I’m going to keep this brief because, really, I shouldn’t have to supply lots of information. Just read the article:
Humans blamed for climate change
Global climate change is “very likely” to have a human cause, an influential group of scientists has concluded. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said temperatures were probably going to increase by 1.8-4C (3.2-7.2F) by the end of the century. It also projected that sea levels were most likely to rise by 28-43cm, and global warming was likely to influence the intensity of tropical storms.
If you really want to get technical, read the report:
I have a nasty feeling that the naysayers will dismiss this as “propaganda” by the evil, global Green-“conspiracy”, even more powerful that the evil, global Zionist-“conspiracy”. My response is this:
Is it worth taking our childrens’ future to Vegas, just so we don’t have to make a few sacrifices? I don’t even have kids yet, but I know I’d put my life on the line for them in the future. So why do so many people refuse to even consider living more conservatively? I can understand that many don’t really understand the real danger of climate change and would only respond to an immediate threat. But really, we are now being presented with an overwhelming amount of information that should iron out any misunderstandings – we can’t keep polluting like this.
Anyone who reads this report should know they have to change their lifestyles if they haven’t already. No “buts”, no “whys”, no “it’s not fairs”. We have a responsibility not to strip-mine this planet and then hand a wasteland over to future generations. People who are in denial about global warming are not parents or responsible adults – they’re parasites.
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By Yogi
Somehow I remember discussing this 25 years ago in school, at that time is was already common knowledge.
February 3, 2007 @ 1:34 pm | Comment
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By Jan
Somehow I remember discussing this 25 years ago in school
hmmm….. I somehow remember discussing the coming ice age and how we were all going to freeze to death 25 years ago.
Yes, by all means, let us bankrupt ourselves and return to the Bronze Age now. Also, we could stop actively treating disease and let an epidemic take out a billion or two, thus further relieving the environment of human pressure. I am sure the world is willing to do that “for our grandchildren”. If it is bad as these so-called scientists believe, no cost is too big.
Personally I am looking forward to the return of the Mediaeval Warm Period and Greenland is once again green and the Northwest Passage is open year round.
February 3, 2007 @ 3:30 pm | Comment
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By Jeremiah
Jan,
I’m assuming you don’t live in a low-lying coastal area, like say, the North China plain or the Mississippi Delta, Holland…or, for that matter, Manhattan.
For more check out these maps showing the possible effects of a 100 meter rise in sea levels.
http://resumbrae.com/archive/warming/100meter.html
February 3, 2007 @ 5:38 pm | Comment
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By Raj
Jan, I didn’t realise that using energy-efficient lightbulbs, installing more loft insultation, turning down thermostats and air-conditions, using the car less, investing more in public transport and green energy, etc would send us back the bronze age…..
February 3, 2007 @ 6:33 pm | Comment
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By colin
Jan
The global cooling “theory” was not supported by any scientist in the field 25 years go. It was a media misinterpretation of the studies then ongoing.
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2005/01/the-global-cooling-myth/
(the current warming is swapping cooling effects. This is why the possible temperature rises are broad. Without the (historical) cooling effects, man would be baking now)
These guys run resource site on subject. Feel feel to read futher and read facts on Greenland etc etc.
Sure, scientists ‘believe’ ie postulate (based on models and available data and history) the predictions. That is what a prediction is. To be fair, you’re right, it ain’t a fact – yet. These are of course that same scientists that predict summer is warmer than winter and you don’t disbelieve that do you?
There need no need for return to stone age. Studies have predicted minimal extra cost. It’s all disingenious. If you came to my house asked me to cook a meal for 20 yet only eat 1 portion and left a mess I’d be pissed off, yet we seem happy to do it to our world. Seems to me, optimising energy use is good idea. Just wait till the oil/gas starts to run out and we have nothing to make plastic with.
Me? I’m glad I have 1st floor flat in The Netherlands. I’ll be able to moor boat at my door hopefully.
February 3, 2007 @ 7:42 pm | Comment
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By Si
Well said Raj and Colin
As Gore points out in an inconvenient truth green technology is actually the cutting edge technology – it is much more energy efficient and cheaper in the long term (i’d like to emphasise in the long term), not just green. relying on oil and gas is the backward thing to do.
I also fail to see Jan why you think relying on oil and gas, given that these resources are largely controlled by countries that do not like us very much (i assume you are western from your response, apologies if you are not) is a good idea. you should read the stern report, which points out that, as colin says, the changes necessary don’t need to cost very much.
thanks for that map jeremiah.
February 3, 2007 @ 8:57 pm | Comment
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By Sam_S
Bush Trumps Kyoto with Beano
Ynot News � Jan. 25:
US President George W. Bush unveiled his long-awaited alternative to the Kyoto Protocol during his State of the Union Address yesterday to mixed world reaction. Having only recently acknowleged the reality of global climate change, Bush caught some critics off-guard.
�Listen,� Bush said, �A grazing cow produces up to 350 liters a day of methane. Methane is 21 times as potent as carbon dioxide for trapping heat. Since we�ve got over 20 million cows grazing, that�s a lot of, uh, warmening.� A federal program to spray pastures and feedlots with alpha-galactosidase enzyme, the active chemical ingredient in Beano, a popular gas suppressant, will begin within the month. It�s expected to reduce US bovine methane emissions by over 50%, putting the US approximately 11% ahead of hypothetical Kyoto greenhouse gas targets, had the US been a participant in the Kyoto Protocol
University of Nebraska scientists developed the food-additive program, which is also said to reduce feed consumption buy up to 10%, because less digestive energy will be used in producing gas.
�We call on all concerned nations� Bush said, �To embrace the Great American Gas (GAG) initiative. If all countries can exceed their Kyoto goals to the extent that we have, we can account for a lowering of global temperature of 0.4 degrees in a hundred years. We believe that�s a goal worth sacrificing for.�
World response to Bush�s call was prompt: French President Jaques Chirac said through an interpreter �Mr. Bush seems to have forgotten that the days of unilaterally dictating terms to the rest of the world are long past. China�s minister of Agricultural and Industrial Harmonization stated; �Chinese cows are not flatulent.� Khabibullo Abdusamatov, of the Russian Academy of Sciences Observatory, and several prominent Russian scientists predict rapid global cooling. MoveOn.org and the Michael Moore Foundation are formulating an emergency full-page advertisement for the New York Times. Working title; �Millions to Die from Bush�s Big Chill.�
February 3, 2007 @ 9:21 pm | Comment
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By De
This is a complete joke.
As the first response mentioned we have talked about this in the classrooms many times before.
It is just that now we have our own families and own responsebilities we have to decide do I want to take the dingey public transportation with germs or screw mother nature and drive my ZX160.
Personally when I do take those long walks I have to wear googles since every single block there is smoke coming out of something.
While there is no funny part about this I have heard sights of dead fatty Squirrels lying dead frozen in the ice and people playing shirtless. I have seen dead pigs and dead crows but this is the first time I have ever heard of dead FATTY Squirrels.
The last time I ever seen great snow was 1989 and the last real snow storm was back in 1994.
We need to convert to water cars and water power. To hell with Oil.
We need to do something like Chicago did back when the sky was horrible there.
I blame the baby boomers for this. There uncaring ways lead to this.
Now that sea creatures from the depts have been rising to the surface and climate changes is eradict finally people are like wtf.
Still this has to to be the biggest joke on mankind since that Title wave.
February 5, 2007 @ 8:56 am | Comment
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By TC
I am with Jan on this one. I have read the few climatalogists who aren’t dependent on govt. funding and thus have had the courage to point out that most of the global warming theories are just that .. theories… and bunk as well.. a modern form of Luddism.. but aside from “creating a terror” means more funding, we are evidently actually going through a global cooling period, the garbage in garbage out theory of data with new fangled supercomputers for climate analysis really came to the fore here (remember supercomputers haven’t been around all that long), and many scientists now realized that they missed some key factors.. but that was after Gore and the Greenies made this a new forum for raising more money by innvoking “guilt” Of course the 24 hour weather channels with needs for increasing viewership also jumped on this bandwagon!
and as Jan says… global warming might actually be good for the planet… more carbon dioxide means more food production, more areas that can be cultivated.
Oh and BTW, the water rising stuff is really scare tactics… even with the false projections of warming over 50 years, the rise in the oceans using the false data would only be 2 inches!!!!…..
This is one of the problems with having the State/Central Govt. being so involved in financing research… you gotta have a scary story to keep the dollars flowing…. sad really..
and yeah, I am an Austrian Economist/Libertarian and a student of Lao zi, Zhuang zi, and the most especially the Huai Nan Zi…
February 6, 2007 @ 7:00 pm | Comment
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By TC
whoops.. i forgot to mention that I am a parent and am an environmentalist who just happens to be very suspicious of well intentioned multilateral and unilateral govt. initiatives to solve the world’s problems.
And yeah I am old enough to have marched at the first Earth Day in the early 70’s.
February 6, 2007 @ 7:03 pm | Comment