Global Warming

[mr_pikachu]

In recent years, global warming has become as radically charged a topic as the likes of welfare, gun control, and perhaps even terrorism. The "debate," if one can call it that, has consisted largely of broad, sweeping statements made by both sides in an attempt to overpower the other. While you may or may not believe some of the more extreme doomsday prophesies, there is little question that those who say global warming is a serious problem are getting most of the attention. Whether it's eco-friendly lightbulbs or Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, we are constantly guilted into changing our ways. How can we deny the call when the planet is on the verge of destruction?

But there are some dissenters to this notion. Many have argued that global warming is a cyclical phenomenon, and that we will eventually go into a period of global cooling (perhaps even another ice age). Others have made the claim that while our actions do contribute to the effect of global warming, the effect is negligible; an oft-cited example is the comparison of a car's exhaust with the greenhouse emissions of a farting cow. Despite such euphemisms, however, this side of the debate has gathered little attention.

So you might be surprised to hear that the Weather Channel Founder Wants to Sue Al Gore (http://www.citizensugar.com/1093812) for fraud. John Coleman recently criticized "alarmists" at the 2008 International Conference on Climate Change, going so far as to include alarmist Weather Channel reporters who he claims have taken over the station.

Many scientists and scholars believe that global warming is a phenomenon which must be curtailed. Others wholeheartedly disagree. What's your outlook? is global warming damaging the environment? How severe are the effects? And should Gore be sued? Tell us what you think!

*dives away from grenades*

[Roy Karrde]

I think we can say with out a doubt that Global Warming exists. That is a proven fact and cannot be disputed. Now the question remains as to how much Humans have had influence on Global Warming. As much as Al Gore likes to claim that there isn't a debate on it, and anyone that says otherwise has been paid off by big oil. The truth is that there is very much of a debate, and both sides have their facts.

I believe that everyone wants to be good stewards of this planet, and wants to keep it clean. The problem is that those that do not want to follow the Global Warming alarmist like Lemmings and basically live in straw huts, are painted as not giving a shit about this Planet.

Worse of all Global Warming has quickly become a political subject, European Countries who dislike American Enterprise, create treaties such as the Kyoto Treaty. Which would do nothing to stop Global Warming, as it does not punish the countries that are quickly rising or have risen to be the most polluted. Such as China and India, and other countries in the region in which Environment regulations are pissed on for cash.

Also it should be noted, that in 2007, the world cooled substantially, wiping out nearly a century of cooling. For the Human Global Warming crowd this is could be pointed to as a sign of how much our world can flucturate now. For the Sun Global Warming crowd, it points to show that Solar Output is more a cause of Global Warming than anything else.

http://images.dailytech.com/nimage/7390_large_hadcrut.jpg

http://www.dailytech.com/Temperature+Monitors+Report+Worldwide+Global+Cooli ng/article10866.htm

[firepokemon]

Very interesting Mr. Pikachu. Well I'm going to just say what I believe.

The world is heating up, Australia has been in droughts in some areas for years and undoubtedly some places are experiencing much drier weather. However, that does not mean I believe in global warming.

50 years or so ago there was a belief that the world would cool down and we were going to face a new cold age. It didn't happen. In the year 2000 people were so scared of Y2K that it spread panic and fear among people. It didn't really happen did it. Global Warming is just that debate. Its a machinery of hype with some scientific basis to it that however, can be overturned by other scientific evidence.

Clearly greenhouse gases are bad, its bad for health reasons and its possible its causing harm to the atmosphere. But the hype machinery believes we're warming up and that anything that contradicts that is considered unwarranted and unfounded. On the other hand you have the other side who flatly refuses to say greenhouse gases is causing global warming.

Currently most OCED countries excluding the United States have joined and signed the Kyoto Treaty which is a treaty that says developed countries should achieve Co2 levels back to 1990 levels. Now I don't know how other countries are going to achieve this but in New Zealand while we only contribute 0.1 or 0.2% of all greenhouse gases, in proportion to our population we are heavy greenhouse gas users. Most of our greenhouse gas can be contributed to our agricultural industrieis specifically cows which comes to 50% of New Zealand's total greenhouse gases. Most of that is in dairying which is considered white gold here because it has brought alot of money into New Zealand. Thus for New Zealand to achieve cuts in greenhouse gases we must somehow cut the remaining 50% of greenhouse gases, which, isn;t likely. Otherwise we would have to stop being an agriculture based country, that isn't likely because its just too important for our economy or we somehow use new technology so cows don't produce as much Methane. That is impossible at this stage.

The world must do something about greenhouse gases and perhaps new technologies in terms of transportation and electricity will achieve this goal. But that depends on developing countries like China, India, Brazil, Russia and the United States achieving that goal.

Now as to whether global warming is real or not. I say in its current argument which is dominated by European viewpoints that global warming is caused by greenhouse gases and that in 20/30- 50 years time the world will be in trouble. I believe that to be nothing but hype and I don't really believe in global warming. But something is certainly happening.

[Roy Karrde]

Hey FirePokemon, just to correct you, China and India are not considered Developed Countries by the Kyoto Treaty, and thus the only reason they signed it is that it does not put any restrictions or goals for them. They basically signed it for grins and to go "Hey we signed the Kyoto Treaty"

[firepokemon]

Ack I did mean developing. Oh well.

[Roy Karrde]

Although bringing up China and India, I would like to float a question if that is okay with you Mr. Pikachu. Since Global Warming is a "Global" problem, and not just a "Developed Countries" problem. Should the world work on a treaty that treats Developed Countries and Developing Countries equally. Instead of favoring one over the other, becuase as long as you do that, America wont sign it, and China will sign it like crazy.

[Clark]

There is no such thing as Global warming. Its a world-wide government conspiracy so they can steal all the oil for themselves and make us drive shitty electric cars.

But, anyways, on a serious note. Theres nothing out there thats going to prove to me that it really exists. You can provide tons of charts, idiotic documents from people I've never heard of, etc. Until my skin begins to melt off with my clothing on, theres no such thing.

[Jeff]

I used to think that the predictions about global warming were an absolute fact. I remember hearing back in middle school that in 10 years, we wouldn't be seeing any more snow here in Maryland. That was about 10 years ago. I'm not sure when it really hit me that that was BS, if not earlier it might have been when it snowed here last April. Oh and then there was the snowing out of a "Stop global warming" rally earlier this year, that was pretty funny.

Whenever it happened, I'm now a strong global warming skeptic, and haven't been paid a dime by any oil company (unless you count the gas station I've worked for, but Mom-and-Pop shop =/= "Big Oil" by any means). I'm not denying that the Earth has gotten warmer, but it should be noted that there are also times when it has gotten colder, including a cooling trend from the 1940s-70s, which explains why most people in their 40s remember it being colder when they were younger, because the Earth's temperatures hit a low point back then. There was also the Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age, both of which occurred before the Industrial Revolution, and of course, the big ice ages. The Earth's climate, without human influence isn't exactly as static as most people think, which is why so many are being led astray by the global warming doomsayers. Add on to that the fact that the media always seems to latch onto whatever news is most sensationalist. Which sounds more exiting, "the Earth's climate is going through a natural fluctuation and we have nothing to worry about" or "the Earth is heating up and we're all going to die!"? People just need to stop paying attention to what doomsayers, the sensationalist media, and former politicians looking for attention have to say, and form their own opinions by doing their own research.

[Blademaster]

Glue is tasty.

[Cheesey]

The world has heated up at various stages recently, yeah. You can see that from the increase in the charts and everything that the proper official climatologists in important places provide us with. But climatology is heavily based on what we have recorded and what we think we can predict. Weather has been recorded for not a lot longer than 100 years or something... and predictions aren't facts. The world's been around for billions of years and making predictions on the future of our planet can't really be done that accurately with the little recorded information we have. I mean, I know it indicates that the planet's warmed up since weather has started being recorded. But the climates within the world are always changing. I reckon that yeah, we've helped speed up the warming of the Earth lately given the massive increase in the amount of CO2 produced within the past couple of centuries. But "sped up" doesn't mean "caused".

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to cut down on CO2 emissions, but I can't see significant cutbacks being made anyway as long as China and the USA and the other maaajor CO2-producing countries keep going the way they are. But that's just a prediction... just like everything else concerning global warming!!

[Gavin Luper]

I agree that it's normal for the Earth's temperature to fluctuate; I also agree that human activity - ie. industralisation - has made an impact on the Earth's temperature. But in the end, if we're to be honest, none of us can actually make comment on global warming with absolute conviction. (Personally, I'm wondering how they go about 'calculating' this so-called global temperature.)

I generally take the approach of erring on the side of caution. If we're looking at this in practical terms of our future on this planet - and of all our lives - then I'd rather see changes made reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases than see nothing done at all. If it turns out that global warming is caused by human activity, then great, we made the right move. If not, we still got rid of tonnes of noxious gases that, whether they cause global warming or not, are still apparently harmful to the environment, not to mention our own health. You can't tell me you'd like to be breathing in MORE air pollution each day. (Well, you could, but I'd think you an idiot; or more precisely, an idiot intent on being contrary for the sake of looking uber-cool.)

If it were up to me, we'd all revert to a sort of early 20th century level of technology, sans smog stacks. You know - just go cold turkey on the whole coal/oil thing. But of course that won't happen. We're too dependent on cars, trains, buses, ships and planes; on the internet; on the electricity grid in general. I spose if I'm to be realistic, it would be a good start to see more solar power generation, wind turbines and the like, which we do have a lot of in WA. It's just unfortunate that they aren't as 'efficient' as coal.

I could harp on about this subject for hours and go down all sorts of tangents, but I think I'll have a breather now.

[Heald]

Even if global-warming isn't being caused by humans, it wouldn't hurt to cut CO2 emissions. You don't have to accept the idiot's view that environmental policies hurt the economy. Nowadays, people are buying into the ethic that people ought to be reducing their carbon footprint. Besides, the world's gas supply is rapidly diminishing, and the sooner we make the change to greener modes of transportation and production, the smoother the transition will be. You think the economy will suffer if we start acting now? Think how bad things will be when gas finally runs dry, and we're still all driving gas-guzzling cars and relying on gas for supplying our homes and industries with power. The quicker people do their part to help the environment instead of burying their heads in the sand screaming 'global warming doesn't exist', the better off everyone, and the economy, will be.

[classy_cat18]

Okay, I've been keeping out of these debates lately but this time I'm adding my two cents.

I used to think that global warming was real. I live in Birmingham, Alabama. A city that thrives on its steel production. The air's less than perfect, the traffic sucks, and the chance of snow is laughable while tornadoes and thunderstorms are expected all year.

But this winter my home has experienced two periods of real snow. Sure, it doesn't stick around long. But it's snow! It has even snowed in Texas. Texas! That brings me to my theory. It may or may not be global warming, but something wacky is happening that the whole world should keep tabs on. What's warming up, what's cooling. Unless we get something similar to The Day After Tomorrow, where we have this huge crisis that has all the world's leaders feeling like idiots.

[Magmar]

Spewing shit into the atmosphere is bad whether it causes global warming or not!

[Gavin Luper]

Spewing shit into the atmosphere is bad whether it causes global warming or not!

I concur!

[Roy Karrde]

I found this great article by the Washington Times which sheds some light on some of the IPCC and it's reports on Global Warming.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080314/COMMENTARY/702895001/home.html

[Heald]

I found this great article by the Washington Times which sheds some light on some of the IPCC and it's reports on Global Warming.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080314/COMMENTARY/702895001/home.html

No surprise really. It is a panel that only exists to create panic. If there was no panic, they'd all be out of a job.

[Mystic_clown]

I agree with Magmar and Gavin, whether or not we're causing Global Warming, we may as well cut back on using fossil fuels like coal and oil and try to move to more cleaner, self replenishing sources, like solar or hydro power. It's just good to get into it now before everything runs out so we're not stuck in the Dark Ages for a few years.