MPIRG Dodges Debate

MPIRG, the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group, is a liberal group at the University of Minnesota and one of the areas of activism they cover is the environment. There is also a free-market environmental group at the U of M called CFACT (Collegians for a Constructive Tomorrow).

Recently, an intern with CFACT wrote to MPIRG with the intention of doing a global warming debate:

…I was wondering if MPIRG might want to get involved in a well structured discussion on global warming. We are still in the planning stages and wanted to see if this is something you might be interested in.

I feel it could be beneficial to both our causes. You seek to enlighten people on how big of an issue Global Warming is and bring it to their attention while we seek to show people how there are many uncertainties with this dynamic issue. Both can be done in this single event.

We likely will have the debate with or without your support, but I was hoping that your side could be better represented. As it stands right now we are trying to find scientists and politicians on both sides of the issue in order to get better insight on both the science behind it as well as the policy.

Let me know what your initial reaction is and if you are interested.

Thanks

Here was the response from MPIRG

…First, let me apologize for the delay in responding to your email. secondly, MPIRG will not be able to take part in a debate on Global Warming at this juncture. The reasons are as follows:

To begin with, MPIRG’s position on Global Warming is that the debate is over. We feel that taking part in such an event would be acknowledging the need for further debate. Furthermore, we currently do not have the resources to thoroughly prepare for an event like this as the rest of our semester is already booked, and all of our staff and leadership time has been allocated elsewhere.

That being said, MPIRG is certainly open to working with CFACT in the future, and it is unfortunate that this specific event just won’t work out.

Thank you for your inquiry and good luck with the rest of the semester.

Best,

Corey Brodsky
MPIRG UMTC Co-Chair
Director-State Board of Directors
brod0154@umn.edu

MPIRG’s response can be simplified: Debate in the marketplace of ideas? Of course not, there can be no debate because conservatives are so very wrong. (And..uh…all our resources are…uh…already allocated elsewhere…)

Well, there is debate about global warming yet to be had, a lot of it. I could accept wholesale the IPCC report on global warming and still find plenty of room for debate: Will changing light bulbs and exposing millions of people to mercury be beneficial compared to the costs? Should we shut down our economy to reverse global warming? Should we focus on technological development and adaptation rather than emissions control? Should we embrace global warming rather than condemn it (as ice ages suck)?

Some debates are over, sure, slavery, Stalinism, bacon; global warming and the consequences and actions related to it are not to be found on that list.