EDITORIAL PIPE DREAM L.A. RIVER PLAN IS NICE.

AS Al Gore has been saying, global warming is happening and it's largely our own fault, thanks to all the fossil fuels we burn for heat, locomotion and manufacturing to make our lives better.

And megacities such as Los Angeles that have more tons of pavement than many nations have the added complication of urban warming -- a condition that makes hot temps even hotter, not from greenhouse gases but from the miles of blacktop and development that hold in heat, unlike scrubland.

All of which brings us to proposals to green the Los Angeles River, which would provide some cooler open spaces for L.A.

The city of Los Angeles' newly unveiled 25-year master plan to deconcretize the river channel and build parks, walkways and massive commercial developments along its banks sounds wonderful. But can the $7 billion project ever be more than a pipe dream when the city can't even afford $50 million for more cops to fight gangs?

Yes, we want the city to make the most of its natural resources. And certainly the city needs more parks. But right now, City Hall has put at the top of the ``need'' list a new $400 million police headquarters and a Convention Center hotel subsidized by taxpayers to the tune of $300 million or so -- all while rushing headlong into heavily subsidizing the Grand Avenue project.

Besides, ``greening'' the river under a plan that includes dense commercial developments in certain places seems more like a boon for a few developers than the environment. Parks and high-rise condos might look better than freeways and warehouses along a gurgling waterway, but do they make a significantly contribution to the city's carbon neutralism? Unlikely. The city could probably do more by spending the money buying hybrid cars for SUV-driving Angelenos.

Transforming the river is a worthy goal, and it would benefit a number of city neighborhoods, including some that have a serious dearth of green space. But when the city's lacking so many basic needs, it seems foolhardy to commit to a plan that would create some pockets of watery delight in a sea of dilapidation.