At least technology is getting warm

I'm a professed agnostic about global warming. I affirm our duty to be pious stewards of creation. I wish the consequences of technology weren't so often ugliness and corruption. My unstudied opinion is that cracks are getting deeper in the science that demonstrates an overheating planet. But I'm not a scientist.

One thing I haven't read anything about is the psychological and religious dimensions (dimentia?) of those on both sides of the disagreement. My perception is that a lot of religious/apocalyptic fervor is being displaced into predictions that make the whole flock look a little Chicken Little. The concerm seems beyond rational and beyond environmental conscienciousness. I suspect secularizing tendencies result in less respect for the eternal/immaterial which result in excessive devotion of the temporal/material. But those devotions would only be faulty by way of excess.* I would like to know more about the psychical human dynamics of this phenomenon.

It's also worth noting that radical environmentalism is an elitist game. The rich are the most concerned and the least affected by drastically expensive policy change. The poor (people and nations) have the least say and are most adversely affected by costs, sanctions, etc. The rich, always having the most say, often show consideriable inconsideration in their idealism.

My favorite aspect of all the hoopla is the technological innovation that is resulting. In the long term it is in our best interests to become less dependent on dirty energy. I wonder how much progress would result if, instead of civic penalties and UN sanctions, an enormous foundation was established to dole out rewards for cost-effective advancement of solutions. Think how much award money could be given in "Glo-bel" prizes if we spent a tithe of current enviro-budgets.

All of the above was supposed to be a really short precursor to links on several articles I've read the last few days that make the whole issue fascinating. Here are the links:

• An environmental minister sez, "Go minister to sick, thirsty, illiterates first."
• A Portland gym admits that myst gyms waste kinetic and potential energy. And taps the gym rat's wheels for the potential.
  
• Toyota puts new meaning in "sun-roof".
• Tulane astronomer decries the new inquisition.

*According to this (admittedly old) article the counter-productivity of recycling paper has been admitted for years, even by the New York Times. But the religion of recycling demands sacrifices, and good luck finding green enterprises that renounce any form of recycling, even when it's more expensive and harmful than new paper.