The main problem IS the population explosion. All those people eat a lot of cows (who also fart a lot) and need to cut down rainforest for grazing. I think you underestimate our ability to screw things up royally.
Just for fun, try this exercise, see how many earths we would need for sustainability if everyone lived like us: https://www.myfootprint.org/ |
My two cents:
It has been proven that there have been natural warming and cooling cycles during the Earth's 5 billion (?) year history. The problem I have with folks who claim the latest warming trend is all part of a natural cycle is this: During the history of man on Earth, the amount of manmade greenhouse gases that's been added to the atmosphere is nothing compared to what's been added to to the atmosphere during the past 100 years or so from manmade activities such as manufacturing, vehicles, heating and cooling our buildings, using electricity, methane emissions from livestock (I would argue that this is "manmade" due to our insatiable appetite for meat), and anything else you can think of. I think it's foolish, naive, silly to think that we could have produced all these greenhouse gases without having a noticable impact on the global climate. The precautionary principle states "if an action or policy might cause severe or irreversible harm to the public, in the absence of a scientific consensus that harm would not ensue, the burden of proof falls on those who would advocate taking the action." In this case, the "action" is continuing, unabated, our manmade activities that produce greenhouse gases. Finally, I would say that any money spent on reducing energy consumption (i.e renewable energy, more efficient homes etc.) will be paid back many times through the savings. Wouldn't we all like to have little or no utility bills some day? |
Bah - like any theory there will be strong arguments for both sides of it. Do I think we are experiencing global warming? Sure. Do I think humans are to cause for it? Some, but not nearly as much as others would like to think. Do I think it will be our demise? Absolutely not - I believe it is just a period in a cycle. In the mean time I'm going to go release some R12 into the atmosphere and burn some coal in my fireplace. :)
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Well, here is the 4th Assessment Report by the
International Panel of Climate Scientists (some 2500 scientist), I doubt one could read it comprehensively and not have a more informed opinion: https://ipcc-wg1.ucar.edu/wg1/Report/...Pub_SPM-v2.pdf https://www.ipcc.ch/SPM13apr07.pdf https://www.ipcc.ch/SPM040507.pdf |
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bowtieguy -
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CarloSW2 |
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2500 scientists will agree to anything that will provide more research money. Follow the money and you will find the reason. You'll find that when you talk to someone not motivated by money that you get more correct information.
The top hurricane scientist in the nation (don't recall his name) even said that global warming has no impact on hurricanes, that hurricanes have more and less intense cycles and we are entering a period of more intense storms. The Sun itself has cycles of more and less energy output, some spanning 11 years. We've not been taking reliable information long enough to know if the Sun has even longer cycles than 11 years. More - there are still temp records, both hot and cold, that were set 100 years ago. If global warming were actually being caused by emissions of man, all records would be from the last 20 years, not from the last 100. Incidentally, our recordkeeping isn't really reliable for further than about 100 years ago. The technology to make reliable, repeatable instruments just wasn't there. And even more. How can the scientists have an accurate picture of global conditions when they don't even know what they are looking at? Just a week or so ago (can't find the link now) Yahoo news reported that scientists have just discovered a major undersea current that connects the oceans around Antarctica that is a major driver of oceanic power, and has a significant impact on our weather. How can they model the weather when they don't even know what the MAJOR impacting forces are? How many more are they missing? It's not that I don't believe that man has an impact on the planet, I know we do. But, I don't think the people who study it know enough to make facts out of opinions, especially when they stand to either land or lose research dollars based on what they "discover". This is just what I see as one who is not steeped in any dogma from one side or the other. I try to look at things clearly without preconceptions, which is why I am as I am. I don't believe everything I see or hear from other people, I don't accept or dismiss facts based on preconceptions, and I do alter my behavior when the facts show me to be wrong. If I weren't like this I'd still be building myself engines for large vehicles and dogging them out with no regard to the environment, and would just have a stronger air conditioning system tacked onto the side of the house, rather than having gotten rid of my gas guzzlers, started looking for more efficient transportation, begun planning for an off-grid, all renewable energy house, ect. Really it would be far cheaper for me to just stay as I was, but in my opinion going in the new direction I've chosen will result in a cleaner planet. I didn't reach these conclusions based on what some egghead said though, I reached them based on real things, like seeing the haze from pollution in Los Angeles and reports of mercury poisoning in fish causing certain lakes and rivers to ban fishing. I have no faith in some scientist that says the planet's temperature will raise 1 degree in the next 50 years and this will be the end of civilization, and the world can only be saved if my research project is fully funded. |
I wish we could all do a little bit to help. Pollution is a bad thing. One does not have to look far to see its cause and effects.
And I think there is some truth to global warming. But to the extent many are claiming. Naw,,, Should we pay more tax. Hell No!!! The idiots waste most of what we give them now. We cant kill AIDS yet. But somebody wants to waste billions on ice caps. Research goes where the money goes. And the money follows political and economic veins. |
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