Texas Eagle Forum Weighs in on Global Warming

Maybe Cathie Adams, the President of Texas Eagle Forum, should stick to the culture wars. Her recent letter to the Fort Worth Star Telegram in support of building TXU's coal-burning power plants lends credence to the view of those who think that the term conservative think tank is an oxymoron.

More coal power? Yes.

In 2008, Texas manufacturers will need more electricity than is currently being produced. The consequence for not doing so means that we'd suffer the same rolling blackouts that California has experienced.

In view of that, Texas' largest producer of electricity, TXU, wants to build 11 coal-burning power plants, but some are worried that the plants will pollute the air -- not with black smoke but with carbon dioxide, which environmental extremists believe causes global warming.

Carbon dioxide is not a toxic gas. CO{-2} is emitted when you breathe out or when fossil fuels are burned, enhancing the growth of trees and plants that absorb CO{-2} and in turn emit oxygen. The more CO{-2} that's produced, the more trees and plants grow, and the more oxygen is released for you and me to breathe.

There's no reason to panic about global warming because there's no sound scientific evidence that the Earth is warming or that CO{-2} could cause such warming. The Earth's temperature is more affected by ocean currents, winds and sun activity than by CO{-2}.

There is only One who can control ocean currents, winds and sun activity, and let me give you a clue: It's not a United Nations treaty or even a U.S. politician, although he put them in their place, too.

President Cathie Adams, Texas Eagle Forum, Dallas

Normally, we might offer up some debate to this letter. But honestly, any attempt to parse this would be the rhetorical equivalent of a canned hunt -- it offends our sense of sportsmanship.