Rockie wrote:You all want solid scientific proof that cannot be questioned before you will entertain the notion of man made global warming. To me it's self-evident because of the cause and effect aspect of it. We are after all pumping billions of tons more GHG into the atmosphere every year with the pace and quantity only increasing. That there will be a detrimental effect is a no brainer in my mind, but the hard part is quantifying it and making accurate predictions of what exactly those effects will be. Some we can see now that are easily measurable like disappearing permanent arctic ice, changing agricultural patterns and ever diminishing water reservoirs. Other potential effects can only be predicted based on computer models that certainly aren't perfect. Errors don't negate the science though which the deniers would have us believe (I don't say skeptics because skepticism is what keeps people on their toes and honest).
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I agree, to demand solid scientific proof of the notion of MMGW is rediculous. It Cannot be done- science does not work that way. There certainly is much evidence of a warming climate as well. Heck I can look out at the glacier here and see it has shruck alot over the years. Your point on predicting exacly what the effects will be is absoluytely true as well. It seems like (to me at any rate) that there are some who are going a long way to make things seem alot worse than they may be. Massaging the data to make the famous hockey stick is an exampe of this. Suppressing anything that shows flaws in the theory as it stands also bothers me. I have seen at times science ridiculed as 'poor' simple because it was sponsored by 'big oil'. This is not a reason to ignore or cast doubt on it. The science itself is what should be tested. Imagine a hypothysis that deforsitation is the cause of the majority of co2 increase, and that this increase was natures way of coping to accelerate vegetation growth. In the current climate (political climate I mean) if this hypothysis was put forward by scientists supported by oil companies, it would be attacked for just that. The hypothysis itself is what should be examined. Heck maybe 8 billion people exhaling is the problem, and a few disasters as a result is natures way of coping with overpopulation of air breathing species.
One of the predictions of MMGW- as I Understand it- was in regards to polar ice cap melting. The basic premis was that in colder times when there was plenty of ice, much of the suns energy in that region was reflected back, and it stayed cold enough there to keep the ice cap reletively stable. With GW, the icecap has receeded to a point where now the arctic ocean absorbs much of the solar energy, preventing ice from re-forming and of course less ice means more energy absorbed, and in a vicious circle the melting is accelerated. This should mean that the icecap should no longer expand. Lately I have heard on the news that last winter it has done this. I realise this does not disprove the entire GW theory, but in my mind things have not gone as far/bad as feared.
I do not doubt that we make an impact on our environment. It is nessecarily so. I also do not think that in the short term we can simply abandon fossil fuels. There is no real alternative. I do not think for the moment there is a viable way to keep commmerce moving without it. Ships gotta cross the ocean, airplanes gotta fly. Windmills and solar panels are nice in some applications, but will not IMHO replace fossil fuels. Nuclear? maybe, but that comes with its own set of problems. I think abandoning the oil in ALberta will cause real ecenomic damage. Like it or not, right now we need oil. Even the rainbow warrior runs on the stuff. One day it will all be gone, no doubt about that. We will be forced to adapt. But I really doubt there will come a time when there is plenty of oil left, but we do not use it. I do not think it is possible.
Maybe the solutions lie in adapting to the changes rather than trying to stop them. Change is inevitable. I have a hard time beleiving that we are somehow going to sterilize the planet so that nothing is left growing. But that is the impression I get from the 'save the planet' crowd. 90% of species were wiped out 60million years ago, yet life carried on. The human race at one point was on the verge of extinction very early on in its history, yet carried on. If Islands do sink, and as of yet none have, but may in the next few hundred years, then people will have to move. I do not think sending billions of dollars to Bangladesh will stop it though. The oil will still get burned.
Anyay, enough of my ramblings. I get the sense that you are becomeing frustrated with some posts here, and perhaps are taking some of the post personally. Some I have seen certainly read that way. It is not meant as so. I have learned plenty on the subject as a result and am still trying to wrap my head around the whole thing. The many of the articles you are posting are very helpful. Thanks for that. Asking questions is not attacking. I simply want to understand things better- get the nagging questions in my head as it were, resolved. Keep up the good work.