"Pop-culture gaming" has taken the next logical step with global warming wagers becoming a growing segment. Media outlets are reporting BetUs.com is offering those who like to take a chance with their money the opportunity to gamble for or against predicted outcomes of climate change. Among the options, 100-1 odds that polar bears will be extinct by 2010.

You know something has caught society's attention when people are betting on it. That has to be a good thing right? Or maybe not, other bets include pop princess Britney Spears walking down the aisle with the fallen king (Michael Jackson). It also doesn't help that many of the bets are so far out there it has climate scientists saying anyone who would bet on them is an idiot.

With propositions that include 150-to-1odds that oceans worldwide will rise an average of six inches by the end of the year and 100-to-1 that Manhattan will be underwater by 2012, I'm inclined to agree.

But why aren't skeptics willing to bet against warming?

Climate-themed betting isn't an invention of the online gambling community though, scientists have been challenging each other to put their money where their mouths are for years. And from the sounds of it, scientists skeptical that global warming is happening are none to eager to shake hands on it. I wonder why these scientists are sure enough of their stance to accept funding from oil companies, but not sure enough to put that money up against worldwide consensus. Wanna bet they know the IPCC global warming report was watered down and things are worse than they seem?