Global warming and the next ice age...?

Question

I don’t believe in Global warming or the next ice age. (Well, I completely don’t believe in the ice age but I do think mybe the earth might be getting warmer, but this is normal and I don’t think it’s the end of the world.) And I have loads of reasons why...but I won’t get into that right now. Although I accept I could be wrong. I don’t think every-one who believes in Global warming or the ice age is an idiot or anything; but if I don’t go along with what the media and greenies say apparently I’m a soulless hypocrite who caused the problem in the first place. Why aren’t I allowed my own opinion? Whenever I talk about it with my friends they get all mad at me and are determined to turn the whole thing against me and say scientists are always right. I told my geography teacher I don’t believe in it, and he tried to tear me down too. Why can’t I freely believe what I want instead of just believing whatever the media says? WHY??

Answer 1

Most people, including your teacher get their information from the media, who would have you believe every weather even on the face of the planet is caused by climate change.  The popular media is not the best source to form an opinion.

Scientists are not always right, if that were the case, science as practiced by the medical field would never have a malpractice suit.  Chemistry, as practiced would never introduce a drug which causes more problems than it cures.  I cite the medical sciences, as it is the field that most people can relate and can see the lack of perfection.  Do I fault these professionals?, no, for the most part they are doing the best with what they have.  We must also note, that even in the noble practice of medicine, there are very few doctors who will selectively edit their work,  making compound X appear to have charicteristics that in fact it does not.  Fortunately, this "bad science" is discoved relatively soon, not from peer review conducted on it, but in the morbitity or mortality compound X is associated.  The effects of compound X are almost immeadiate, but is still takes a couple years for the mistake to be corrected by another scientific body.  After that the lawyers get a hold of it and make millions.

Any one science is no better than the other, and any group of scientists less perfect than another.

What really grabbed by attention about you lamentation is that people infer that you lack a soul.  This may or may not be true, I can't tell you, but.........Enviromentalism is a religion.  DO NOT CONFUSE religion with theology.  Religion is simply a set of beliefs and practices, theology relates to the befief is a god(s) or lack there of.  Many scientists claim to be atheists, thus deny the soul.  This leads to a delema, where do these people form morals?, and by extention ethics.  Many will claim natural law governs the universe, and concern themselves in describing "what and how"  by never "why", subsituting nature as god.  There is a term for those that do this substitution, pantheists, and thus the evolution of Scientific Pantheism.  At least Dr Davis Suzuki has the foritude to admit his own beliefs.  Most will deny thier own dogma.  You, in the eyes of these pantheists are a heritic, thus "soulless".

Listen, I've had to cover such a broad spectrum in such a small space.  I suggest that you look into scientific pantheism, while it won't answer "WHY" you will begin to see the context of how some others view the universe, and a reason for such a religious adherence to a particular dogma.

Answer 2

you can believe in whatever you like. i think your theory is pretty justified in many ways, the earth is constantly changing climatically. we see it change quickly day to day but it also changes slowly over time, it never stays the same because the tectonic plates move, causing continental drift which means countries will begin to get warmer or colder etc and thats what we experience and think oh my gosh global warming. but a considerable percentage of the effects of global warming are caused by us. and really you never know..the ice might come and itll be mammoths and weird little squirrel things all over again..

Answer 3

Im with you in some ways.

But i believe we are in the ice age now but nearing the end of it hence the reason we see the earth warming up.

Answer 4

Well there is concrete evidence for global warming. You may not feel it but people around the world are perishing from droughts and floods. You may not feel the effects where you are but countries more suceptable to extreme weather conditions and storms are being thrased because of the off-tide patterns.

You have to experience it to believe it. I have and now I am sure of it. Maybe you will too.

Answer 5

not trying to tear you down any but if you'd been around long enough you'd know that it is actually getting warmer but you are right though, you are entitled to your own opinion and your own beliefs, I met this weird religion couple once and they didn't believe that dinosaurs ever existed either

Answer 6

I think its refreshing that your not following the crowd, any time a group claims that they are out to save the planet I am skeptical I doubt that they are that concerned, its more about a controlling others.   If your not sure on the issue, research on your own, then draw your conclusion.

Answer 7

You can believe what you want.  That doesn't make your opinion particularly well supported.

Distinguish global climate variations from the debate over human impact on such changes.  

Substantial long term global climate changes are well demonstrated by the geologic record, including evidence from fossils, ice cores and the like.

Significant short term change is clearly shown in historic records.

The role of CO2 and other trace gases in impacting the heat balance of the planet's surface is easily demonstrated.

CO2 and other key trace gas levels have been steadily rising.

Thus one would expect to see some impact from human release of these gases.

The exact level of that impact remains a little uncertain, but that an impact can be expected is widely demonstrable.  That a relatively few and mostly oil-industry funded critics demand absolute certainty doesn't invalidate the observation of warming and the clear likelihood of a substantial human component to this warming.

I strongly suggest you read some of the summary articles.  Here's one I liked: http://www.fas.org/faspir/V52N4.htm  Perry had long involvement in climate research.

Answer 8

I think it is important to allow people to have their own opinions but not if they are dangerous.

For example, if you supported a different sports team than me, I wouldn't be yelling at you but if, in your opinion, the best thing to do when driving towards a brick wall is to step on the gas... well, I'm going to start yelling at you!

It probably isn't fair just to "tear you down" and always insist that you believe because "scientists are always right"; that's a bit too much like religion for me.

However, even if the evidence isn't strong enough for you to believe in GW, let me put it this way:

If you're right and there is no GW and you don't try to save energy, reduce pollution, etc then the planet will simply be a little smellier and not so nice a place to live and you will have wasted money unnecessarily.

On the other hand...

If you're wrong and there is no GW and you don't try to save energy, reduce pollution, etc then millions (billions?) of people might die, 90% of species are wiped out and life as we know it ceases to exist.

Can you see why some people get emotional?