The Day After Tommorrow

"What do you do?"
I'm a biology graduate student.
"Oh, what do you study?"
The effects of global warming on migration (at least that's the short answer).
Scoffing "Global warming doesn't really exist. "

I'll admit that this repeated response has led to my preference of the phrase "climate change." Oddly enough, people who don't believe in global warming belong to two camps: those who are caught up in the meaning of the words "global warming" and those who think the phrase global warming inherently implies that humans are the cause. The first group can usually be persuaded to "believe" in global warming if you use the phrase climate change. ie) Wacky weather everywhere like snow in Nevada and 50 degree temperatures in Indiana the week before Christmas. The latter group can often be assauged with the use of climate change as well and many are even willing to admit outright that they believe in global warming but refuses to think their gas guzzling SUV is a problem. To this group I say fine. That's great. At least you are willing to accept the idea of climate change in addition to insuring that I will be able to study this topic well into my golden years (if we're still around that is). But this latter group is also further subdived into what I have dubbed, "People who hate thier great great great grandchildren." The ones who won't accept that we humans may be playing a role in climate change AND who don't think climate change is that big a deal. The ones who will look me in the eye and say, "I'll be long gone before climate change is really a problem." Um... so it's okay if future generations aka your great great great grandchildren are forced to suffer because of something you could've helped out with but didn't becauses it wasn't going to directly affect you? What?!?!

And this brings me back to my most favoritest movie EVER and the title of this post: The Day After Tommorrow. It's the movie I bring up in these situations because I believe in countering the ridiculous with more ridculousness. Haven't seen the movie? You should. The premise: the scientist were wrong in thier calculations about the effects of climate change. Instead of everything happening gradually it happens over night with ocean levles rising, warming ocean currents causing drastic changes in weather like snow in New Dehli and tornados in LA. Then BOOM! Ice Age. I get that this movie is the epitomy of cheesy over the top drama but I like to throw it out there under two scenarios 1) imagine if the movie were true and tomorrow we were thrust into an ice age and 2) imagine this is what you are wishing on your great great great grandchildren. In either case do you regret any of your actions?