Is climate change really a threat?

Question

I keep seeing newsreports of how we need to change to "combat" climate change by being more energy efficient around the house and with transportation etc, as if we're all doomed unless we change, and change FAST.

But the way I see it, if climate change is so much of an issue, why has it only in recent years come to surface among the worlds many problems? 10 years ago I don't remember seeing anything about climate change.

5 years ago you could ask someone in the street, "Do you worry about climate change?" and get a "Lol what?" reply.

Now it's more like, "Do you worry about climate change?" and get, "Oh very much so, I've been spending much less time on the roads and saving a lot of energy around the house."

I'm just saying, the change in views to the climate has changed very suddenly, and it seems to be a very fearful topic.

But, is it really a threat? The Earths climate has always been changing, from the Ice Age to tropical climates of the dino era, to now.

And... who profits?

Answer 1

Before I answer your question I need to make a statement.

Carbon dioxide is NOT pollution, it is a natural and vital component of the atmosphere. Without it there would be no life here at all. Plants need it for photosynthesis, and that provides food for animals. All the oxygen in the atmosphere is a byproduct of photosynthesis. So people, please stop equating CO2 with pollution.

We have now had 10 years of cooling or stable temperatures.

http://www.dailytech.com/Temperature+Mon...

The graph in this article shows that 1999 and 2000 were cooling years, 2001 to 2006 were stable and 2007 another cooling year. This has happened despite the continuing increase in CO2 levels, and indicates that the role of CO2 in our atmosphere has been considerably exaggerated, it is a factor, but only one in many.

These measurements have been made by the official organisations that monitor global temperature, not GW sceptics or oil industry people, so they cannot just be dismissed.

What worries me is that instead of learning to adapt to a changing environment, a process that has always, and will always happen, we are putting all our resources into a futile attempt to stop a natural process.

Answer 2

yes its a threat anyone living on the coastal areas is at risk for permanent flooding  in recent years we have just seen bigger differences in glacier run off. also researchers have seen reduction in polar bears and penguins.

                                         save the earth!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 3

It's a political tools and no scientists even dare to mention below (the power of nature itself plays a part):

The earth axial (pole) also shifts from time to time - in 1984 the earth's pole was off centre by 11 degree (77 degree north 102 degree west) and changing, and in 2006 the axial tilt to 23.4 degree off centre, and worse - the earth was about 7.25 degree to the sun's equator.

Remember the earth rotate in elliptical form round the sun, some years a bit closer or further away, our weather changes with it.

Regards

Bill

PS: I'm not in science @

http://www.freeuknetwork.co.uk/Definitio...

Answer 4

It is a totally natural event, and it is completely futile to think you can stop the progress of nature.  Funny how the only weapon they can use is taxation Eh?

Those of us old enough to remember, will recall how in the 1980s, we were told we were all going to suffer damage to cars, houses etc, from acid rain.  did it ever happen?

The scaremongers just move to a new reason, when the current one gets exposed to be a myth.

Answer 5

Climate change is a threat because over the years pollution builds up and severely heats up the earth's surface and that means the polar areas of the earth will melt and then the earth will flood. No one benefits from this.

Answer 6

The greatest most immediate threat is to poor people in third world countries.

Answer 7

All of this is bullshit, if you want to 'combat' climate change we should all switch to nuclear energy which doesn't produce any CO2.

Answer 8

its only a threat to humanity if it starts getting significantly cooler. if the climate cools 2 degrees we wont be able to feed the worlds 6 billion people with current farming methods.

the last ice age was only about 7 degrees cooler than today on average & the permanent ice sheets extended down to the missouri& ohio rivers in north America. the ice locked up so much water that sea levels were more than100 meters lower than today.

a 1 or 2 degree temp. increase would make the world a  much more human friendly place as far as agriculture & human habitability are concerned.

Answer 9

I did a whole general studies coursework on this a few months ago... my title was:

"Climate change: impending doom or over-exaggerated?" (haha, pretty poor title)

It was about how the media can over-exaggerate about climate change and how this spreads fear, but also how this can cause problems as in climate change skeptics can then claim that the whole thing is made up because of newspapers reporting incorrect facts.

Here's a quote from my coursework...

"In a later paragraph, source B then turns the blame towards the media, like source D, and relates how in 2005 an experiment was done to see what would happen if the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was doubled – and the vast majority of results were an increase of about 3°C. However, a few of their models showed much higher increases – the greatest being 11°C. Unsurprisingly, the journalists reporting on the study only mentioned the 11°C figure. This shockingly high prediction sent many people into a fearful frenzy, and caused skeptics to once again begin criticising."

My beginning point in my essay involved a graph, from here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Carbo...

showing how since the industrial revolution the levels of carbon dioxide has rocketed to higher than any other peaks on the graph. It appears (though many still claim otherwise) that human activity has effected this - so it seems that we are changing the climate.

The media is what has caused this fear you mention, some of which is unsubstantiated.

This is a quote I used in my coursework, from a new scientist article (http://environment.newscientist.com/chan...

"such images [melting glaciers, all-at-sea polar bears, and forest fires] are used to portray a global catastrophe that is not just imminent but happening now. The narrative is compelling – the end of the world as we know it, with a series of photogenic disasters along the way"

Because, lets face it, people crave disaster, and this is what sells papers. A headline reading "we may have very slightly warmer summers" isn't interesting, whilst one saying "Millions face draught in global warming catastrophe".

Personally, however, I feel that we should be trying to stay 'green', because it seems evident to me that we are actually doing something to the climate, and it isn't likely to be good. It's a delicate system and shouldn't be messed with!

Also, I think it's only surfaced in recent years because the scientific technology that has been developed that can measure this sort of stuff... it's probably been known about for quite a long time but only in the last few years have governments understood the threat and considered it - and therefore it has got into the media.

This probably wont be much help to you... seen as though I spent so long researching I thought I'd share my views.

Answer 10

Hi xGen,

I am stunned by all this "global warming malarky"

We are all in a cyclic environment here on Earth.

Expect yet another ice-age in about a few thousand years.

Bob & Harry

Answer 11

I think it's complete cobblers.  HM Treasury profits.