If it's not a catastrophe, do people pay attention to things like global warming and climate change?
When it comes to the environment, we deal in extremes. That according to renowned New York Times Science writer Andrew C. Revkin. Example. Thousands of gallons of crude oil dumped along the Alaskan shore by the Exxon Valdez.
Revkin says, the pictures were powerful, an iconic example of environmental disaster with good guys and bad guys. It got people excited about doing something. But not the same with non-point source pollution. Still a danger, he says, but no one's talking about it.
Revkin told a Madison audience recently we need to start talking about such things if we ever hope to mobilize to get something done on these issues.
Revkin believes there is more middle ground on the potential hazards of climate change than most people will admit. It's just a matter of getting the extremes to meet in the middle.
AUDIO: Jim Dick reports ( 1:08 MP3 audio courtesy Christie Taylor WBA CollegeNews.Net )