Global warming will impact every race

Black Entertainment Television (BET) is not my favorite news source. Much of the BET programming I find highly polarizing. But I watch nonetheless as I would any other source of news and information. Sometimes however, BET goes off the deep end and the result is a wealth of misinformation that helps further divide this great nation.

For example, BET now is implying that global warming is a purposeful attack on minorities because they are "impacted more than any other group by global warming." The BET argument says that if global warming gets any worse, "many African-American communities will be more vulnerable to breathing ailments, insect-carried diseases and heat-related illness and death."

The BET essay says that blacks are more exposed to worse air pollution than whites in every major metropolitan areas. But blacks pollute less, BET says, because blacks use "energy-conserving public transportation" more than whites.

BET says the Bush administration is making several moves that will increase global warming and thus, impact the lives of minorities in a negative way. And BET again, despite ample evidence to the contrary, points to Hurricane Katrina as evidence of their conspiracy on global warming.

Just because I don't agree with the point of view provided by BET does not mean their viewpoint should be excluded from the public discussion. They indeed have firm footing in the public discourse on race. But when they leap to a bizarre conclusion and are not questioned on that point of view, we run the risk of misinforming and inflaming the public.

Global warming has the potential of grave concern for future generations. But global warming knows no color and treats all of mankind the same. To say otherwise is a massive disservice.