Global Warming: Are we doomed?

Question

My college chemistry professor is also a contributor in the IPCC, and is a strong promoter of global warming. Yesterday, he lectured on global warming and its effects. He presented a large amount of data, charts, graphs and other information. Many of the charts and graphs contained data that was extrapolated into the future under possible conditions.

He stated that unless we make serious reforms very soon, the average temperature of the Earth could rise as much as 5 or 6 degrees Fahrenheit in the next 100 years or so (from what I remember). He said this could cause more than 50% of life on Earth to cease to exist.

It is apparent that no immediate reforms will be made, as politics and people move very slowly. As of yet, there is no viable alternative to gasoline. Industrialized nations such as China are not likely to change, even though others are working toward reform.

If my professor and the models he presented are correct, then is human civilization doomed?

Answer 1

I doubt it.

A lot of these graphs that predict the future are just speculation.

For example: in 1999 global warming activists in the UN predicted climate change for the next 100 years. It is now 2008 and they have been wrong every year so far. It has been cooler than predicted. You can compare their predictions to the actual temps recorded and they are off. The same is true for the predictions today.

Also don't get fooled with the term "Greenhouse Gas". It just means CO2, the same stuff we naturally breath out. As a matter of fact just one human breathing produces .9kgs of CO2 a day. Multiply that by 365 days in a year and about 7 billion people and that adds up to about 1.5 times as much as all the pollution in the world according to the last UN Report. Of coarse animals breath this stuff too. (including polar bears) Ask your teacher about that?

Answer 2

Possibly.

There are possible feedback loops that will spiral out of control - take methane that is locked in frozen tundra as just one example.

Once we reach the next big tipping point, we may find that additional greenhouse gases are released and the warming becomes exponential.

That said, there are remarkable things that we can do to ensure that emissions are sequestered. I'm not talking about clean coal - that is a load of c**p - its not just catching the ghg before it gets into the atmosphere - you might as well use renewables and not have to store the ghg bound with a plastic polymer for the rest of human civilization.

One good option is ocean seeding, with iron, which is a commonly deficient building block for photosynthetic organisms in the infertile stretches of ocean... providing that when the nutrients cycle back up again, the ecosystem can deal with that - but that is a long long long way in the future.

Yes, it is possible that we are doomed, but there is no point assuming that, we need to try and transition to a carbon constrained economy.

I recommend that you look at the WWF site and particularly their policy document on climate change. They have worked from the science to tell us what the world should do to limit warming to 2 degrees C.

Get stuck into it:)

Answer 3

The 5-6 degree F temperature increase (3-4 deg. C) sounds about right as it is consistent with past global temperature maximums.  The rest is pretty much hype.

Answer 4

No.  It's all made up.

Answer 5

Yes, we will soon die from massive droughts combined with floods and heat waves and cold snaps and aliens and termites and mutant lobsters.

Answer 6

No, I don't think so. The opinion all around the world is shifting very rapidly, including the U.S, though some instances there still seems very reluctant to understand the urgency and communicate it to the public. Once the seriousness about this hits people I do honestly believe that we within a very few years will see major changes within almost every area about how we produce and consume products. Unfortunately, I think the rich world are always a little too late with changes to prevent poor people from suffering badly. We only act powerful enough once we can see the threat to ourselves. This also affects rich world economies as it's much more expensive to make desperate and urgent changes than to change direction in a more smooth way.

Answer 7

In the year 2525....

We are DOOOOOOMED [so we've been told by cranks ever since the street corner was invented]

Answer 8

I don't believe it's made up. I think that we are damaging our planet constantly. In China they are having such a problem with pollution that people are covering their faces. I think it's quite pressing that we need to make changes in way we think. If we don't think we can kill off every living thing on the planet...think again.

Answer 9

Yes, If things warm any more, people will get off track more and more from what they should e doing to worry about global warming.  What you saw was an excellent example of a chemistry teacher teaching climate change, when he should have been teaching chemistry.  Soon you will go to an accountant and he will  talk about it.  and then someday you will try to buy a candy bar and the cashier will talk about it.  we are doomed.

Answer 10

no, but we need to act soon. developed countries such as America need to get on board and begin making drastic cuts if we are to avoid dangerous climate change (about > 2 degrees C). we currently have the means to solve this problem, just not the political will.

although the ipcc's predictions are relatively conservative they are predicting up to 6 degrees C of warming by 2100 if no changes are made and although i think his predictions of 50% extinction may be slightly exaggerated (note: i haven't seen many studies relating to this so this is just my uninformed opinion.) it will still be very damaging to human civilization and life in general.

Answer 11

Maybe. That's because:

Its us, humans, fault. We pollute the air so much! We should ride bikes to work/school, drive those hybrid cars.... etc. But don't panic!! We still have our lives to live! So... to help prevent (and everyone should do this) We can:

1. recycle things

2. use non-wasting-gas officiant cars

3. carpool

there are many ways but I can't list them all!

This link: http://www.ehow.com/how_2044984_prevent-...   is a very good link. Its simple and easy to understand.

Answer 12

I don't think we are doomed but I expect a lot of problems for our children and grandchildren.

I think there is now much more of a political will to do something about the situation so I don't think the 'do nothing' scenario is the most likely. I think there will be action in most or all countries and as a result the temperature rise will be more like 2 degrees.

These actions will not be enough to prevent major issues in some countries especially those already prone to flooding like Bangladesh but not be catastrophic for the world as a whole.

Answer 13

Ha ha the other guy is like no its made up, um well us particularly aren't doomed but if us and the future people keep up on doing the same things we are doing that's causing global warming would probably wreck the planet badly!!

Answer 14

Ask your professor where he stood on the 'Ice-Age' scare of the 1970's.....'man-caused', of course.  There were claims of catastrophic levels of death due to the inability to grow food.....etc.  When the 'Ice-Age' never happened.... there were no apologies from the scientists who started that non-sense..... they simply went away.

Remember, the Earth's climate is NOT static.  It will warm or cool in cycles as it always has....in spite of what Man does.

Answer 15

No..