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Global Warming Catastrophe


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Global Warming etc etc  

33 members have voted

  1. 1. People of Laticsland.....tell me what you think

    • Yes, it's happening.It's serious.It's mankinds fault.
      19
    • Havent a clue
      3
    • It's all hysterical cack
      11


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Over the past couple of years I have gotten myself very interested in this whole global warming thang the media like to feed to us on most days of the week. I started off being pretty scared, then fatalistic,then doubtful and have ended up a full on screaming sceptic. I was wondering what the general point of view on people on here is.

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Join the ranks my Skeptical Brother, I have many sceptical delights to show you - global warming being only one of many.

 

No time at the moment but I shall return to post some stuff up. Where does one start...

 

Scientology?

Holocaust denial?

Moon landings?

Big foot?

Vaccination denial?

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Join the ranks my Skeptical Brother, I have many sceptical delights to show you - global warming being only one of many.

 

No time at the moment but I shall return to post some stuff up. Where does one start...

 

Scientology?

Holocaust denial?

Moon landings?

Big foot?

Vaccination denial?

 

 

one feels you're trying to belittle poor me. Doubting media hysteria and Al Gore's crap is not really on a par with denying the holocaust is it?

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There's a missing option there, I think.

 

Yes it's definitely happening, but we really have no idea whether it's mankind's fault.

 

(Although we're probably not helping).

 

yeah, you're right - maybe should have slotted that one in. Was trying to strip it down to the nitty gritty!

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There's a missing option there, I think.

 

Yes it's definitely happening, but we really have no idea whether it's mankind's fault.

 

(Although we're probably not helping).

 

As it is scientifically proven that CO2 is a 'greenhouse gas', and that we contribute significantly to how much is in the atmosphere I dont think we can pretend global warming is nothing to do with us. However nature is slowly adapting all the time to the change. I think there will be major changes to how we live in a few generations time, probably for the better.

 

Nothing to worry about really, im all for warmer weather. Just glad I'm not Dutch, or Scouse! :grin:

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No way! Ask anybody who knows me, my uberskeptic tendencies are well known.

 

The planet is going through a warming phase, there's a 90% certainty that warming has been forced - sped up - by mankind. 2500 scientist consensus stated as much in 2006 I think. In scientific/skeptic circles the huge human effect on global warming is no longer a debate.

 

If you look at the scientific facts as they are and bow to the consensus, a reasonable skeptcal position is to say - yes, there is global warming, yes mankind has forced warming on the planet, and we have reason to suspect the will be untoward outcomes from it.

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What I object to is all the enviro-mentalists who seem to insist that it is ALL mankind's fault. Yes we're undoubtedly contributing, but our feeble attempts to measure climate change over the past couple of hundred years or so don't really tell us much about where we are in the whole cycle of climate change over geological time - i.e. TENS of thousands of years.

 

Also, the obsession with trying to reduce CO2 emissions suggests that these same enviro-mentalists are happy to throw all our eggs in the one basket of trying to reverse climate change, which itself assumes both that we are the sole cause and that it is, in fact, reversible. Would it not be more sensible to commit at least some of the global political will and funding towards idenitifying exactly how our climate is likely to change and ways of mitigating the impact?

 

I'm all in favour of reducing emissions, improving sustainability and generally looking after the only planet we have an awful lot better, but I absolutely dispute the moronic but apparently prevalent view that it is somehow all the car driver's fault. Private cars are responsible for approximately 7% of total carbon emissions.

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but but hasnt the amount of Carbon Dioxide been rising for thousands of years and hasnt it been getting warmer for thousands of years? During this time there have been cold periods and hot periods but the general theme is a retreat from an ice age. For all we know it might only be a short term retreat, we know nothing really. To then suddenly say that mankinds co2 output is destroying the planet seems odd to me. What caused the climate to be so warm during the Roman period? Campfires and farts? How come the Vikings happily settled in a mild Greenland but then froze to death a couple of hundred years later? Also, if CO2 really is the bad guy in the room (and I'm not convinced at all that it is)- mankind still only accounts for a very small amount of it (I've seen various figures but around 3% seems a common one). It just doesnt stack up for me.

It makes sense to be ecological, it's the only planet we've got, but this whole thing is going to set us all back big time.

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maybe the romans secretly had cars and space ships. maybe the vikings did too but once they settled they got rid of them as they didnt have to walk that far, and then that made the world freeze. the mayans and egyptians definatley had space ships, but i think they had warp power.

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maybe the romans secretly had cars and space ships. maybe the vikings did too but once they settled they got rid of them as they didnt have to walk that far, and then that made the world freeze. the mayans and egyptians definatley had space ships, but i think they had warp power.

 

you might have something there. It's worth a research grant at least.

 

 

 

and anudder thing........isnt water vapour supposed to be the biggest greenhouse gas? WTF are we supposed to do about that?

 

also, if my 3% manmade co2 claim is grossly incorrect then I apologise - I'm on the fly here.

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but but hasnt the amount of Carbon Dioxide been rising for thousands of years and hasnt it been getting warmer for thousands of years? During this time there have been cold periods and hot periods but the general theme is a retreat from an ice age. For all we know it might only be a short term retreat, we know nothing really. To then suddenly say that mankinds co2 output is destroying the planet seems odd to me. What caused the climate to be so warm during the Roman period? Campfires and farts? How come the Vikings happily settled in a mild Greenland but then froze to death a couple of hundred years later? Also, if CO2 really is the bad guy in the room (and I'm not convinced at all that it is)- mankind still only accounts for a very small amount of it (I've seen various figures but around 3% seems a common one). It just doesnt stack up for me.

It makes sense to be ecological, it's the only planet we've got, but this whole thing is going to set us all back big time.

I doesn't matter if you think it stacks up or not. The situation is that the planet is going through a warming phase, and we've forced the warming too. A draft of the report by 2,500 scientists said it is "very likely" (90% certain) that human activities were the main cause of warming in the past 50 years. The debate on mankind having an effect or not was declared over in scientific circles at this point. In case you're a climate change denier and want to point to the fact that 'very likely' means they aren't 100% sure, 'very likely' is defined by the report as "a 90-99 percent probability."

 

In other words, pretty damned sure.

 

Yes, there is global warming, yes mankind has forced warming on the planet, and yes - we have reason to suspect the will be untoward outcomes from it.

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Even going by the figures presented by the environmental lobby themselves, Fully implementing the Kyoto Treaty would cost a total of $300 TRILLION dollars off the world’s wealth – in return fior this it would delay by a massive 6 years in a hundred the effects of warming. That $300 t is all wealth that will not be available to raise living standards around the world, and particularly in developing countries. Let’s face it, if sea levels rise by several metres the wealthy Dutch will cope with it better than the poor of Bangladesh.

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As it is scientifically proven that CO2 is a 'greenhouse gas', and that we contribute significantly to how much is in the atmosphere I dont think we can pretend global warming is nothing to do with us. However nature is slowly adapting all the time to the change. I think there will be major changes to how we live in a few generations time, probably for the better.

 

Nothing to worry about really, im all for warmer weather. Just glad I'm not Dutch, or Scouse! :grin:

 

 

I agree with you that we contribute significantly to how much is in the atmosphere and that the changes we make as a result of this will be for the better, economically as well as environmentally. Even if we don't have a big as impact as we think I don't see the harm in changing behaviours/attitudes in order that people have more respect for the way the treat the planet and ultimately one another. Countries already significantly affected by Climate change include Bangladesh, countries in Africa around Lake Chad (aswell as others) and Hait to name a few. On the recycling point, if we can reuse resources surely that is better than constantly making new things which then need a place to be dumped?

 

The other point I would like to raise about your post, which I have seen a few times around this forum regarding this topic, is the issue of getting warmer weather! Global warming does not mean we will get more Sun! It means the planet is heating up because the Greenhouse Gases trap the heat the Sun gives us (not sure on my science there!), therefore bringing about Climate Chaos (which I believe is a much better term).

 

The results of this Climate Chaos include flooding (sea level rising because of melting ice caps), spreading of disease (mosiquitos and other carrying beasties being able to live at higher altitudes/new countries due to the global temperature increase), drying out of significant water sources (e.g. Lake Chad - this has ruined countless lives in Africa due to lack of trade/accessible clean water), big storms and more that I can't think of now.

 

Anyway as you can see this is something that I'm interested in - admittedly only recently so haven't studied a whole heap on the arguments for both sides - which I will in order to gain a balanced view.

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Join the ranks my Skeptical Brother, I have many sceptical delights to show you - global warming being only one of many.

 

No time at the moment but I shall return to post some stuff up. Where does one start...

 

Vaccination denial?

 

What's your beef with vaccinations? As to global warming, it could be happening, it could be the fault of mankind or it could be a bunch of :censored:. I remember being told by my geography teacher at school (who was really a geologist) that in the 70s some big climateologist predicted we'd be heading for another ice age as temperatures had been going down. To be honest I don't live in a low lying areas, and its not like Britain is the Sahara, so for me its not exactly a bad thing. All those people/celebrities are happy to get food shipped thousands of miles because its organic, go on foreign holidays (the celebs on private jets), drive cars etc. and Al Gore was the vice-president of the US who convieniently forgot about global warming whilst sucking at the teet of some of the worst polluting industries. Maybe people should cut down on their own emissions (both in terms of pollution and noise) before ponitificating before others

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One of the most sickening groups of people that walk this Earth are the anti-vaccination lot. Many parents would like to believe in something, anything that explains why their child has been singled out by nature to have autism for example. Having something to blame, like a vaccination, therefore becomes emotionally very appealing and alleviates some of the helplessness or misplaced guilt they may feel. There are many parents that are very afraid of having their little ones vaccinated because of these people, and the consequences of them not having their injections is too much for me to handle.

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1. Co2 levels in the atmosphere have been higher than they are now, and lower too.

2. Water vapour is by far the most significant greenhouse gas.

3. Manmade global warming is a theory. There is as much scientific opposition to the theory among scientists as there is support. There is no consensus. Even if there was consensus, people agreeing on something is not proof that they are right.

4. Co2 is a natural trace gas, not a pollutant.

5. If we didn't all drive cars, we'd all have a horse. The extra methane produced by the horses would be a more significant participant of greenhouse emissions than current Co2 levels.

6. We suffered a mini ice age not that long ago. Temperatures are, not surprisingly, a bit warmer than that period.

7. In the 20th century, more warming occurred before WW2 than after.

8. Trends comparing solar activity to global temperatures show a pretty convincing link.

9. Many weather stations have moved from rural areas to urban ones. Urban areas retain latent heat thus comparing temperatures now with historical ones is likely to show an increase.

10. I don't believe we should go out of our way to pollute or damage our environment. At the same time, I don't believe we should throw away £billions on trying to cool the planet. Nature is significantly bigger than mankind and we should never forget this.

11. A warmer planet usually leads to higher crop yields and fewer deaths. Deaths from heatwaves tend to be significantly lower than death rates during cold snaps. Why the hell are we trying to waste our limited resources on fighting nature to make the planet worse?

12. When 15,000 people end up in Bali to discuss the subject, the word "hypocrite" x 15,000 leaps to mind.

 

Just a few thoughts to consider ....

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E v o l u t i o n. It's the word and fact. Energy can not be created nor destroyed, only change form. We effectively live in a bubble which is self regulating, that is all that's going on folks.

 

 

Oh and it's all the do gooders fault. :censored: .

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a decent and well thought out sceptical website for those that are interested:

 

http://www.friendsofscience.org/

 

Looks like a dodgy site to me. Who are they? No names, no pics...

 

You've really got to dig out the real skeptics - you'll like these , and I've listened to all the podcasts - Skeptics Guide to the Universe - hosted by Dr.Steven Novella (Yale - Neurologist) and the skeptical rogues. They even have James Randi on their books as part of the JREF, and have regular interviews with the Bad Astronomer Dr.Phil Plait amongst other top scientists.

 

Skeptics Guide: http://www.theskepticsguide.org/

JREF: http://www.randi.org/

Bad Astronomer: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/

 

Believe me, for like-minded skeptics, there are no better places on the web...

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The Earth is warming up at a very fast rate, there is no doubt about that. Analysis of Polar ice confirms this. The only questions are what is causing it, and what to do about it. There's no point kicking ourselves in the bollocks for next to no effect, the answer is in dealing with the effects and using science to turn the process back.

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The Earth is warming up at a very fast rate, there is no doubt about that. Analysis of Polar ice confirms this. The only questions are what is causing it, and what to do about it. There's no point kicking ourselves in the bollocks for next to no effect, the answer is in dealing with the effects and using science to turn the process back.

Analysis of ice at the North Pole shows higher levels of melt in the Summer months in recent years. That said, satellite records only accurately record the last 30 years or so. Basically a fraction of a nano-second in the history of the earth.

 

Conversely, ice growth recorded in the Antarctic over the last few years appears to exceed the melt rate around the North Pole. This could actually be taken to suggest that the planet is actually cooling.

 

More likely, the planet is, as it always has, changing all the time and we have nothing to fear.

 

Can anyone tell me what the correct temperature of the planet should be?

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