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Nov. 6, 2009
Rabbi Berel Wein: Choosing to hear
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Suzanne Fields A Fallen Wall for Fallen Man
Nov. 5, 2009
The Kosher Gourmet: Three scrumptious -- but simple -- butternut squash dishes
JWisdom.com Hidden Hints: Unlocking Faith & Prayer with Rabbi Jay Yaacov Schwartz (10 minutes)
Nov. 4, 2009
Tom Hamburger and Kim Geiger: Should prayers be covered?
JWisdom.com When God played peacemaker With Rabbi Sroy Levitansky (5 minutes)
Nov. 3, 2009
Martin Peretz: Beware, Barack. Beware, Rahm. Beware, Axelrod
JWisdom.com Are you are closet idolater? With Sara Yoheved Rigler (10 minutes)
Nov. 2, 2009
Paul Greenberg: The Holocaust is now on Facebook
JWisdom.com Abraham's Strange Change With Rabbi Yitzchok Fingerer (5 minutes)
Oct. 30, 2009
Rabbi David Aaron: Secret to Immortality
Caroline B. Glick Silencing dissent in America
Oct. 29, 2009
Lini S. Kadaba: Do tactics avert flu or reduce humanity?
JWisdom.com We Must Revamp our Religious Vocabulary With Gavriel Aryeh Sanders ( 10 minutes)
Oct. 28, 2009
Rabbi Yonason Goldson: Atheists in Bubbleland
JWisdom.com Why what we wear impacts who we are With Rabbis Mordechai Becher, Menachem Golberger and Aliza Bulow ( 10 minutes)
Oct. 27, 2009
Paul Greenberg: The United Nations Is Outraged Again, Or: Department of Mideast Static
JWisdom.com The Science of Love With Rabbi Jonathan Rietti ( 7 minutes)
Oct. 26, 2009
The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Damaging disclosures with a twist
JWisdom.com Wisdom and Wonks With Rabbi Eytan Feiner ( 7 minutes)
Oct. 23, 2009
Rabbi David Aaron: Are you ready for the ultimate pleasure?
JWisdom.com Watermark and oneness with Rabbi Sroy Levitansky ( 4 minutes)
Caroline B. Glick Stop using limited powers in a way that expands our enemies' advantages over us
Oct. 22, 2009
Steven Emerson: Terror Cases Share Desire to Kill Americans
JWisdom.com No More More Family Fights --- Really? By Sarah Chana Radcliffe ( 5 minutes)
Oct. 21, 2009
Tonya Alanez: Holocaust denier sues survivor, calling Auschwitz memoir 'vicious lies'
JWisdom.com Meditating Jewishly: A Panacea for Success by Sarah Yoheved Rigler ( 7 minutes)
Oct. 20, 2009
Dennis Prager: Obama and Dalai Lama: Why Israel Worries about U.S. President
JWisdom.com Abraham was not religious By Rabbi Yitzchok Fingerer ( 6 minutes)
Oct. 19, 2009
JWisdom.comWhy Good People Do Bad Things By Rabbi Eytan Feiner ( 7 minutes)
Oct. 16, 2009
Rabbi Yonason Goldson: The Perfect Number
JWisdom.com Hearing Voices By Rabbi Sroy Levitansky ( 5 minutes)
Caroline B. Glick How Turkey was lost
Oct. 15, 2009
Jeff Jacoby: Peace vs. the 'peace process'
JWisdom.com: Former MTV producer and stand-up comedian Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff: Taming a Control Freak (A VERY fast 15 minutes)
Oct. 29, 2003
Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review March 8, 2007 / 18 Adar, 5767

Global Warming = flood of legislation, lawsuits

By Pat Sajak


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Now that mankind (especially American mankind) has been named the official, unquestionable, undeniable cause of our planet's latest warming cycle, watch out for a flood of legislation that will rival the floods our mismanagement of the planet will apparently cause. And even that flood will pale in comparison to the lawsuit tsunami heading our way.


One has to look no further than cigarette smoking to see the possibilities for lawmakers and lawyers. While virtually no one was denying the health risks inherent in smoking, there were pesky civil rights issues inasmuch as it was a voluntary action. But everything changed when the danger of second-hand smoke, in even infinitesimal amounts, was discovered. Suddenly, smokers had no rights, because it became a question of endangering the health of those around them. Smoking bans (and, of course, lawsuits) followed.


So, now that manmade global warming is gospel, all sorts of issues can be defined in terms of how an individual's actions affect his global neighbors. Legislators will now be able to micromanage virtually every aspect of our lives based on how our actions affect the delicate ecosystem. The possibilities are endless. Take the recent efforts of the "food police" to try to legislate what we can and should eat or to use tax penalties to discourage foods of which they disapprove. Again, those troublesome civil rights issues kept intruding; now, however, it shouldn't be too difficult to construct an argument that junk food and its impact on the environment contribute to global warming. Therefore, it's not just hurting the individual consumer, but everyone else, along with their children and their grandchildren. Somewhere, a class action lawyer is salivating.


The always-sensible folks at PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have been pushing a "sin" tax on meats. Think of the new argument: more meat means more land to be cleared for grazing and, once again, it contributes to global warming. That steak becomes not just an issue among you, your doctor and your restaurateur, but a weapon which diminishes the quality of life of your neighbors and their descendants.


The bandwagon is moving, and I fear it's about to run us over. There is virtually nothing in our lives that can't somehow be connected to manmade global warming. What we drive, what we eat, what we grow on our lands, our hobbies, the size of our light bulbs, the smallest remodeling or building issue are all fair game. Only enlightened governments, advised by enlightened scientists and social engineers, can guide us past the coming crisis. And only socially-conscious attorneys can be sure we're all held accountable.


There's been a great effort by civil libertarians in recent decades to be sure the government stays out of our bedroom. We'll see how diligently they fight to keep it out of the rest of our house.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

Comment on Pat Sajak's column by clicking here.

JWR contributor Pat Sajak is the recipient of three Emmys, a Peoples’ Choice Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He's currently the host of Wheel of Fortune.



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