Well, despite our best wishes, it appears that this storm is going to hit the East Coast.  I keep clicking my heels and wishing for Kansas, but it does not seem to be stopping the storm.  Ugh…

…which makes me reflect on magical thinking and climate denial.  Only a few years ago, Republicans were mocking climate change after the Northeast was hit with unprecedented snow storms.  Mis-characterizing climate change as linear global warming, they mocked Al Gore as well as any sane person who suggested that something was really wrong in the environment.

Recently i have not heard that much denial.  Now what i hear is something that one can call “climate fatalism.”  It goes something like this:  climate change is not the result of humans but is God’s work and, therefore, there is nothing that we can do about it.  Any time i hear this load of nonsense i want to ask whether this person takes medicine when they are sick or whether, instead, they let their illness take its course.

Climate fatalism is disingenuous.  Even if one wishes to argue that there is a natural component to climate change, the matter of fossil fuels and the general contribution of humans to altering the environment can no longer be ignored or denied.

I wonder how many of these Republican climate fatalists (or the remaining climate deniers) will come up with some analysis as to the source of Hurricane Sandy.  Perhaps they will see it targeting areas that are likely to vote for President Obama and suggest that it is God’s will that we be punished in advance?  I know this sounds nuts, but stay tuned to Fox News and let’s see what the commentary sounds like after the storm has passed.