Discussion: Global Warming and Other Environmental Issues

[Carcharodon]

And I have no problem researching alternative, carbon friendly forms of energy. But the idea of "Carbon Credits" is ridiculous. The idea of taxing carbon emitting energies in a poor economic climate is ridiculous. The idea that America shouldn't try to increase domestic drilling of oil because oil is bad is ridiculous.

I have no problem with common sense environmentalism. I recycle as much as possible, I pick up garbage, I use electricity wisely, I support businesses whose environmental policies I agree with - I don't think it's smart for the government to increase its presence in America lives over the fear of Global Warming though.

I get that. I'm just saying that the harm is real. I totally understand where you're coming from with respect to government involvement.

 

[StorminNorman]

 

[Carcharodon]

It makes me a little sad that this has moved to the third page, but here's a website that I was directed to recently.

http://realclimate.com/

This is where scientists get to speak out. It would be a lie to say that it is devoid of bias, but the science is still there. Also check out:

http://www.realclimate.org/wiki/index.php?title=RC_Wiki

 

[BatMatt]

I enjoy www.treehugger.com for all things environmental related

 

[VampElvis]

I enjoy www.treehugger.com for all things environmental related

Provided it gets stuff clean - I'm digging that integrated sink design.

 

[Paradyme]

Al Gore invokes spirit of Churchill in battle against climate change

Al Gore invoked the spirit of Winston Churchill today by encouraging political leaders to follow the example of Britain’s wartime leader and unite their nations to fight climate change.

The former US vice-president accused politicians around the world of exploiting ignorance about the dangers of global warming. He said lack of awareness among voters allowed governments to avoid taking difficult decisions.

Speaking in Oxford at the Smith School World Forum on Enterprise and the Environment , sponsored by The Times, Mr Gore said: “Winston Churchill aroused this nation in heroic fashion to save civilisation in World War II.” He added: “We have everything we need except political will but political will is a renewable resource.” Mr Gore admitted that it was difficult to persuade the public that the threat from climate change was as urgent as the threat during World War 2.

“The level of awareness and concern among populations has not crossed the threshhold where political leaders feel that they must change.

“The only way politicians will act is if awareness raises to a level to make them feel that it’s a necessity.” Mr Gore, who brought the issues around climate change to a mass audience with the 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth, said the great hope for the future lay in the high level of environmental awareness among young people.

He said sceptics who refused to believe dramatic cuts in carbon emissions could be delivered should consider the example of the young scientists in the Nasa team which put a man on the moon on 1969.

“The average age of scientists in the space centre control room was 26, which means they were 18 when they heard President Kennedy say he wanted to put a man on the moon in 10 years. Neil Armstrong did it eight years and two months later.” He said future generations would put one of two questions to today’s adults.

“It will either be ’what were you thinking, didn’t you see the North Pole melting before your eyes, didn’t you hear what the scientists were saying?’ “Or they will ask ’how is it you were able to find the moral courage to solve the crisis which so many said couldn’t be solved?’.” Sir David King, the Government’s former chief scientist and now director of the Smith School, also berated politicians for failing to follow up their statements on climate change with a clear programme of action.

“I do think it’s relatively easy for a prime minister to make a speech on climate change which sounds committed and very much more difficult for that prime minister to persuade the Treasury to put the finance behind that commitment to make it a reality.

“There is a long distance in government between saying what you think needs to be said and then doing in terms of making budgets available.” Sir David expressed disappointment that no senior British politician had taken up his invitation to address a conference attended by the world’s top climate scientists, senior business leaders and the presidents of the Maldives and Rwanda.

“I tried to pull in a lot of IOUs. But where was the Lord Mandelson [the Business Secretary], where was Ed Miliband [the Energy and Climate Change Secretary]? Where was David Cameron? Where was William Hague?”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6658672.ece

No.

 

[BlackLantern]

the video in my sig cares for the environment

 

[Paradyme]

I would watch it but I can't at work without a link

 

[BlackLantern]

when you get somewhere you can watch videos just put the title in youtube....its great

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79CmmRUP1rw

 

[Paradyme]

Ah, I didn't know that was the title to it but thanks for the link that was incredibly funny. I love how he pronounces certain things. Especially Wilmer Valderama (sp?).

 

[BlackLantern]

cuz you're gonna bang in it...sex wise

 

[Malice]

I wanted a new thread, entirely on the discussion on weather Global Warming even exists. Throw out your points for one side or another.

 

[Malice]

I am on the fence for Global Warming...to many people are against it, or for it.

Check out this article titled Climate change: The sun and the oceans do not lie

I will copy part of it...

The moves now being made by the world's political establishment to lock us into December's Copenhagen treaty to halt global warming are as alarming as anything that has happened in our lifetimes. Last week in Italy, the various branches of our emerging world government, G8 and G20, agreed in principle that the world must by 2050 cut its CO2 emissions in half. Britain and the US are already committed to cutting their use of fossil fuels by more than 80 per cent. Short of an unimaginable technological revolution, this could only be achieved by closing down virtually all our economic activity: no electricity, no transport, no industry. All this is being egged on by a gigantic publicity machine, by the UN, by serried ranks of government-funded scientists, by cheerleaders such as Al Gore, last week comparing the fight against global warming to that against Hitler's Nazis, and by politicians who have no idea what they are setting in train.

What makes this even odder is that the runaway warming predicted by their computer models simply isn't happening. Last week one of the four official sources of temperature measurement, compiled from satellite data by the University of Huntsville, Alabama, showed that temperatures have now fallen to their average level since satellite data began 30 years ago.


There is more in the article

 

[BatMatt]

Yes, I do believe it exists. I have also experienced a little of what happens when weather conditions are out of whack and the results first hand.

 

[Nivek]

I've seen big changes in weather & climate in my lifetime. And I listen to the scientific data that goes along with that.

Global Warming-deniers and Evolution-deniers share the same address in my experience.

 

[chaseter]

Global warming/global climate change DOES exist. As Nivek said, I have seen drastic weather changes in my lifetime as well. Whether we are the cause or not is still up for debate but in my opinion it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see we are having a detrimental impact on the environment. We are cutting down trees and plants that take the CO2 we are putting out in record numbers and converts it to O2. So, for some reason more CO2 is being released into the atmosphere than if we weren't here. Holy common sense Batman!

The Earth goes through cycles of cooling and warming due to events that have naturally occurred over time. But, why would we want to be the cause of the next Ice Age?

 

[Malice]

I personally believe that the decision is still not decided.
The reason I say that, is Humankind only has history going back so far, and warming/cooling trends date far longer than we do. So we simply put, don't have accurrate data going back to far.

Now, on the other hand, we got some strange changes occurring.

So, I am simply in the middle leading towards "something is happening"...
Not necessarily global warming, could be a large warming trend, who knows, BUT I believe something is occurring.

So I personally say, the debate is not over, with a YES its occurring, NO its not. This is just the beginning.

 

[chaseter]

Ice core samples from the Arctic prove that we are releasing ample amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. Before the Industrial Revolution, the CO2 in the core samples were average and oscillated on an average line. Once the Industrial Revolution occurred, a big spike in CO2 was found and has been increasing ever since. What is even further proof is that in the winter months, the CO2 in the core samples increase which coincides with our output due to the cold weather so imo there is proof we have a hand in this. CO2 is a known greenhouse gas so A + B = C. Now, I think the Earth is naturally trying to balance out what we are doing.

 

[Malice]

I agree with you....but to many people disagree...I am not saying its not happening, I want to the discussion to continue, simple as that.

 

[chaseter]

In no way am I a tree hugger or a die hard environmentalist but I do what I can to minimalize my effect. I don't litter, I recycle when I can, I use those expensive flourescent bulbs, I keep my house at like 79 degrees, I don't waste electricity or water, etc...etc...

This debate is scary due to the carbon tax that those die hard tree huggers want to get passed through our President who supports it is utterly stupid.

 

[BatMatt]

In no way am I a tree hugger or a die hard environmentalist but I do what I can to minimalize my effect. I don't litter, I recycle when I can, I use those expensive flourescent bulbs, I keep my house at like 79 degrees, I don't waste electricity or water, etc...etc...

This debate is scary due to the carbon tax that those die hard tree huggers want to get passed through our President who supports it is utterly stupid.

For like, the summer?

 

[SuperFerret]

I do believe that the climate is changing, that's fairly obvious to anyone paying attention. Whether or not it's human influenced, a coincidently timed natural occurance, or a mix of the two remains to be seen. Either way, I see it as a progressive change in some ways, and homo sapiens should be able to endure it, but if not, oh well.

 

[chaseter]

For like, the summer?

Yeah. I am a college kid so I am a penny pincher and living like that for 4 years has made me extremely tolerant to warm weather. I can even tolerate it when my apartment gets around 81-82. When I go home, my parents keep their house at like 72-74 degrees and I freeze and I have to wear socks. To me, that is pointless to keep a house that cold to where you have to use blankets at night when you sleep. Plus, their electricity bill is ridiculous.

 

[Malice]

In no way am I a tree hugger or a die hard environmentalist but I do what I can to minimalize my effect. I don't litter, I recycle when I can, I use those expensive flourescent bulbs, I keep my house at like 79 degrees, I don't waste electricity or water, etc...etc...

This debate is scary due to the carbon tax that those die hard tree huggers want to get passed through our President who supports it is utterly stupid.

Chaseter, you seem very similar to me.

I am actually exploring using Solar Panels.

 

[chaseter]

When I get my own house, I will definitely be looking into solar panels. They will pay for themselves over time, they benefit the environment and your wallet, and they are relatively easy to find and buy now-a-days. I see no reason why someone wouldn't want to own them.