Is it too late to save the earth from global warming?

Question

I was wondering, people are always talking about how we need to save the earth, but with all the damage is it possible to undo it? I mean, if we conserve energy..ect. can we make the earth as if it was a million years ago?

Answer 1

It's too late, we're doomed.  A consensus of psychics say the Earth is going to end in 2012.  Might as well give up school and party for the next 4 years!

Answer 2

The earth is doing fine. You dont have to save the planet from natural cycles.

However it is possible to manipulate the natural cycles to make the planet behave as what the media sez it "should". Inyection of particles in the upper atmosphere and aerosols can lower the temperature at a low cost.

But that wouldnt be "natural"... the horror....

Answer 3

According to everyone who gave an answer thus far, you would think there either is no such thing as global warming or that humans can't possibly do anything which could have an effect on nature.  hmmm.

Well, to all of you, I hope you're right.  But just keep in mind, there  are plenty of things out there that cast doubt on your theories that we have nothing to worry about and nothing we can do matters one way or another.  And there plenty of scientists that insist it is vital to dramatically reduce pollution (fertilzation, garbage, toxic waste, fossil fuel burninge, etc.) for a number of reasons.  Do all of you really feel this is unimportant, do whatever you want, the earth will take care of it for us?  I don't get how disregarding the warnings from scientists is so wise and how so many of you can be so care-free about this.

Anyway.  You can put a list together of people who agree and disagree with AGW (Anthropogenic/man-made Global Warming).  Personally, I always hear of famous people who say it is real, but I don't know of any famous people who don't, just a few politicans and a handful of scientist who have actually become more well-know for their oppostion to AGW.  And in particular (forget about all Gore, he's not a scientists, he's simply a messenger)... When I hear one of the smartest 'brains' in the world express concern about something like this, and will put his reputation on the table to tell us to wake up... let's just say it gets my attention.  So I can't understand how so many of you people who don't know jack about anything (myself included), can say unequivocally, "there's no such thing as global warming" or "man can't do anything to harm the evironment on a global scale, etc."  How can you be so sure?

Anyway... one of the smartest people in the world today (proved the existence of blackholes, and insight on how they work among other incredibly important things in the world of quantum physics and science in general)...

"We have to reverse global warming urgently, if we still can.  The earth is in much more danger from human action than from natural disasters.  This is not a prediction of doom, but a wake-up call.  We have to recognize the dangers, and control them.  I'm an optimist and I believe we can."  - World Renowned Physicist Professor Stephen Hawking - ABC News Interview, August 16, 2006

So that's the best I think anyone can really do for you here... It would seem that there must be something more to this global warming thing, a lot of really smart people are truly worried about it and insist we have to act.  But even the smartest people in the world are still saying... we can do 'something', but the more we do (or do not do) about this 'sooner', will have the most profound effect 'later'.  So time could really be of the essence.

My opinion... I think 6 billion people, which will eventually be 10 billion people in our life-times I'm sure, need to start taking some responsibility for their sheer numbers with relation to pollution.  Pollution is real.  Burning fossil fuels, is not beneficial to the environment.  The earth has managed to deal without the 'added' green house gasses (which come from carbon buried deep in the earth and safely out of the atmosphere) for millions of years.  How anyone can say, it's not big deal is beyond me.  This isn't Al Gore 'worship' talk, this is 'common sense', plain and simple.  I don't give a flying pig's f**t about Al Gore's opinions, but I respect them with regard to certain things relative to this subject.  But Al Gore is not the focus, he's one person.  If you want to listen to anyone, you should listen to the top scientists who represent the latest information through scientific peer-review.  And yes, it's all over the place, therefore you should listen to all sides of it, but somewhere in all that, a picture is painted.  And that picture right now predicts the following... CO2 will continue to rise, both anthropogenically, as well as naturally, and more so perhaps through what is known as positive feedback loops (domino effects set off from runaway warming like ice melting which releases more trapped gas and exposes darker surfaces which has a lower albedo, thus, absorbs more of the sun's energy and accelerates warming further, etc.**).

I want to just stop there and expand on one point for a second.  Just one of the things you hear scientists talking about, and why they think this is serious...  Take the ocean's for example...

"The role of the oceans in global warming is a complex one. The oceans serve as a sink for carbon dioxide, taking up much that would otherwise remain in the atmosphere, but increased levels of CO2 have led to ocean acidification. Furthermore, as the temperature of the oceans increases, they become less able to absorb excess CO2. Global warming is projected to have a number of effects on the oceans. Ongoing effects include rising sea levels due to thermal expansion and melting of glaciers and ice sheets, and warming of the ocean surface, leading to increased temperature stratification. Other possible effects include large-scale changes in ocean circulation."

Now Al Gore may not be able to explain all that, his interpetation... more CO2 and higher temperatures, equals, rising seas.

But scientists understand it, better than most of us, and tens of thousands will argue that this is indeed an issue.  So for all of you who think they know what is going on.  Whatever you think... to say the case is closed on this - go home... how different are you from the town's folk who burned all those women who were accused of being witches in Salem?  Think about it.

Global Warming, without a doubt, needs further study and in the meantime, we need to lower our carbon footprint and find better ways of supplying and conserving energy, reduce pollution, and so on.  Anyone who thinks differently either seriously doesn't know what they are talking about or just doesn't care.

Answer 4

my sister. if we all act to gether and start recycling, picking up trash u see one the streets, and use differnt fuels and many other more things. i think that if we do ACT NOW and WORK to GETHER we can make a difference.

Answer 5

We can't go back in time and make the earth as it was before industrialization, but we do need to take steps in order to facilitate our adaptation to the changes that are happening.  I do not believe it is too late to save the Earth.

Answer 6

we cant make it lyk how it was a million yearz ago but we can alwayz protect it frm future damages! =)

Answer 7

No. There's actually an estimate as to when it will be too late. Once the earth's CO2 levels reach a certain amount, the damage will be irreversible and our society will slowly deteriorate due to the effects of global warming. That's why we're so eager to help stop the problem.

Answer 8

We can't because there is a hole in the ozone layer.

I think the only thing we can do is slow down the process.

Start conserving energy and stop polluting and all that.

But there are so many people in the world that don't even care.

Its really hard.

Answer 9

No it is not too late. However every moment we wait to act properly is only going to make the consequences worse. No matter what there will be consequences but the severity and duration of those consequences is entirely up to us.

There are certain things that cannot be repaired such as over 50,000 species a year that are going extinct, many of them from man made degradation such as chopping down the rain forest to make way for cattle farms that we really don't need in the first place.

In any case here is a list of things you can do right now.

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

2. If you own a vehicle own a higher efficient one like a hybrid.

3. Live downtown and rarely drive

4. Give to various environmental charities (Union of concerned Scientists, Nature Conservancy, and the Sierra Club).

5. Go Vegan. Probably one of the greatest positive impacts an individual can have on the environment as meat production in more energy intensive, and creates massive amounts of methane (20x's more powerful than CO2), as well as takes us to 16 pounds of grain to make one pound of beef).

6. Buy local goods. Being a locovore is key to helping the environment when our food is shipped an average of 1600 miles. I buy at the local co-ops and farmers markets. I also buy local woods, fragrance sprays, clothing and more. Whatever I can find that is of decent quality and price I buy over non-local.

7. Gardening: I have planted many bushes trees and flowers over the last few years. I also have a food garden that brings local and sustainability to a whole new level.

8. Compost: Saves loads on trash and I need not by fertilizers which are often petroleum based. I also save on having to ship in extra dirt.

9. Travel Less: Especially buy plane which literally releases tones of CO2 per passenger per trip.

10. Promote Awareness: We can't do this alone

11. Write elected officials to create green laws.

12. Put CFL's or LED's throughout your whole house.

13. Use solar and crank flashlights: They save me money and the environment in energy as well as the embodied energy of batteries.

14. Use tote bags :America uses over 380 billion bags a year that will not decompose in the landfills.

15. Drink filtered not bottled water which takes petroleum for each bottle you drink and through away.

16. Throw away a little as possible: I often find uses of people who want things in which many would through away out of sheer laziness.

17. Buy hemp clothing: grows more prolifically than cotton, is stronger fabric making it last longer, and requires no pesticides.

18. Buy recycled goods such as toilet paper, reclaimed materials for shoes, used clothing and construction materials, etc.

19. Add extra insulation to you house.

20. Walk or bike where possible; Or if you must take public transportation.

Answer 10

As of now.... we can save the Earth from nothing .

Answer 11

For all the people who believe in global warming, get a life.

There has always been global climate change there always will be. Humans CAN NOT do enough to have an effect on this.

So to answer the question It never was to late.

Answer 12

There is no scientific proof of global warming.  In fact, over 17,000 VERIFIED scientists have signed a petition to end this nonesense.

People are always whipped into a frenzy over something - it used to be global cooling, acid rain, drought, Y2k.  

I don't mean to be rude, but you do know the earth is coming out of an ice age, and any small warming trends are COMPLETELY NATURAL, right?

Think about it.....  The earth has been warming and cooling on it's own natural cycle for millions of years.

Answer 13

No, the Earth is a living thing just like the plants, animals, and humans that live on it.  This current global warming trend is most likely just a natural cycle that people want to say that humans are most responsible for.  Considering that 94% of all green house gases are natural occurring and only 6% is man made and it has been rising but not that fast to effect the whole earth or so I believe.