Pensioners, pollutants and Mars

Pensioners are fading fast in Italy. At least 18 elderly Italians have now died during the current heatwave. Across southern Europe, the death toll is rising in line with the mercury. While it may not be fair to make a causal connection, maybe this is the right time for the world's leaders to finally discuss the perilous warming of the planet.

As members of the G8, Italy and France will have seats in Gleneagles next week where climate control measures will be on the agenda. That is if the Bush Administration doesn't water down the discussion first. Still, Blair (the emcee and pres of the G8) wants to discuss "action" on limiting global warming, or at least he wants to discuss an "action plan," which is not really the same thing. But it's a start. I understand the nay-saying approach. It's a scary thing to consider: our lifestyle is destroying our planet. Maybe this is why the Bush Administration has asked NASA to look into Mars exploration. It's kinda like Texas, I hear.

But maybe, fingers crossed, we won't all have to move to Mars after all. Maybe this megawatt bulb called Earth won't fizzle out. Why? Because pollution will save us. Crazy, but it appears that tiny little aerosol pollutants are reflecting heat away from the planet, thus cooling it. Sure the byproduct is dirty air, but at least it's cool air. And what I'd do for a blast of fetid, cool air right now. I say bring it on. Fassssssssssssst!