whats your opinion on Global Warming...

[argylesocks]

hot topic these days... Despite having a degree in evironmental science (actually Water Resources Management, whith minors in Wetlands and Soils), I will be the first to admit that I know very little when it comes down to solid facts about global warming.

Unfortunately, i also have to admit that I have gone along with the flow... without doing my own research, i have assumed that all or most scientist agree that man is to blame for global warming. while i have always had a problem with some of the media's portrayal of the earth's destruction in as little as 13 years... i am/was a little concerned about the future of our society.

Ok... so now i have been doing more reading and finding out that there are scientists out there (and im not talking wacky conservative extreamists) who dont believe that man is to blame for global warming... and that changes in the temperature is constantaly changing... they have plenty of evidence to back it up. even some 'environmentalists' who, while are for protecting our earth, still dont believe in global warming.

To be honest, i dont think that Sheryl Crowe or Leo D. have any more knowledge of global warming than you or me... and i certainly believe that the media likes to (not only this topic) run storys that seem to "stretch the truth" for ratings.. so just because my local news guy says that the earth is going to overheat in 15 years, doesnt mean its true... and just because Sheryl tells me to use 1 square to wipe my *** doesnt mean that it will change the environment.

anyways.. i find it interesting that this is such a party-line topic... i dont know any liberals who dont believe in global warming and i dont know any conservatives who DO believe in it... and each side is soo set in stone on thier beliefs they are not open to the fact that there may be some middle ground, or willing to accept that they may possibly be wrong.

so... any brave souls want to chime in on thier thoughts?

[SVOboy]

I am currently in a class working with global warming and taught by an environmental economist. Other than this, my only sources of information have been my own research.

By her account, and those I have read, most reputable scientists believe humans have affected the earth's climate. The debate now is how significant our impact is/how much GHG corresponds to how much warming corresponds to what actual effects.

There is no question that there is more GHG in there air than otherwise would be, and when looking at 1000 year world temperature charts, most people will agree that current temperatures are spiking much more quickly and going much higher than they did during the natural fluctuations in the past.

*shrug*

[Peakster]

Are humans to blame for global warming? You bet. Humans are, by nature, pollutive creatures from day one. We create waste whether is was the air pollution created by fire made by a human 10,000 years ago, or the emissions from a tailpipe of some SUV stopped at a suburban intersection.

Can we slow down global warming? Most likely. Can we ever stop it? I don't think so. Especially with 6.5 billion people on this planet. It would be a fantastic accomplishment if someone could figure out a way where all humans could stop making harmful emissions.

I feel that we just have to deal with what's in store for us. Polar ice caps melt? Okay, so animals went extinct (polar bears would drown for example) and a sizeable portion of the worlds coasts would be flooded, but we'd deal.

I found this image a few weeks back at www.thatimagesite.com. It's certainly false as it has no real measurement, sources or references. I think the humour is noteworthy though (and reinforces how I believe most of society feels about Global Warming):

Attachment 488

[argylesocks]

Originally Posted by Peakster

I found this image a few weeks back at www.thatimagesite.com. It's certainly false as it has no real measurement, sources or references. I think the humour is noteworthy though (and reinforces how I believe most of society feels about Global Warming):

Attachment 488

umm... that link is DEFINATELY not safe for work... perhaps the wrong one?

so you are 100% certain that the 1 degree (think thats what it is) increase in temperature in the past 100 years is certainly from man? do you think there is a chance that it is part of the natural cycle of warming and cooling of the earth?

honest questions. not flaming.

"most of society feels about global warming"

really? i kinda feel like everyone has just accepted it as fact without really knowing too much about it... and the only ones who question it are Rush Limbaugh fans... I despise Rush. its on both sides of the fence. there are extreame conservatives who just accept anything he says as fact.. and there are those that accept anything Gore says as fact. neither are scientist.

[thisisntjared]

this is just my dumb uneducated opinion, but i dont think it really is going to be global warming as much as it is going to be meteorological altering.

[Hockey4mnhs]

im conservative and i belive there is global warming. my dad on the outher hand dosent. its sad it pretty obvious

[argylesocks]

Originally Posted by Hockey4mnhs

im conservative and i belive there is global warming. my dad on the outher hand dosent. its sad it pretty obvious

well, being "obvious" is what i was originally talking about. my thoughts were "hey, i dont know alot about this, but all the papers say its true, the news says its true, and sounds like all the scientist say its true..... so it must be true, right??"

now im finding that not all scientists agree on this... and they certainly dont agree with this doomsday philosiphy that we are all going to die and that NYC will be under water in 10 years.


im not saying that it doesnt exist... im just starting to question it a bit more..

[psyshack]

I think there is some globle warming. I think we have a problem. I dont think its as bad as they say. I think we need to address it. I dont think we need to get freaky deaky over it.

Some folks IMO are way over reacting much the way a normal driver over reacts about,,,, say,,, or mpg driving tatctics or mods.

psy

[rvanengen]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

I am currently in a class working with global warming and taught by an environmental economist. Other than this, my only sources of information have been my own research.

By her account, and those I have read, most reputable scientists believe humans have affected the earth's climate. The debate now is how significant our impact is/how much GHG corresponds to how much warming corresponds to what actual effects.

There is no question that there is more GHG in there air than otherwise would be, and when looking at 1000 year world temperature charts, most people will agree that current temperatures are spiking much more quickly and going much higher than they did during the natural fluctuations in the past.

*shrug*

<begin rambling mode>

First, let me say that I am undecided, but skeptical on the issue of human activity induced global warming. However, I do believe that humans are changing the environment rapidly, and without knowing the exact consequences of those changes...especially the developing world.

That said, I do have a few questions to share...not looking for a flame war, but have never gotten what feels like an honest answer when I have asked instructors/academics directly. Heck, when I was a student in Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University I got kicked out of a class for asking the first couple...so much for debate and learning. :-)

1) What is the definition of global warming?

2) What is the baseline figure used when measuring the extent of global warming?

3) What are the natural cycles, and all natural factors and their in influence on global temperatures?

4) What is the margin of error when determining temperatures in the past?

5) What is meant by "a reputable scientist"? (this keeps popping up all over the place)

6) Who actually decides that a scientist is reputable?

7) What percentage of scientists that believe that humans are responsible for global warming are considered "reputable" versus the scientists that do not believe that humans are responsible?

8) What happened to scientific debate in this matter? (if someone disagrees, they are immediately labeled and dismissed)

9) Is the link between Green House Gases and Global Warming still a scientific theory, or has it progressed to scientific law?

10) What should be done to reduce global warming?

11) What steps have the scientists personally undertaken based on #10?

12) (personal pet peeves) If Kyoto is a good idea, why are developing countries allowed to continue to increase their production of GHG's?

13) (personal pet peeves) Aren't GHG's that are emitted from "developed" countries just as harmful as GHG's emitted by "developing" countries?

<end rambling mode>

[rvanengen]

Originally Posted by rvanengen

<begin rambling mode>

7) What percentage of scientists that believe that humans are responsible for global warming are considered "reputable" versus the scientists that do not believe that humans are responsible?

Perhaps there could also be:

7a) How many scientists have gone from being considered "reputable" to not-"reputable" because they have stopped supporting the theory of Global Warming? And how about vice-versa?