Climate change because of green house gases is much worse than most think?

Question

Are we mostly in denial and sleepwalking towards oblivion?

Answer 1

Is that your own research?

Answer 2

Nothing about climate change is clear cut.  The view that a build-up of greenhouse gases is causing global warming is held by a majority of scientists with a relevant discipline, but it is not universal.  There are also plenty of "experts" on both sides of the argument who haven't a clue about physics and mathematics.

The main greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide and methane.  The main producers of both are the transpiration and digestion of humans and other animals.  The main balancing mechanism is provided by trees - they remove carbon gases from the air and store them as wood.  The amount of carbon gases arising from burning fossil fuels is significant, but if we were to stop altogether, it probably wouldn't make much difference.

Over the past thousand years, we have destroyed most of the world's trees.  If we want to balance the quantity of carbon gases currently being produced, we need about three times as many trees as we currently have.  Forget dodgy accounting and offsetting your carbon footprint against existing trees - we need huge amounts of new forest.

Of course, this would require millions of dollars.  In fact nearly as much as the USA has spent on its adventures in the Middle East.

Answer 3

Ozone depletion and climate change from greenhouse gases are entirely different things. Ozone depletion is  caused by the use of ozone depleting chemicals, such as CFCs in refrigerators, air conditioners and fire extinguishers. Ozone depletion causes ultra-violet rays to pass more easily through the atmosphere and it is these rays which cause sunburn and melanomas or skin cancer. Fortunately because of international action on CFCs the depletion has been halted and there is evidence that they layer is beginning to repair itself.  

Climate change caused by human actions, such as greenhouse gas emissions, (primarily CO2 and Methane) is now increasingly accepted as fact in the scientific community. It is difficult to deny the evidence of monitoring ice caps and glaciers and the measurement of atmospheric gases in the ice.

What happens if you ignore climate change? I suspect that sea level rise would be catastrophic to many communities. Are we sleep walking into oblivion? Probably. If our major polluter, the USA, responsible for the release of 25% of our greenhouse gas emissions, does nothing to control its output and relies on yet to be developed technologies to solve its problems, then oblivion will be closer.  

Answer 4

yes we are in a great danger .Most of us just thinking that world has been developing a lot .but we are unable to notice that a gret danger is infront of us.today the resources we enjoying are nonrenewable resources and the ollution causing by it are unpredictable.the nature has its own style.but we the people creating our own style degrading the beauty and naturality of ths nature then what is going to be happen!nothing but the destruction.

               all thes climate changes are due to only because of this gases ejected by the ignorant  creations of mankind.every should think this as ones own responsbility and should tale preventive measurements and should educate the people  who are not knowing of this dangerous calamities ahead.

Answer 5

YES!!!!!  

Answer 6

Yes we are and what puzzles me most is that if Global Warming and Climate Change are really happening, why are our governments allowing us to continue to drive gas guzzling cars which make bad smoke thing?

You see, no one has explained this to me.  I'm allowed to buy a new car with a powerful engine.  All I'm asked to do is pay a higher road tax/duty than is levied upon a less powerful car. etc.

The worst recorded storm ever in UK history struck in the 18thC

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar...

I remain an unbeliever and heretic, a bloody minded sceptic and totally unconvinced about global warming.  The whole thing is a tax con.

No, I'm not convinced about Global Warming and there are two main reasons why I'm not convinced.

Reason Number 1

Back in the early summer, about May, we were shown on TV ice melting from a glacier somewhere in the North, possibly Canada.

I have seen similar film footage taken in the Yukon in 1928.  Ice melts in the northern summer.  Every year since the dawn of time.  It's not new.

Reason Number 2

The London Congestion Charge - we were told this was to reduce the number of cars entering central London.  About two thirds of all cars entering London Monday-Friday are company cars.  Companies simply pass on the cost to their customers.

If you really want to stop cars entering London - you levy a daily charge of £100 - not £12 - I'm not convinced.

Why is it so windy here in UK?

Because the wind is coming directly from the South West - check the map, there's nothing between South West UK and the open Atlantic and all it's awesome power until you hit South America somewhere.

European Weather Satellite - Met Office London

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/satpics/late...

Atlantic Weather Satellites

http://www.weather.com/maps/maptype/sate...

http://home.comcast.net/~herbwx/hurrican...

Simple rules for understanding UK weather.

1] wind coming from the South West - gale force, very damp and wet.

2] wind coming from the west - damp, strong

3] wind coming from the north west - icelandic, often cold blustery

4] wind coming from the north - cold

5] wind coming from the north east - cold

6] wind coming from the east - viking

7] wind coming from the south east - german dutch cold

8] wind coming from the south - in summer = hot french sahara etc

Light brown dust on car following overnight rain = sahara dust - hot weather.

Golden moon at night = rising warm air.

Born in 1941, I've seen far worse summers than this.

One of the most annoying this ever is to have to listen to some thirty something prat on TV tell me that 'we are having unusual weather and it's due to global warming'.  What utter tosh. The Island of Britain is subject to flooding.  The Island of Britain has more tornados than any other place on Earth - bet few know that, but it's actually true.

Answer 7

I wonder - I'm reading the diary of Samuel Pepys (1661 - ) and he complains about the unseasonable weather.  He talks about too warm winters and the fact that it hadn't snowed in years.  And the next winter sees him with a friend skating on the Thames.

It's not that I don't believe in climate change, or global warming, and I do think we should do all we can to make the world a better place to live in (I won't drive a car) but I don't think there is enough credit to natural changes.

Answer 8

Recent programme about Planet Earth showed how natural gases contained in ice are being released faster because of global warming, which in turn will speed up the melting of the ice, which will mean the gases are released quicker.  Builds a cycle that will not be stopped.  

Answer 9

If you think it is, explain why the "Ozone Hole" is at the South Pole, but all the CO2 emitters (US, China, Russia, Europe) are all in northern hemisphere. Shouldn't we at least figure this out before we make statements like GW is a problem?

It may be a problem, and then again, I may hit the lotto.

Answer 10

Possibly, but probably not. "Most think": The majority of peoples' awareness of climate change hovers around what is considered truth or fact. Polls have shown that even 2/3 of Americans believe climate change to be man-made and a serious issue that has to be tackled.

That said, there are many participants in Y!A who are in denial and for whom your first staement is correct. These people - a minority - have found themselves a platform to vent; don't worry too much about them!

In other words, don't confuse the world's population with the select few who write in this forum!