Pity the poor senator or representative trying to stay alive in the political jungle. At every turn, there's a danger: a constituent who actually wants something done. Or worse, a campaign donor who might be offended by that something.

Our criteria is that it's okay to invest in companies so long as they stop lobbying in Washington, stop exploring for new hydrocarbons, and sit down with every one else to plan to keep 80 percent of the reserves in the ground.

Most of the men and women who vote in Congress each year to continue subsidies have taken campaign donations from big energy companies.

When we think about global warming at all, the arguments tend to be ideological, theological and economic.