'We're toast' without action on warming, says NASA scientist. What do you think? What should be done?

Question

Full story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080623/ap_on_sc/sci_warming_scientist

Lead:

WASHINGTON - Exactly 20 years after warning America about global warming, a top NASA scientist said the situation has gotten so bad that the world's only hope is drastic action.

James Hansen told Congress on Monday that the world has long passed the "dangerous level" for greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and needs to get back to 1988 levels. He said Earth's atmosphere can only stay this loaded with man-made carbon dioxide for a couple more decades without changes such as mass extinction, ecosystem collapse and dramatic sea level rises.

"We're toast if we don't get on a very different path," Hansen, director of the Goddard Institute of Space Sciences who is sometimes called the godfather of global warming science, told The Associated Press. "This is the last chance."

Answer 1

Though wrong, he's entitled to his opinion.  Most scientists would disagree with him.  Maybe he works for Al Gore.

Answer 2

We're toast anyway.  I believe in global warming, but it is not going to cause human extinction, perhaps tens of thousands of other critters will get zapped, which is unfortunate.  However, I predict what will snuff out a good many of us, possibly to brink of extinction...some d-bag scientist, intentionally or unintentionally, turning loose a genetically engineered/manipulated virus or bacteria that either out right kills us or causes a massive failure in plant life leaving humans without food.  Chew on that for a while.

Answer 3

James Hansen is a socialist associated with the soros Foundation( a global socialist organization).

         And the fact that he could never cut it in the private sector should be a clear warning..

Answer 4

Hello,,does this mean we need to set our bagels outside?isn't that bad if you use cream cheese?what kind of toast do they use in the scientific world,,oh yeah,,toast,,deepfried in beaker ointment,just like their brains.

Answer 5

We have an action plan, see it at CoolingEarth.org

California Can Be Carbon Neutral

We have to rebuild our infrastructure.

We have to cleanup our messes.

We have to enjoy life.

Have fun

Answer 6

I think he's right, because of the key words in that speech - tipping point.  Once we hit certain tipping points, global warming is going to accelerate beyond our control.  Once large amounts of methane are released from permafrost and/or the Earth's albedo decreases too much from melting ice and/or the planet's carbon sinks become saturated, there won't be very much we can do to stop the planet's warming.  We're projected to reach these tipping points in just around 3 deg C further warming.

In fact, we're already starting to see some consequences of just a few degrees of warming.  See Myth #12 here:

http://greenhome.huddler.com/wiki/global...

What we need to do is reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to avoid those tipping points.  We still have time.  Scientists have said we need an 80% reduction in worldwide greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.  But if we're going to meet that goal, we need to start reducing our emissions ASAP.

Answer 7

He elicits comments and editorials such as these:

http://www.worldclimatereport.com/index....

http://www.space.com/spacenews/businessm...

http://www.space.com/spacenews/businessm...

http://www.space.com/spacenews/businessm...

Doesn't appear to be MUZZLED to me! --  make your own decisions about his "science". (I think I remember another NASA scientist that was "peer" reviewed for speaking out against GW.)

Oh-- by the way since "we are toast" I wondered if I could borrow a little jelly or jam?

Answer 8

Why does every generation have to de-bunk Malthus all over again?

We had to put up with this nonsense in the 1960s, from Erlich, who just continued to embarrass himself with bets on commodity prices.

Answer 9

Global warming and cooling has happened to Earth many times in the last few hundred million years. And the geological record shows all mass extinctions occur during times of global cooling. During times of global warming there is usually an explosion of new life. So I am not especially worried about it.