Study: Pythons unlikely to spread far

A recently published study finds that invasive Burmese pythons are unlikely to spread far beyond South Florida,

Researchers from the City University of New York said that a report by the U.S. Geological Survey that suggested pythons could spread far north and west of Florida was alarmist, ReptileChannel.com reports. Based on comparisons of U.S. climate to that of the python's native terrain in southeast Asia, the USGS said the giant snakes could live in 32 states.

EcoWorld - Editor’s Commentary » Blog Archive » The Green Conversation

...Why the negative tone to these two reports? If EcoWorld wants to publish material prepared by “global warming deniers,” it is a matter of open media principle. Our goal as well is to always respect divergent points of view. Isn’t that a good thing? If a global warming “alarmist” has something valuable to contribute to the conversation then we encourage their comments. As for plant genomics, why the selectivity? Scientists are genetically engineering everything today, from human chromosomes to enzymes that eat waste and excrete fuel. Why is the plant genomics conversation taboo? As a conversation about technology, GoingGreen was a great success, but we also need a conversation about the conversation.

Credibility is earned from examining the content of an argument, not by denying the right to argue or even converse. Why is global warming skepticism - whatever that is supposed to mean - sufficient reason to excommunicate an environmentalist from the fold? Because we value a continued conversation on topics ranging from global warming to genomics to “smart growth” somehow means we don’t agree on any other environmentalist values? Isn’t such dogmatic dismissal of a heretic the same behavior as the clerics of old? Isn’t to declare the scientific explanations for any phenomenon as beyond debate to deny the conversation that defines science? How is this indictment any different from that famous line, “you’re either with us or your with the terrorists?” And what of the conversation among journalists - the decorum, the dialogue? Is journalism green, yellow, red, blue, or truly transchromatic?