Gardening & Conservation
Earth To America!
By Dena Ventrudo, Assitant Editor
Dena Ventrudo is the Assistant Editor of Merlian News. She is a published poet and creative writer. Dena volunteered as an environmentalist with the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) for three years serving as an project leader, an intern, and a board representative. She is attending SUNY Purchase College and will be graduating in May 2006 with a BA in Liberal Studies.
Nov 28, 2005, 15:30

It has come to a point in our culture, where crucial issues like Global Warming (an issue that could potentially destroy our planet) has been ignored and denied so much by our government that celebrities have come together with a clever plan.

It takes a lot to get our society’s attention with all the chaos that surrounds us about the war in the Middle East and hurricanes tearing up large portions of our land, leaving us overwhelmed and heartbroken.  However, there is another crucial problem that needs just as much serious attention, a silent problem that could potentially damage the whole planet if we let it go unnoticed.  The warning signs have become so apparent, they are practically hitting us over the head!  We cannot continue to ignore Global Warming any longer!  This awareness was finally conveyed to all Americans through their television sets Sunday, November 20th, 2005 on a TBS two hour, star-studded comedy special entitled Earth To America!

The show was created by Laurie David, wife of Curb Your Enthusiasm's Larry David and included actors and comedians such as Lewis Black , Dave Attell, Dennis Miller, Bill Maher, Dane Cook, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock , Garry Shandling, Jon Stewart, Dave Chappelle, Carlos Mencia, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Susie Essman and more to use laughter as the best medicine creating awareness on a potentially life altering issue.

In a previous article published here on Merlian News, we spoke about Global Warming and our senators Hilary Clinton and John McCain’s trip to Alaska. Their realization  that Alaska is melting and suffering severe climate changes which are devastating their ecosystem and culture was frightening. They saw for themselves that Global Warming is not a myth, but a grim reality.

Alaska's deteriorating ecosystem will come to affect ours in time, and are already experiencing global climate changes. The time to act is NOW.  If our government refuses to take real action, then we the people must take this new awareness and do something about it.

Write your mayors, governors, legislators, senators, or congressmen with your concerns. Most elected officials can be contacted via email.  A lot of information about New York government can be found through this page: http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/ils/  .  In our previous article, Global Warming: A Reality Check, there is a list of informative websites and organizations involved in the cause.

According to the Natural Resource Defense Council, “over the past 50 years the average global temperature has increased at the fastest rate in recorded history. And experts think the trend is accelerating: the three hottest years on record have all occurred since 1998. Scientists say that unless we curb global warming emissions, average U.S. temperatures could be 3 to 9 degrees higher by the end of the century.”