And a bit of bipartisan insanity introduced in the Senate by Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and John Warner (R-Va.) would require companies to scale back greenhouse-gas emissions, costing the United States $4 trillion to $6 trillion over the next 40 years.

While those estimates are billions of dollars higher than many previous predictions of Kyoto’s economic impact, they are only the beginning. Once the U.N. has its claws into the American taxpayer, anything goes. As the famous Washington quote goes: “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money.”

How are they getting away with it? Partly because of ridiculously one-sided reporting from the American press. From August to November, the big three broadcast networks did 170 stories on climate change. Few stories questioned prophecies of actual danger or pointed out the debate within the scientific community.

NBC was the worst with 94 climate stories – more than one per day. The network also threw its considerable corporate weight behind Al Gore’s Live Earth concert, providing more than 75 hours of air time. Then, to top it off, NBC Universal launched a “Green Is Universal” week filled with eco-propaganda. The highlight, or lack thereof, was the football preview show where they turned out the lights on the set to claim they were saving energy.

It hasn’t stopped since. On November 27, NBC’s Kerry Sanders told a heartwarming tale of the nearly extinct Key Deer population surviving. But disaster was just around the corner for the dear deer. “Wildlife experts say while the Key Deer population has rebounded, there are still long-term threats – like global warming,” said Sanders.

That is precisely the issue the Bali conference will address: the threat posed by an evil mankind to an innocent earth. But where is the other side of the issue? The media bombard us with constant economic concerns, yet ignore the devastation a multibillion- dollar hit to the economy – annually – would cause.

When Crosby went to Bali, at least he had Hope. All we have to watch out for us is the media – and that’s no hope at all.