A Faustian bargain refers to the medieval legend of Faust, who made a contract with the devil, exchanging his soul for worldly gain.  Modern day Faustian bargains are being made by the scientific community.  In a wonderfully written piece by Daniel Henninger in the WSJ this week, it is  suggested that any scientific cause championed by politicians is subject to capitulation from the scientific community in exchange for money in the form of tenure, scholarships and grants (worldly goods).    Three years ago when global warming morphed into climate change, egged on by Al Gore and Bill Clinton and Kofi Annan,  it was a sad sign that the debate was being waged by politicians, and not scientists.

When such politicians front the idea, and lead the charge to defame or defund scientists that fail to fall into line, a Faustian temptation has been manifested.   Scientists either fall in line, and receive the goodies in the form of grants or appointments, or face public and professional humiliation for their integrity.   I just scratch my head when the local meteorologist fails to accurately predict heavy rains tomorrow, yet our leaders want us to fundamentally change our habits based on forecasts of the impact of changes in climate forty years from now.      Think I will just keep recycling, driving more fuel efficient cars, and voting for legislators who pledge to work hard to force industry to use the abundant resources we are blessed with in an ever  increasingly efficient and clean way.                     WHAT THE HECK !