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We live in an era where solid debate, on a whole range of topics, is almost impossible. I thought you posted a reasonable starter, but wasn't very surprised to see the attack posts right off the bat.
Is the planet warming? Possibly. We are still coming out of the Little Ice Age after all. Is it human caused? Unknown. While the popular press is filled with articles, they seem to be pretty much of the dogmatic kind. I'd rather see details and energy balance equations. The things I do see are a house of cards set of assumptions with compounding error. If I were in my work to stack error on top of error that way in a paper, it wouldn't even make it past peer review in my office, much less publication.
I'm not saying the Earth isn't warming. I'm also not saying that if it is, that it isn't correlated with human activity. What I am saying is the data is not convincing either way to be making huge economic and policy decision on. Knee jerk reactions often make things worse if we don't yet know what we're really dealing with.
You should read the peer reviewed scientific press.
I have a question: Why do you seem to believe "green living" must be centered around the issue of climate change rather than living with reduced use of chemicals, plastics, and high petrol-consuming products?
I am quite hopeful of the warming trend. I would really like to see the winters go back to the way they were 10 or 15 years ago.
Today, it was 17 below zero when I got up, and there is over a foot of snow on the ground, even after the "January Thaw".
Right now, it is sunny and 11 degrees.
Yes, I know, that is "local weather" not "climate".
Good fiction writer. Very poor climate scientist. Had a lot of Alternative Facts drive his opinion apparently.
I don't think he claims to be a scientist. I read all 12 pages of his resource materials. Science is so divided on the subject, we are left to our own conclusions.
I don't like the "green living" label. To me, I am living as frugal as possible. I hate spending money on high electric bills, or filling up the gas tank. There are plenty of things that I would rather spend my money on. So I'm not some eco warrior. The entire climate change problem is self correcting anyway. Eventually the world will run out of useable petroleum and coal. In my opinion, "green living" has replaced religion, or become it's own quasi religion. The congregation gets hostile when you challenge their views. The health of the planet is more important than individual rights, etc.
I'm of the opinion that the health of the planet is indeed more important than individuals' imaginary 'rights'. The planet (or any other higher power) did not endow any individuals with rights of any kind. Any so-called rights that individuals think they should have over and above the holistic needs of the planet are rooted in gluttony and a constant greed for more resources to consume and are simply a figment of each individual consumer's imagination. The 'rights' do not exist.
I agree that climate change is self correcting but I think that resorting to the reasoning that eventually the world will run out of useable petroleum and coal is a poor reason that people use to excuse gluttony. If humans were not indulging their gluttony and using up resources beyond their practical needs then the resources would never run out and the health of the planet would not be impacted.
You mean the AAAS and NAS are also nonsensical? New meaning to the word "nonsensical" along with your Alternate Facts.
The overwhelming evidence of human-caused climate change documents both current impacts with significant costs and extraordinary future risks to society and natural systems. The scientific community has convened conferences, published reports, spoken out at forums and proclaimed, through statements by virtually every national scientific academy and relevant major scientific organization — including the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) — that climate change puts the well-being of people of all nations at risk. -- AAAS
There will always be uncertainty in understanding a system as complex as the world’s climate. However there is now strong evidence that significant global warming is occurring. The evidence comes from direct measurements of rising surface air temperatures and subsurface ocean temperatures and from phenomena such as increases in average global sea levels, retreating glaciers, and changes to many physical and biological systems. It is likely that most of the warming in recent decades can be attributed to human activities (IPCC 2001). This warming has already led to changes in the Earth's climate. --- NAS
For those who are unaware, these are the professional organization for scientists.
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