Why Scaring People About Global Warming May Be Hurting the Cause

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

With Friends Like These...

Some British scientists say colleagues, environmental lobbyists, politicians and journalists who exaggerate and distort claims about the threat from global warming are actually hurting efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The Times of London reports Britain's former chief science adviser, Sir David King from the University of Oxford, says, "When people overstate happenings that aren't necessarily climate change-related... it distracts from the science we do understand. The danger is they can be accused of scaremongering. Also, we can all become described as kind of left-wing greens."

Experts look back at assertions in 2007 that Arctic sea ice was in a death spiral. Climate expert Myles Allen from the University of Oxford says some of those claims were misleading and that, "a lot of people said this is the beginning of the end of Arctic ice and of course it recovered the following year... and everybody looked a bit silly."

An Elephant Never Forgets

Back here in the States, a Pew Research poll finds Republicans are consistently more knowledgeable than Democrats on 10 basic political issues.

Republicans lead by double-digit numbers on three topics: Congress' efforts to tax greenhouse gas emissions, referred to as "cap and trade"; the identity of the newest Supreme Court justice and which party has the majority in the House.

Supporters of the two parties are even in their knowledge of the so-called "public option" in health care reform. Democrats lead in just one area: How much the U.S. spends in health care versus Europe.

Unconventional Wisdom

Connecticut Independent Senator Joe Lieberman says he will probably support some Republican candidates during the 2010 elections. The former Democrat tells ABC that there are hardcore partisans in both parties, but then there are those in the middle who want good things done for the country and that "sometimes, the better choice is somebody who's not a Democrat."

House of Boos

Mental health advocates are spooked over the theme of a Halloween haunted house in New Jersey. They say the Red Mill Museum's "Asylum of Terror" perpetuates negative stereotypes. An ad for the attraction warns visitors that they'll encounter murderous patients with dementia, paranoia and violent sociopathic tendencies.

Celina Gray, the executive director of the Governor’s Council on Mental Health Stigma, objected, saying, "There could be people out there in the audience who are struggling with a mental illness and will not come out and say a word to anyone now."

The town's mayor says the haunted house organizers meant no harm.

— FOX News Channel's Lanna Britt contributed to this report.