Discussion: Global Warming, Emission Standards, and Other Environmental Issues

[8wid]

Homeowners protest DesertXpress high-speed rail project

 

[TheZink]

I am surprised no one mentioned the incredible outbreak of tornadoes the South had last week. In Alabama alone we had 28 tornadoes touch down:
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2011/05/alabama_tornadoes_storm_survey.html

In North Alabama we were without power since Wednesday afternoon and my house just got turned back on yesterday around 2:00. There are still places that are in the dark.
http://blog.al.com/breaking/2011/05/huntsville_utilities_expects_9.html

It has been a crazy week. We've had curfews for the majority of the time, with the curfew being lifted just last night, but still in affect for tornado damaged areas. We listened to the radio for most information. We charged cell phones with our car chargers, but reception was spotty at best because of downed lines and a huge influx of users. Gas stations that did have power had lines 2-3 hours long for people with generators. My house thankfully escaped damage, but I had many tree limbs in my back yard. Two solid days of work were put in to clear it out. I was one of the lucky ones. Many in my neighborhood had worse, and many more in the state suffered total loss and devastation.

Tuscaloosa seemed to receive the worst of the storm. A mile wise EF-5 tore through T-town destroying anything in its path.

**edit**

To add, there has been tremendous help on the local, state and federal level to help rescue, clean and rebuild. Obama himself made a visit to Tuscaloosa to see the damage and declare a state of emergency. It has been refreshing to see the communities pull together and help one another out. The term "Southern Hospitality" has never been more true and prevalent in this area. I am proud to say that I am from Alabama after seeing the resolve of the people and the community leaders.

 

[Paradoxium]

NASA-Funded Group Doctors Sea Level Data

Faced with the embarrassing fact that sea level is not rising nearly as much as has been predicted, the University of Colorado’s NASA-funded Sea Level Research Group has announced it will begin adding a nonexistent 0.3 millimeters per year to its Global Mean Sea Level Time Series. As a result, alarmists will be able to present sea level charts asserting an accelerating rise in sea level that is not occurring in the real world.

Human civilization readily adapted to the seven inches of sea level rise that occurred during the twentieth century. Alarmists, however, claim global warming will cause sea level to rise much more rapidly during the present century. United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) computer models project approximately 15 inches of sea level rise during the 21st century. That’s more than double the sea level rise that occurred during the twentieth century. A more “mainstream” prediction among alarmists is 3 feet of sea level rise this century. Some alarmists have even projected 20 feet of global sea level rise this century.

Satellite measurements, however, show global sea level rose merely 0.83 inches during the first decade of the 21st century (a pace of just 8 inches for the entire century), and has barely risen at all since 2006. This puts alarmists in the embarrassing position of defending predictions that are not coming true in the real world.

 

[Marx]

According to Reuters, the US Coast Guard is investigating reports of a 'several mile' long oil spill off the coast of Louisiana.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

SCIENTIST PREDICT RARE 'HIBERNATION' OF SUNSPOTS

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110614/ts_afp/usspacesun

 

[Hobgoblin]

Millions of Great Lakes Fish Killed in Factory Water Intake Pipes
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/06/14/2060003/millions-of-great-lakes-fish-killed.html

The article goes on to say how much money is spent restocking the Lakes with fish.

 

[8wid]

World's oceans in 'shocking' decline

 

[Marx]

That makes me really sad...

 

[Marx]

UPDATE: EXXON SAYS MINNESOTA CRUDE SPILL COULD BE UPWARDS OF 1000 BARRELS
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/03/montana.oil.spill/index.html

 

[Hobgoblin]

And meanwhile, people still steadfastly believe that global warming and pollution are "manufactured crises."

 

[Kelly]

Well, apparently those people had really bad Science Teachers.....

I certainly believe that Global Warming is real...um, we would have our 5th Ice Age without this physical process....and pollution, well....that is just a given.

NOW, HOW MUCH of the increase in Global Warming is human made etc...., and if it is increasing or is this a part of the natural cycle as has been shown in history...those are the questions people should have.

 

[Marx]

It looks like the cleanup in Yellowstone is going to get a little difficult. The river in the area is supposed to rise...

 

[Kelly]

The snowmelt is screwing up EVERYTHING these days....

 

[Q45]

Agreed.

Hopefully though it's not a slap on the wrist because the government has a soft spot for oil.

hey what's the situation with the oil spill itself right now? Are we making any progress, is it still spilling. everyone just got bored it seems and looked for something else to entertain them. well I'm still concerned.

 

[Q45]

Well, apparently those people had really bad Science Teachers.....

I certainly believe that Global Warming is real...um, we would have our 5th Ice Age without this physical process....and pollution, well....that is just a given.

NOW, HOW MUCH of the increase in Global Warming is human made etc...., and if it is increasing or is this a part of the natural cycle as has been shown in history...those are the questions people should have.

I believe its a combination of the two really. We're screwing everything up at the wrong time in earths history.
Real question is, instead of pointing fingers at why, GET UP OFF YOUR ARSES AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!! even if it's small, quit whining and make a difference. Yeah, the gov't isn't going to. that's a given. they'll drive us straight to hell and milk every dollar they can outta it on the way there. SO GET UP AND STOP COMPLAINING, STOP WAITING, AND DO SOMETHING! BECAUSE YOU FREAKING CAN!!!!!

 

[Kelly]

I can't disagree with that....

 

[Hobgoblin]

Same here. Actually, "Get off your butts and do something about it because the government sure as heck wont!" applies to more situations than just global warming.

 

[Q45]

Same here. Actually, "Get off your butts and do something about it because the government sure as heck wont!" applies to more situations than just global warming.

Well if you please, check out my "what are you doing about it?" thread on the subject. I want it to be a vehicle for hypsters to encourage ideas and share stories of how we can make a positive difference, how we individuals or groups can take action now to start making some real changes. please take a look.

 

[Hobgoblin]

Well if you please, check out my "what are you doing about it?" thread on the subject. I want it to be a vehicle for hypsters to encourage ideas and share stories of how we can make a positive difference, how we individuals or groups can take action now to start making some real changes. please take a look.

Where is this thread?

 

[Q45]

Where is this thread?

Well it was in the POLITICS section too, but now I can't find it. Did it get deleted?

Edt: Okay I found it. It's in the community forum. I don't remember starting it there though...

 

[Marx]

Same here. Actually, "Get off your butts and do something about it because the government sure as heck wont!" applies to more situations than just global warming.

That's true.

 

[Paradoxium]

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1871503

The conventional explanation for controversy over climate change emphasizes impediments to public understanding: limited popular knowledge of science, the inability of ordinary citizens to assess technical information, and the resulting widespread use of unreliable cognitive heuristics to assess risk. A large survey of U.S. adults (N = 1540) found little support for this account. On the whole, the most scientifically literate and numerate subjects were slightly less likely, not more, to see climate change as a serious threat than the least scientifically literate and numerate ones.

https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~wsoon/...omy-d/Kellstedtetal08-KnowledgeGWvsApathy.pdf

By examining the results of a survey on an original and representative sample of Americans, we find that these three forces—informedness, confidence in scientists, and personal efficacy—are related in interesting and unexpected ways, and exert significant influence on risk assessments of global warming and climate change. In particular, more informed respondents both feel less personally responsible for global warming, and also show less concern for global warming. We also find that confidence in scientists has unexpected effects: respondents with high confidence in scientists feel less responsible for global warming, and also show less concern for global warming.

 

[Hobgoblin]

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1871503

https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~wsoon/...omy-d/Kellstedtetal08-KnowledgeGWvsApathy.pdf

I only read part of the second essay, but it seems to be more about people's perceptions of the causes of climate change, not whether or not climate change is real. Look at the last paragraph on page two. It says there is a remarkable consensus among climate change researchers about climate change being man made.

 

[Paradoxium]

I only read part of the second essay, but it seems to be more about people's perceptions of the causes of climate change, not whether or not climate change is real. Look at the last paragraph on page two. It says there is a remarkable consensus among climate change researchers about climate change being man made.

It's called Anthropogenic Global Warming. That is thrust of the theory not climate change. Climate can change without man. Anthropogenic is the key word.

Study shows the higher the scientific and mathematic literacy, the more skeptical the person is of AGW as some crisis. Not taking things at face value as oppose to the AGW crowd. There is a consensus amongst researcher on the data interpreted. That's all.

You could accuse as the more scientific literate as wrong and researchers as right. Whatever. But the bottom line? AGW supporters have a lower scientific and mathematic literacy. Last I recall, who was the crowd labeling whom as scientific illiterates?

 

[Marx]

UPDATE: EPA OZONE STANDARDS AND HEALTH PROTECTIONS DELAYED AGAIN
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/26/epa-delays-ozone-standards_n_910204.html