Global warming? ... Or global cooling?(Snapshots)

National Geographic devotes 74 pages of its September 2004 issue to three related stories warning not only that the Earth is heating up, but that it is doing so at an alarming rate. Twenty-eight years ago, National Geographic stated: "Most scientists agree that today's ice movement may reflect a worldwide cooling trend, but their explanations vary widely."

"From Alaska to the snowy peaks of the Andes the world is heating up right now, and fast," the September issue claims. "Globally, the temperature is up 1[degrees]F over the past century, but some of the coldest, most remote spots have warmed much more. The results aren't pretty. Ice is melting, rivers are running dry, and coasts are eroding, threatening communities."

National Geographic editor-in-chief Bill Allen predicts that this issue will be so controversial that "some readers will even terminate their memberships." "Why would I publish articles that make people angry enough to stop subscribing?" he asks. "That's easy. These three stories cover subjects that are too important to ignore."

Of course, Allen also promises that these stories will "show you the hard truth as scientists see it." "This isn't science fiction or a Hollywood movie," he says. "We're not going to show you waves swamping the Statue of ...