What are they talking about when politicians refer to "Climate Change"?

Question

What are they talking about when politicians refer to "Climate Change"?

Answer 1

Global warming, pollution, the weather, toxic emissions, ice caps melting... etc.

Answer 2

Global warming

Answer 3

a change of climate.

Answer 4

how bout this

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

Answer 5

they are selling you a hoax so you will feel good about paying higher taxes

Answer 6

Climate is the long term average of weather.  Climate change be measured when changes in weather are so extreme, we notice them.  This causes changes in the long-term averages (a consistent trend like global 5-year mean temperature consistently increasing).

Weather, in part, is what redistributes energy from places that receive lots of energy on the Earth to places that receive little energy  (from the equator to the poles). The sun heats the earth (shortwave energy passes easily through the air to the soil), and the energy is re-radiated as long wave energy  (a.k.a. thermal or heat energy) that does not pass as easily through our atmosphere.  It is blocked by many gases, but CO2 is very effective at blocking long wave energy (much better than water vapor for example although there water vapor is 1000s of times more abundant). Because of the increase in CO2 in the atmosphere from human activity (and other gases to like methane and CFCs), the atmosphere is warming up more than is typical from just natural forces (orbital effects that control the ice ages, and 7 &11 year sun spot cycles, volcanic eruptions that typically cool temperatures).  Solar radiation has be constant for the past 30 years (measured by NOAAs orbiting satellites) and scientists agree that higher concentrations of CO2 from human activity have already cause an average 0.7 C in global temperature over the past 100 years (global warming). The warming will continue until CO2 emissions are reduced.  Because everything we do affects CO2 and the carbon cycle, stopping all emissions seems impossible.  But the biggest disruption to the cycle, the thing affecting the balance the most, is pulling fossil fuel out of the ground and burning it.  This takes CO2 that has not been in the air, plants or animals for millions of years and puts it back into the cycle.  Finding alternative energy sources is a big step in reducing CO2 emissions.

The warming (global warming) will cause changes in our weather and as a result, changes in our climate.  The changes may result in massive hardships for people.  However, taking actions to reduce emissions will also cause hardships.  

The politicians are trying to work out the best way to minimize the effects of climate change on people, and the best way to minimize the effects of combating climate change on people.  The job is a no-win situation for the politician. Most want to pass the buck to the next person.

Answer 7

well......it must mean 'change' whatever you're watching,reading,listening to  etc. on the climate!...for instance, DON'T read the latest report from World NetDaily stating over 31,000 American scientists--including over 9.000 Ph.D.s in fields like climatology,atmospheric science and other related specialties--signed a statement "rejecting" the idea of any global warming due to human interference. They said there was "no convincing scientific evidence" for the claims. Poor Al....and now, poor John who just jumped on the bandwagon!  Besides, why worry about it?  If were dumb enough to get into this(supposed) shape, what makes anyone think we're smart enough to get out by recycling our pop bottles??!?!?

Answer 8

global warming. it is proven that there is no global warming though. a scientist came to my school and showed us proof that the earth is actually cooling down!!!! boy r they wrong! i guess that could be global change 2<just in a way nobody knows. see they say that because there r people who believe in global warming and people who don"t. some people might think im an idiot saying there is no global warming. you see,if they go one way (like say global warming is real) they wont get the people who feel differently's votes. but for the people who do believe,they are thrying to say they will do their best to stop it from happening.

Answer 9

it's all bull

Answer 10

Global warming is not just for our kids and grandkids to deal with. Climate change is here. A decade ago, it was debatable. Now the future is unfolding before our eyes.

Climate change is evident worldwide: in melting Artic Sea ice[1], world-wide glacial retreat[2], Antarctica snowmelt[3][4], changing ocean currents[5], changing ocean chemistry[6][7], spread of tropical disease[8], altered patterns of agriculture[9], sea level rise[10][11], etc...

Billions of people face shortages of food and water and increased risk of flooding, climate experts from the IPCC have warned. Many of these risks will probably come as early as 2020.[12] These findings have been supported by independent research groups.[13]

Answer 11

They are talking about global warming and the things that are happening because of it.

Answer 12

Our Climate is definitely changing. For what reason? That's the debate.  Are humans causing the change?  Possibly but most probably indirectly.  Most of the CO2 being generated is coming from volcanic activity, not fossil fuel usage.  However,  as we removal the fluid/gas cushion deep with in the earth, plates and fissures grate and grind storing enormous energy that has to be released-thus earth quakes,volcanic eruptions thus global warming.  When a body heats up, it becomes more molecularly active -thus more unstable.  It become  self perpetual.  

Alternate fuels will help.  We must start today and see the 1st signs of success in 50 years the earliest.

Answer 13

They are referring to a long-term overall change in the climate such as a warming or a cooling trend.  This is not a short-term phenomenom, and occurs over hundreds and thousands of years.

This is a natural phenomenom that's been going on since the earth was formed and most credible scientists agree that man has little or no impact on this change.

Answer 14

Now this is a question that should be in letters six feet high.

Why do politicians ever say anything?... to get votes!

Over the last few decades, voters in western democracies have become increasingly sensitive to environmental concerns. This has resulted in a significant proportion of ‘swinging’  voters that any party may attract through their environmental policies. These days every political party has an environmental policy... thirty years ago almost no-one had one.

The global warming movement is driven by politics, not science. Government funded research programs are now heavily biased towards ‘green’ research in order to try and retain and attract ‘green’ voters.  Opposition parties need to be ever more ‘alarmist’ to attract that green vote to themselves.

When politicians talk about global warming they are trying to win your vote, not gain your cooperation in saving the planet!

This is not a global conspiracy, simply a common expediency that is valid in many western democracies.

I look forward to more active debate of this aspect instead of the constant bickering of two opposing factions that have nothing new to offer to the discussion.

Answer 15

As a geologist, I get pretty annoyed listening to people that imply climates are stable.  They are not.   We live in an ice age.  The temperatures and sea levels always change.  The only question is whether it is going up or down.  We are fortunate to live in a warm period.  Those that suggest that any climate change must be the fault of man obviously have other agendas besides truth and science.

Answer 16

We have been in a slight cooling trend for the past five years, and have had no statistically significant warming for the past 12.

http://wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com/200...

Since they can no longer scare us about global warming, they have changed it to climate change.  Now they can blame any severe weather pattern on climate change.