Global Warming; Fact or Fiction?

[Satya]

On one side you have a massive movement pushing to cut CO2 emissions and move to alternative energy because burning fossil fuels may be moving us toward a climatic change. On the other side you have a liberal movement that argues that global warming is a hoax, perpetrated by government and business agencies aiming to make green off a going green agenda. So what do you think? Is Global Warming a lie or something important that we need to begin making changes to address?

 

[HenRick]

I just want to state that either way if people do beleive in it most people will be more willing to polute the air less.
If they don't then they will continue to populite excessively or until it effects there financies (like the gas
prices for example).

Or maybe it doesn't matter what some people beleive because they wouldn't care either way.

 

[ulan_bat0r]

im no scientist. But its very clear logic for me (as far as i can see logic)

Our main source of oxygen which is produced from photosynthesis, the rain forest, - is cut down.
Then all living creatures on this planet that use and need this oxygen, more people - more animals for food etc, - are decreasing
On top of that we the humans release even more CO2 with traveling, making products, energy etc..

Its blatantly obvious for me, that this is a spiral that needs to end sometime, no matter how exaggerated the climate problem is.

 

[Quinlan]

All I know is that in my country the weather patterns seem totally screwed up. 100 year *insert climatic event* seem to be the norm. The last summer we had the warmest sea temperatures I've ever experienced here, while that was good for surfing it still made me wonder what the hell was going on.

 

[sumone]

I suspect it's a mix of truth and lies. General Electric, Al Gore and others will be raking in the green if they get their way. Al Gore is saying in his speeches that global warming 'deniers' are 'conspiracy theorists' and I've noticed if you bring up the hoax questions people really do look at you as if you're a nutjob. Global warming is getting to be more like a religion every day.

 

[Aoiluna]

Im a firm believer in protecting the biodiversity that we have and taking care of the planet; in my opinion it doesn't matter how severe of a condition our environment is. If people are willing to help the environment (no matter the reason) it sounds good to me. Selfish intentions + good actions still produces good actions.

It seems that most people "go green" because it has become this social standard where anyone with a hybrid car is considered a good person and anyone with a hummer is looked at as an asshole. Now, we can argue about that, but if it gives people incentive to become more eco-friendly then I don't really care.

Our planet is changing and whether or not it is as severe as the media is making us believe, hundreds of species go extinct every day because of deforestation. This itself is its own problem that I wont go into because everyone has heard it before im sure...

 

[alcyone]

Well, if you look back to the last time the Earth experienced a temperature change, you'd be looking at the era between the 14th and 16th centuries called the Little Ice Age. Now the average temp only droppeed 2-3 degreed C but....that small drop created global freak weather patterns. Snow in July, the year without a summer, etc....

Now, while we won't necessarily see the same types of weather. I am sure we'll see the other end of the scales. Droughts become way more intense, storms are bigger and stronger, heavier monsoons, more flooding. And while a year or two without a winter sounds like a good idea, I know for the more northern regions winters kill off a good part of the bug populations. The number of cases of bug borne diseases in both humans and wildlife will skyrocket, and our lives will generally be more miserable as a result of them.

While it might be considered better for agriculture, an increase in the bug populations means more pesticide use, and like we saw in Iowa and along the Mississippi with the flooding this spring, freak weather patterns can destroy our food crops just as throughly as cold did in the 14th century.

Whether or not people want to believe humans are responsible for the warming of the earth, or that it is a natural thing, or that it is all a bunch of smoke. The geological evidence is there that humans could be facing some really really tough times if we don't adapt to our new and changing environment.

 

[nonlinear]

The basics of global warming are very simple. CO2 concentrations are easy to measure, and it seems to be increasing on a global level. The positive correlation between CO2 concentration and temperature has been shown from deep ice cores from Vostok station, and there is a good physical explanation for this phenomenon. These are difficult to dismiss. However despite all the modelling efforts it´s not easy to predict how much the climate will change and at what timescale. There are both negative and positive feedback effects in play, and many of the interactions are poorly known. There is definitely a great risk that the effects will be severe.

 

[alcyone]

But some of the loudest people in the GW debate are also the ones who refuse to see the scientific evidence of it. It doesn't matter to those kinds of people what information you shove in their faces to prove them wrong. They are right and won't condsider anything that isn't in line with their particular view.

 

[britta_water]

Our main source of oxygen which is produced from photosynthesis, the rain forest, - is cut down.

If all forests were cut down, we would still have oxygen to breathe. Plants are not he only photosynthesizing cells, algae also preform photosynthesis releasing oxygen into the atmosphere and absorbing carbon dioxide.


Global warming is both man made and natural, although, it is becoming more man made. The average temperature of the earth has been rising since the beginning of time. However, in the last 100 years or so, the temperature has risen more than ever. This is due to, as we all know, more carbon dioxide emissions. Even if we changed to alternative energy sources and no more carbon dioxide was emitted to the atmosphere, the earth temperature would rise at least another 1 degree, enough to melt all the ice burgs. In Iceland, 103 acres of ice melted in just 15 years. Soon there will be no more ice, causing difficulties for polar bears and other animals that live in the arctic or other icy regions. Polar bears, for example, will be extinct within this century, among many other species.

 

[ZenCat]

I believe it is a natural process which has been dangerously accelerated and probably permutated by man.

 

[Wyote]

Global warming is real, but it is a natural process. Going "green" is a great idea, but our effect on climate change is less than minuscule compared to the natural temperature shifts the earth undergoes all by itself.

There will be people who profit from any sort of direction we take, regardless of whose agenda it is.

 

[Quinlan]

Global warming is real, but it is a natural process. Going "green" is a great idea, but our effect on climate change is less than minuscule compared to the natural temperature shifts the earth undergoes all by itself.

There will be people who profit from any sort of direction we take, regardless of whose agenda it is.

Do you think these co2 levels are manmade? and how do you think they will affect the environment (if at all)?

 

[Wyote]

Meh. I'm not an environmentalist by any means. We are obviously causing some damage to our environment with all sorts of crap we do, but people should be more aware of how much things can naturally fluctuate. We need to figure out and plan ahead for when things are seriously going downhill, which I suspect will be rather soon. Obviously you can disregard some of the earlier data from this chart, as the Earth was much more hostile in general.

 

[britta_water]

Do you think these co2 levels are manmade? and how do you think they will affect the environment (if at all)?

I believe the CO2 levels are man made, recently. The fact that the levels sky rocketed around the industrial revolution era (late 1700's), when CO2 was starting to be emitted into the atmosphere by humans.

 

[TheLastMohican]

I believe the CO2 levels are man made, recently. The fact that the levels sky rocketed around the industrial revolution era (late 1700's), when CO2 was starting to be emitted into the atmosphere by humans.

It's pretty obvious that burning coal and oil will affect the CO2 levels when you remember that the coal and oil reserves were formed from the dead plants of ages past.