Global Warming? Whats your take?

Question

I personaly do not think we contribute much to global warming. In fact, I'm not so sure we should be worried about it at all. OK, 1 degree temp rise every 100 years? That's fine with me. The thing about planets is the temp. does change, with or without our help! Ice ages happen, and interglacial periods happen. Since we are clearly not currently experiancing an ice age, this is an interglacial period, where the temp goes UP! (Or at least,stays the same) People believe what they are spoon-fed. Global warming is the topic of the moment, and the general public is falling for this, hook, line, and sinker.

I'm not an illogical person. This is what I think. I could be wrong, but I came up with this by myself, after some research. This is my take on it, I don't want to force it on anyone else.

My question is, what do YOU think about it? Maybe you'll even convince me :p

Answer 1

It's just the latest of a long line of scares propagated by the left in an effort to exercise a greater amount of control of the general public. It appealed to the most emotional of lobbyist, the environmentalists, hollywood types, etc. People who believe themselves to be more important than the rest of us.

These folks need religion, but deem themselves too exclusive to attach themselves to the traditional ones.

Enter man made global warming or climate change if you will.

It appeals to a lot of people for a variety of reasons, none of these being the pursuit of truth.

Answer 2

Sure, in one sense global warming is perfectly normal and natural, the properties of physics in action.  We know that the same natural mechanisms that triggered global warming in the past are still present today.  We simply happen to be triggering this warming with a few of those warming mechanisms (increase in atmospheric greenhouse gasses and the emission of black carbon pollution, which changes albedo, both of which may trigger additional CO2 release from oceans and methane release from melting tundra and frozen ocean sediments).

But since we are only one degree or so into the current warming, it's important to learn from both recent and paleontological examples of warming of several degrees, to see what we're in for with regards to future consequences that are coming.

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Sea Level Rise -

Past observations:

"These coastal measurements indicate that the 2006/2007 global averaged sea level is about 200 mm higher than in 1870 and that since 1870 there has been a significant increase in the rate of the sea-level rise."

http://wcrp.wmo.int/documents/WCRPnews_2...

Rohling and his colleagues found an average sea level rise of 1.6m (64in) each century during the interglacial period.

Back then, Greenland was 3C to 5C (5.4F to 9F) warmer than now - which is similar to the warming period expected in the next 50 to 100 years, Dr Rohling said.

...roughly twice as high as the maximum estimates in the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report..." explained Dr Rohling.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/natur...

Future outlook:

"Instead of sea levels rising by about 40 centimetres, as the IPCC predicts in one of its computer forecasts, the true rise might be as great as several metres by 2100. That is why, they say, planet Earth today is in 'imminent peril.'"

http://www.heatisonline.org/contentserve...

"A one-meter sea level rise would wreak particular havoc on the Gulf Coast and eastern seaboard of the United States.

'No one will be free from this,' said Overpeck, whose maps show that every U.S. East Coast city from Boston to Miami would be swamped."

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/...

"melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet would result in a sea-level rise of about 8 meters (table 1). The West Antarctic ice sheet is especially vulnerable, because much of it is grounded below sea level. Small changes in global sea level or a rise in ocean temperatures could cause a breakup of the two buttressing ice shelves (Ronne/Filchner and Ross). The resulting surge of the West Antarctic ice sheet would lead to a rapid rise in global sea level."

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs2-00/

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Ice sheet melt (and natural vs. current melt rate):

Past observations:

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk...

New research confirms that ice sheets in West Antarctica are thinning at a far faster rate than in past millennia.

http://www.barentsobserver.com/hottest-a...

"This winter might become the mildest winter in Northern Norway ever registered. So far the average temperature in parts of the region has been up to eight degrees Celsius above the normal."

"Ground-based surface temperature data shows that the rate of warming in the Arctic from 1981 to 2001 is eight times larger than the rate of Arctic warming over the last 100 years. There have also been some remarkable seasonal changes. Arctic spring, summer, and autumn have each warmed, lengthening the seasons when sea ice melts from 10 to 17 days per decade."

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/eart...

Future outlook:

"This week, after reviewing his own new data, NASA climate scientist Jay Zwally said: "At this rate, the Arctic Ocean could be nearly ice-free at the end of summer by 2012, much faster than previous predictions."

Ominous Arctic Melt Worries Experts

'Arctic Is Screaming,' Say Scientists Seeing New Data; Worry Over 'Tipping Point'

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireSto...

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Extinctions:

Past observations:

"Prior major warmings in Earth’s history, the most recent occurring 55 million years ago . . . resulted in the extinction of half or more of the species then on the planet."

http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/2008/State...

It was the Earth's most severe extinction event, with up to 96 percent of all marine species and 70 percent of terrestrial vertebrate species becoming extinct. Because approximately 25 percent of species survived the event, the recovery of life on earth took significantly longer than after other extinction events. This event has been described as the "mother of all mass extinctions".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permian-Tri...

Future outlook:

http://www.killerinourmidst.com/methane%...

A careful examination of a large number of species in numerous parts of the planet projects that a stunning portion of them will be "committed to extinction" in just 50 years, with only modest global warming (Thomas, 2004).

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Crop damage and rising food prices:

Past observations:

Food news: http://www.climatechangenews.org/nFood.h...

Hunger. Strikes. Riots. The food crisis bites

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/20...

"Across the world a crisis is unfolding at alarming speed. Climate change, China's increasing consumption and the dash for biofuels are causing food shortages and rocketing prices - sparking riots in cities from the Caribbean to the Far East. Robin McKie and Heather Stewart report on the millions facing starvation - and the growing threat to global security"

Hungry mob attacks Haiti palace

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7337...

Future outlook:

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/...

"Already, according to Randall and Schwartz, the planet is carrying a higher population than it can sustain. By 2020 'catastrophic' shortages of water and energy supply will become increasingly harder to overcome, plunging the planet into war. They warn that 8,200 years ago climatic conditions brought widespread crop failure, famine, disease and mass migration of populations that could soon be repeated."

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From looking at the evidence I have to conclude that we have more than enough data to show that we are contributing tremendously to the natural process of greenhouse gas warming, and that the consequences to our societies built on a fairly stable climate could be catastrophic.

We all like to think that we're logical people.  Now re-read this and explain to me, how does this qualify as cold, logical calculation?

"People believe what they are spoon-fed. Global warming is the topic of the moment, and the general public is falling for this, hook, line, and sinker."

Looks like rational-ization to me!  If not, support your claim that people are "falling for" something.  Anything!

Are you open to recognize and admit that many so-called skeptical "scientists" are actually simply paid industry advocates, part of a PR scam on the part of oil and coal companies, who have hired former tobacco industry lobbyists to run a disinformation campaign?

Slamming the Climate Skeptic Scam

http://www.desmogblog.com/slamming-the-c...

"Few PR offences have been so obvious, so successful and so despicable as the attack on the scientific certainty of climate change.

One major funding source:

Exxposing ExxonMobil's Agenda: Manipulating Politics and the Public

http://www.exxposeexxon.com/facts/dailyf...

Television and cable networks gladly run fake science to increase controversy and keep their ratings and income high:

At Fox News, a Pundit for Hire

http://www.freepress.net/news/print.php?...

"Objective viewers long ago realized that Fox News has a political agenda. But, when a pundit promotes this agenda while on the take from corporations that benefit from it, then Fox News has gone one disturbing step further"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Mill...

The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University, documents how the media supports the false appearance of controversy on the topic of global warming:

http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/05...

Creating controversy where science finds consensus

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1978

"A new study has found that when it comes to U.S. media coverage of global warming , superficial balance—telling "both" sides of the story—can actually be a form of informational bias."

Media False Balancing Allowed Extreme Views to be Treated Same as Scientific Consensus

http://www.globalissues.org/EnvIssues/Gl...

Here's how scientific papers pro and con stack up:

http://norvig.com/oreskes.html

The consensus was quantified in a Science study by Prof. Naomi Oreskes (Dec. 2004) in which she surveyed 928 scientific journal articles... 75% agreed with the consensus view (either implicitly or explicitly), 25% took no stand one way or the other, and none rejected the consensus.

The evidence suggests that most people are "falling for" science, (except the 6% of people who fall for denial propaganda).

Answer 3

Well, I agree that it's hard to care when the facing language is "global tempratures raise 1 degree." Of course, that could mean that tempretures in New york city go up an average of 6 degrees a year and fall in Siberia by 5 degrees per year.

Anyhow, I'm inclined to beleive scientists, who (unless in the direct employ of energy companies) agree that Global Warming is real and is important, and is human influenced. Scientists tend to know more about science than say, businessmen or politicians or radio talk show hosts.

Then again, I have no children, and the fate of the world beyond my dying breath means nothing to me. So, I tend to be green only insofar as it has an immediate benefit to me (saving money on my electric bill, or avoiding municpality fines).

Answer 4

Global warming is a natural phase of Earth, caused by some Solar Activities by Sun. We human don't have to bother about it. Some of the environmentalist says that this is because of the CO2 we are emitting into the environment, but the reality is that we are just contributing towards 1% to 10% of actual global warming.

If the actual cause of Global Warming is CO2 emitted by the humans then why Global Warming occures on other planets. Just Google for "Global Warming on other planets" and see the results, there are no humans on other planets.

Having too little CO2 in the environment will cause for the plants to die more early, more over it also cools down the temperature on earth.

Having too much CO2 (obiviously, not caused by humans. Mostly generated in the Sea/Oceans) will lead to Green House effect and will lead in increasing the temperature on Earth.

So, the best is to plant more trees so that there would be a balance for the consumption of CO2 on the planet.

I personally think that instead of thinking on this baseless issue try to think on what if Nuclear War broke out in the world, it will destroy Earth more rapidly.

So, next time whenever somebody says you about global warming, just ignore it.

Answer 5

Global warming is something big ..alot of ppl dont care about..to tell u the truth some ppl dont even knw about it...anywayz i mean ppl the world is melting do something about it...we need to make a better were for ppl who will be living after us..i mean dont litter try to walk and not use the car...tell ppl about it warn them..The sun is gonna be way too hot and melt all the ice then the water level will rise and all the land will be burried under water...we might live on mountains....but i mean sooner or later our life isnt gonna be so great if dotn do anything...All im trying to say is do something before it's too late!!

Answer 6

At least you and I don't believe the media hype.  If more people did some research instead of going with the crowd, we could solve more problems.

You'd make a good scientist.

Answer 7

Yeah, it's true. The science isn't new. People have known about this for a long time. The main effects you can see right now is the glaciers and polar caps are melting very fast. When the mountaintop glacier are gone, the major rivers that supply most of the worlds water will go dry. That's as little as 10 years for some glaciers, as much as 50 for others. Here's why it's happening.

CO2 is found in small amounts in the atmosphere but is the most active common gas in retaining atmospheric heat, as shown by Tyndall in 1859

Humans have raised the level of CO2 a measureable, but quantitatively small amount. Qualitatively though, the increase is around a 40% increase over the pre-industrial value. Estimates made in 1957 were able to predict this increase for the 20th Century.

Every doubling of CO2 has been considered to equate to an increase in temperature of 5-6°C based on bench top experiments of Arrhenius in 1896. These experiments are very reproducible. The observed rise in temperature of the earth's has been more like 1 degree C, leading some to argue that the actual predicted rise should be more like 0-1 degree C. However, if you use the observed change in CO2 and the observed change in temperature you get a value of 2.5 degrees for every doubling of CO2, which is around the commonly accepted value.

Rises of 4 degrees C above where we are now have in the past been associated with the six known mass extinctions but not other periods (not including the era before life on land). Humans evolved at the peak of the last ice age, and can handle a drop of 10 degrees easily. No higher form of life has ever survived a rise of more than 4 degrees.

Answer 8

global warming is horrible

im currently writing a project about global warming for my school project.

i just started but this is what it is like so far...

Global warming is basically a saying used to described the overall increasing temperature in the earths atmosphere. Many scientist believe this is caused of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Which is produced mostly from the burning of such fossil fuels as oil, coal, and natural gas; and chlorofluorocarbons, used in aerosols and refrigerants. There is a normal and natural level of carbon in the air but the excessive amount of pollution in the air causes a dangerous affect and warms the earth. What happens is that the gases get trapped into the earths atmosphere and therefore produce warmer temperatures. These gases act like the glass of a greenhouse(that’s why its called the “greenhouse effect”) they allow short ultraviolet energy waves from the Sun to penetrate into the atmosphere, but prevent the escape of long (infrared) energy waves that are emitted from the Earth's surface. Global warming is leading to melting of the ice caps, flooding, and warming. This leads to many other problems and effects everybody and everything on this planet and our everyday life style.

but i just started. il have more later.

but global warming is horrible and i think the earth is going to be ruined in our generation

Answer 9

It's good you're educating yourself on the subject.  Too many just accept the lies and believe it all despite scientific proof that humans don't and can't cause climate change.

Expect to get a lot of opposition to your way of thinking.  Be strong and don't quit learning the truth.

People just naturally like to feel guilty and everyone loves nature, so it's very easy to make people feel guilty that what they do hurts nature.

We've lowered pollution levels dramatically the last 20 years and still all we hear is how we pollute too much.  I'm sick of it.

Enjoy life.  It's way too short to be spent feeling guilty about nonsense.

Answer 10

I believe that it doesn't matter if global warming is a hoax or not.  We need to take better care of our environment through reducing green house gases, our appetite for gas guzzling cars, and our excessive lifestyle in the United States.

Answer 11

no matter how hot the earth gets it will never be as hot as me

Answer 12

YOUR HYPNOTHSIS ON GLOBAL WARMING IS ASTOUNDING. I REALLY THINK YOUR MIND HAS SNAPPED. GLOBAL WARMING IS REAL AND DUE TO THE ERATIC CHANGES IN THE CLIMATE, FROM THE MELTING GLACIERS, THE EARTH WILL CONTINUE TO HEAT UP  UNTIL ALL LIFE IS DEAD AND GONE UNLESS ALL NATIONS DO SOMETHING OTHER THAN TALK ABOUT IT.

Answer 13

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/glo...

Global warming is but a component, in a group of destructive forces at work such as ;deforestation,desertification,soil and water contamination ,irresponsible or wasteful utilization of bio resources , air pollution,Non sustainable Agriculture,over pumping carbon aquifers

all concepts which are definitely not part of the Natural Processes of the Natural world

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

WHICH WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR,

The most prolific growth on this planet is part of the day in the mist and most of the time under clouds ,and the least growth is always directly in the sun .

To exchange the one for the other means changing local climates

We are exchanging Nature with Tar , concrete and open spaced mono cultures.

In 300 years half of the planets forests have gone ,and in the last 50 years half of the wet lands ,and rain forests

These Areas absorb heat during the day and release heat at night ,

Cause cloud formation(shade).humidifying the air on the surface as well as releasing excess water at the roots that keep rivers flowing ,which in turn brings more water into the Environment .

As well as contributing to absorbing carbon emissions as do the leaves of the trees together with the oceans .

All in all many factors which directly affect the local Environment .

The loss of the above resulting in rivers drying up ,less rain ,desertification,loss of habitat for many species and so on.

dryer and hotter surface environments which can manifest in different weather patterns such as tornadoes or bush fires

I may be stupid or Naive but somehow i believe that lots of these local environmental changes, can add up to affect global weather, If there are enough of them (and there are)

And then on top of that comes the story of the effects of pollutants released into Nature and especially the Air ,by MAN http://earthissues.multiply.com/photos/a...

A cocktail of events and a lot of the ingredients have MAN written all over them

So it is safe to assume that we should look at ourselves ,just a teeny bit ,for possible improvements ,and rectifying Eco errors that are with in our powers.

What is a safer bet

to be or not to be

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 14

Real, mostly caused by us.  You talk about what people "falling for this".  Do you think most all scientists are "falling for this"?  Or that they're lying?

This is science and what counts is the data.

"I wasn’t convinced by a person or any interest group—it was the data that got me. I was utterly convinced of this connection between the burning of fossil fuels and climate change. And I was convinced that if we didn’t do something about this, we would be in deep trouble.”

Vice Admiral Richard H. Truly, USN (Ret.)

Former NASA Administrator, Shuttle Astronaut

Here are two summaries of the mountain of peer reviewed data that convinced Admiral Truly and the vast majority of the scientific community, short and long.

http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Ima...

http://ipcc-wg1.ucar.edu/wg1/wg1-report....

summarized at:

http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report...

There's a lot less controversy about this is the real world than there is on Yahoo answers:

http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/a...

And vastly less controversy in the scientific community than you might guess from the few skeptics talked about here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_...

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/fu...

EVERY major scientific organization has issued an official statement that this is real, and mostly caused by us.  The National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Institute of Physics, the American Chemical Society, the American Geophysical Union, the American Meteorological Association, etc.

Good websites for more info:

http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/f101.a...

http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/sci...

http://www.realclimate.org

"climate science from climate scientists"

http://environment.newscientist.com/chan...

Answer 15

I am not convinced by how much man has contributed,  I have emailed a climatologist to inquire and his conclusion were that the data did not lead him to conclude that either. The thing is you need to research and ask questions and make up your mind based upon that research that is logical.  Those who just follow the crowd without reading or taking the time to learn are illogical.

Answer 16

i went to Alaska in January and all the locals said they haven't seen the ice pack this big in years... there's no global warming its all just climate trends

Answer 17

just read the whole book of Revulation