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I think the earth has cycles too, but I also believe that releasing large amounts of unnatural CO2 gasses will cause warming of our planet. It's not so much that I think it will be the end of the world tomorrow if we continue down this path, it's more that I think we can do better and not create as much pollution and waste when we clearly don't have to. Also, the warming and cooling periods take a long long time, and the planet takes thousands of years to cool or warm 1-4 or so degrees overall. Scientist have said the planet's has warmed a few degrees in the last 100 years, that's not a good thing.
I do believe that the use of fossil fuels could contribute to GW.
I also believe that the millions of animal species who have inhabited the planet for eons of centuries could also have contributed to GW in the past. Methane, carbon dioxide, etc.
It might be a combination of the past and the present.
Is it just the fault of modern day man? No, I don't believe that.
And there have been cycles of heating and cooling before.
Some predict another ice age somewhere in the future.
I'm not smart enough to know. But I dont think todays mankind is the only cause of GW.
It has cycled on and off since the beginning of time according to some so called experts I have read. The warming and cooling cycles and the earths inner instability and plate shifts moved continents, pushed land together so tight that mountains formed from lack of space to move further. Got all crunched up, you might say.
No, I don't believe GW is just the result of todays world.
I think it takes hundreds of years to change the worlds cycles. I think we are just maybe reachng one of the tops of those cycles. And then it may take hundreds of years to reach the lower end of the cycle to what everyone will worry about being global cooling far in the future.
Just my opinion.
good post
If we were in a cooling cycle now there would be the same scientists saying that humans are the cause. All they would do is use different stats to support the cooling theory.
42.7% of all statistics are just made up
I'm with those who think it's not an either/or choice. I can't see how anyone could reasonably believe 6 billion people can live on this earth and have no effect on the environment at all. It just doesn't make sense.
Having said that, though, I'm not convinced that the problems associated with us are worth the draconian measures proposed. There has to be some middle ground, some accomodation, some acceptance of the fact that the effects of human habitation can't be totally and completely eliminated.
The problem, as I see it, isn't that compromises aren't possible, but that the whole issue has been so politicized that compromise would be seen as total defeat. As with so much else in our modern-day political discourse, lines have been drawn in the sand beyond which neither side dare tread.
So long as both sides insist upon framing the debate in black and white terms and holding to their "No Surrender" positions, nothing will be done.
Since that doesn't seem about to happen, perhaps we'd be better off focusing on ameliorating the effects of global warming which are about to smack us in the face. Anyone who thinks melting polar ice won't affect sea levels is fooling themselves, so instead of yelling back and forth across the divide about WHY the ice is melting, let's get busy and start making plans for when it does.
How about that? Is that better idea?
I tend to agree and I find it unfortunate that both sides have politicized the issue to further their own agendas. Regardless of whether or not the pollution we are creating today is having an effect on the global temperature, the sheer amount of pollution we produce is not good and is unsustainable for a healthy planet. We should be looking at ways to reduce our collective footprint regardless of whether we believe in man-made global warming or not.
Where do you stand on the concept of man made global warming?
Your poll is flawed.
Yes, earth goes through natural swings in climate between warmer and colder. There have been periods in earth's history when there were no polar ice caps. There have been periods when glaciers covered the equator.
Yes, human activity contributes to the current warming trend. The question is "how much?" That still doesn't have a solid answer.
Reintroducing billions of tons of geologically sequestered Carbon in the form of CO2 into the atmosphere will have an effect. The likeliest effect is warming on a global scale. The rate and end point are not yet determined.
Should we stop burning coal? I think so but many others strongly disagree. As they are making huge profits from burning coal their opinion trumps mine. In any case the proof will be in the near (10-100 years) to mid (100 to 10,000 years). Too bad we won't be around to observe.
Yes, earth goes through natural swings in climate between warmer and colder. There have been periods in earth's history when there were no polar ice caps. There have been periods when glaciers covered the equator.
Yes, human activity contributes to the current warming trend. The question is "how much?" That still doesn't have a solid answer.
Correct, it does omit that specific detail. I was looking for the option of "Man contributes, but its contribution is insignificant and therefore it predominately natural cycles."
That is my opinion, sure... but then there currently is no supporting evidence to suggest otherwise as they can't explain the process without resorting to magic number generators that attempt to guess the majority of variables.
Reintroducing billions of tons of geologically sequestered Carbon in the form of CO2 into the atmosphere will have an effect. The likeliest effect is warming on a global scale. The rate and end point are not yet determined.
All but the bold would be a an accurate and safe assumption to make. The bold is pure speculation and unsupported.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GregW
Should we stop burning coal? I think so but many others strongly disagree. As they are making huge profits from burning coal their opinion trumps mine. In any case the proof will be in the near (10-100 years) to mid (100 to 10,000 years). Too bad we won't be around to observe.
When all else fails, resort to predictions of fear.
Reintroducing billions of tons of geologically sequestered Carbon in the form of CO2 into the atmosphere will have an effect. The likeliest effect is warming on a global scale. The rate and end point are not yet determined.
Should we stop burning coal? I think so but many others strongly disagree. As they are making huge profits from burning coal their opinion trumps mine. In any case the proof will be in the near (10-100 years) to mid (100 to 10,000 years). Too bad we won't be around to observe.
Unless you have some alternate fuel to generate electricity, you're suggesting we all freeze to death in the winter to save the earth.
Frankly, I'm not too interested in that choice.
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Where do you stand on the concept of man made global warming?
