Sancho and Quixote Annotation Do you understand the American climate debate? Have you ever wanted to laugh at it? Sancho and Quixote made their debut in 1997. Here is their entire debate, in all its absurdity. Our heroes cover topics like the fate of New Orleans, to the acidic oceans, to climate change economics, to recent debates that include oil drilling in the Gulf and solar radiance. For example: ON NEW ORLEANS, FROM NOVEMBER 25, 2000

SANCHO: “So where are you off to, Quixote?”

QUIXOTE: “We’re closing down our offices in the great state of Louisiana. I’m selling some real estate and liquidating some assets--that kind of thing.”

SANCHO: “Why are your friends selling their real estate holdings in New Orleans?”

QUIXOTE: “I didn’t say that.”

SANCHO: “Did your address get given out to Greenpeace?”

QUIXOTE: “Nope. All I can say, Sancho, is one of the boys from Bermuda Biologicals got a little too loud in a Karaoke bar the other night and so I’m off to liquidate assets.”

SANCHO: “Something going to happen I should know about?”

QUIXOTE: “Where? What do you mean?”

QUIXOTE: “There is nothing we can do to cope with global warming. We must stay the economic course.”

SANCHO: “First, you say we cannot modify our economic system.”

QUIXOTE: “Precisely, Sancho.”

SANCHO: “Because it is fragile.”

QUIXOTE: “Very.”

SANCHO: “Then you say that when our economic system is battered by climate change, its resiliency will carry us through the tough times.”

QUIXOTE: “Exactly, Sancho.”

SANCHO: “But we can’t adjust its course when it is healthy?”

QUIXOTE: “Now you have it, Sancho.”

SANCHO: “Why are you adding baseball base bags to the ocean?”

QUIXOTE: “Look, I do as I am told. They said the ocean was getting too acidic and I should add some bases to it.”

SANCHO: “You are one funny lackey, Quixote. Are you sure they said bases? As in the plural?”

QUIXOTE: “You mean I should just add first base? What difference does it make? You environmentalists are so picky.”