Having grown up in northwest Indiana, the very epicenter of the SuperBowl, I would be sorely remiss if I did not mention it at least in passing. But now that I have, let's talk a moment about a much larger game being played, with much higher stakes.

Over the last six years, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have written the most authoritative study on Climate Change to date. It has been penned by over 800 scientists and reviewed by an additional 2500 from over 130 countries and represents the very best science we have on the subject. The Summary for Policymakers (pdf) is available online. In brief, the findings were:

1. "Warming of the climate system is unequivocal." (p.4)
2. There's a 90% chance that humans have caused it. (p.3)
3. Emissions are so out-of-control that warming will "continue for centuries" even if they're stabilized. (p.12)

ExxonMobil (via one of their "unbiased third party" think tanks, American Enterprise Institute) has already gotten caught offering bribes to any scientist willing to dispute the report. No research required, just disagree. All they want is a climate of confusion (pun intended).

Next, PR hacks like self-appointed "Junkman" Steven Milloy (to whom I will not befoul myself by linking, but do read his profile on SourceWatch), have tried to deliberately misrepresent the report by accusing the media of deliberately misrepresenting it. Having long since given up trying to prove the contrary to any scientific findings, the best they can do is shed doubt on what knowledge real science has rendered. Nice try, but it turns out I can read.

Similarly, Senator James "At-least-I'm-not-Senator-Stevens" Inhofe (R-OK), has gone on record calling the report "a shining example of the corruption of science for political gain". The statement is so ironic it attracts magnets.

I am not given to hyperbole. Phrases like "worst" and "best" I reserve for the actual "worst" and "best" subjects of a category. Similarly, if I say something like, "I love this movie," I have often already considered marriage before someone taunts me with the suggestion. I note this because it will ground my following opinion as beyond a stereotypical enviro-exaggeration, but the truth as far as I am concerned. These people who would place their profits, their salary, or their kickbacks ahead of the health and safety of not only our natural world but the lives of every man, woman, and child on this planet cannot be called anything nicer than traitor to the human race. They've been deceiving, deluding, or dragging their heels for far too long. I search my heart for some scrap of compassion for them to forgive the terrible crime they've committed against all of us and find none.

Let's leave them to their petty machinations and meddling and pay them no more mind. In the meantime, the rest of us will Step It Up and try to get Earth back on the right track before things get even worse. Hesitation is over and done. Do all you can, as soon as you can. We meet this challenge and our great-great-great-grandkids will sing the victory in their songs. We fail and no songs will be sung.