefutable proof that Climate Change is true. Correlation doesn’t equal causation, after all. Traditional religions have been blamed, often deservedly, for countless atrocities. But these religions also have done incalculable good. Likewise, the religion of Climate Change can do great works for the planet. But to the objective observer, simmering under the Climate Change movement is a palpable sense that a modern-day, politically correct inquisition is at hand. One other tenet most religions share is that followers do unto others as they would have done unto them. Let’s pray those who believe we are responsible for climate change keep that in mind. Account Managers: Director of Marketing: National Sales Administrator: Regional Sales Administrators: Dir. of Custom Events: Custom Events Manager: Custom Events Coordinator: Dir. of Custom Publications: Custom Publications Writer: Business Development Director: Director of Web Products and Services: Web Services Manager: Proj. Manager, Web Products and Services: Web Advertising Manager: Subscription Coordinator: CORPORATE CEO: Executive VP: Executive VP: CAO: CFO: VP of Events: Government Technology is published by e.Republic Inc. Copyright 2008 by e.Republic Inc. All rights reserved. Government Technology is a registered trademark of e.Republic Inc. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily those of the publisher or editors. Article submissions should be sent to the attention of the Managing Editor. Reprints of all articles in this issue and past issues are available (500 minimum). Please direct inquiries to Reprint Management Services (RMS): Attn. Tonya Martin at (800) 3605549 ext.157 or governmenttechnology@reprintbuyer.com. Subscription Information: Requests for subscriptions may be directed to Circulation Director by phone or fax to the numbers below. You can also subscribe online at www. govtech.com. 100 Blue Ravine Rd. Folsom, CA 95630 Phone: (916) 932-1300 Fax: (916) 932-1470 www.govtech.com FEB_08 PRINTED IN THE USA 12 http://www.govtech.com http://www.govtech.com http://www.govtech.com http://www.govtech.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - February 2008

Government Technology - February 2008 Contents Point of View Big Picture The Last Mile On the Screen Products Four Questions for... CSI Effect Bad Medicine Making Health Care Personal Cashing In GIS for Less Nabbing Speedsters First Person: Records Management Chatter Box Oregon Data Centers Go Green Products Two Cents Spectrum Up Close Personal Computing signal:noise Government Solutions - Spring 2008 Power Play Double Duty Cleaning House Twice Prepared Smart Move The Path to Success Foundation for Service

Government Technology - February 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.