Some Startling Statistics on Climate Change & Public Perception

(Sorry for the overly alliterative title!) A recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle detailed a new Rassmussen poll showing that only 34 percent of Americans believe that climate change is caused by human activity. This is actually a pretty disturbing number, considering that the mounting urgency of climate change requires immediate action. Combine that with the overwhelming consensus among the scientific community, and it is clear that the message is not getting across.

What we need is some sort of education program to show not only the effects of climate change, but how Americans can reduce their impact. This way, we can not only show that human activities do indeed have an impact on climate change, but that each individual is responsible in this monumental fight.

Gay Marriage in the Heartland--Iowa Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage

Same-sex marriage is no longer simply a coastal phenomenon. Iowa's state supreme court unanimously voted in favor of same-sex marriage. The Iowa court ruling addressed religious concerns by saying "civil marriage must be judged under our constitutional standards of equal protection and not under religious doctrines or the religious views of individuals."

This is certainly an exciting development because it debunks the notion that gay marriage, at least in the near term, can only occur on the east and west coasts. It'll be interesting to see whether or not a constitutional amendment springs up, considering that it is significantly difficult to even get one on the ballot in Iowa. The state constitution requires two consecutive sessions of the state legislature to approve a ballot initiative by a 2/3rds majority before it can move on to the voters.