Daniel H. Gottlieb

The Dialogues of Sancho and Quixote: Mythical Debates on Global Warming: 1997-2010 Daniel H. Gottlieb

Do you understand the American climate debate?
Do you ever want to laugh at it? Here it is, in all its absurdity:

ON NEW ORLEANS, FROM NOVEMBER 25, 2000
SANCHO:    ?So where are you off to, Quixote??
QUIXOTE:  ?We?re closing down our offices in the great state of  Louisiana. I?m selling some real estate and  liquidating some assets--that kind of thing.?
SANCHO:   ?Why are your friends selling their real estate  holdings in New Orleans??
QUIXOTE: ?I didn?t say that.?
SANCHO:    ?Did your address get given out to Greenpeace??
QUIXOTE:   ?Nope. All I can say, Sancho, is one of the boys  from Bermuda Biologicals got a little too loud in a  Karaoke bar the other night and so I?m off to  liquidate assets.?
SANCHO:   ?Something going to happen I should know about??
QUIXOTE:  ?Where? What do you mean??

ON ECONOMICS,  FROM APRIL 3, 2006
QUIXOTE:  There is nothing we can do to cope with  global  warming. We must stay the economic course.?
SANCHO:    ?First, you say we cannot modify our economic  system.?
QUIXOTE:  ?Precisely, Sancho.?
SANCHO:    ?Because it is fragile.?
QUIXOTE:  ?Very.?
SANCHO:    ?Then you say that when our economic system is   battered by climate change, its resiliency will carry  us through the tough times.?
QUIXOTE:  ?Exactly, Sancho.?
SANCHO:    ?But we can?t adjust its course when it is healthy??
QUIXOTE:  ?Now you have it, Sancho.?


ON THE ACIDIC OCEANS, FROM AUGUST 2, 2004
SANCHO:    ?Why are you adding baseball base bags to the ocean??
QUIXOTE:  ?Look, I do as I am told. They said the ocean was getting too acidic and I should add some bases to it.?
SANCHO:    ?You are one funny lackey, Quixote. Are you sure they said bases? As in the plural??
QUIXOTE: ?You mean I should just add first base? What difference does it make? You environmentalists are so picky.?