Global Warming - Bother You Much?

[Keer]

Tangent from "...Hurricane Katrina's Path" thread.

One thing's for sure, we're all gonna be a lot thinner... in the wallet... from gas prices...

Jabe

Ironically this is part of the cycle. We're all burning so much gas and other fossil fuels that the planet is getting warmer every year. Oceans are getting bigger from polar ice melting. Bigger warmer oceans are "fuel" for big frequent hurricanes.

Last year was a doozy for actual hurricane contact in the US. This year was worse for hurricane formation with more hurricanes than ever before recorded. So far, not as many have hit us like last year.

I remember as a kid in Cleveland in the mid-80's, global warming was just coming into the national popular conciousness. There was no shortage of experts who discounted the concept as fantasy. Even local TV weathermen shrugged it off. One thing that I can say for certain, is that around 1985, the seasons changed in Cleveland and they never went back to how I remembered them growing up. Before that time there was a clearer differentiation between the seasons. In the years since it's like you get this sickly pneumonia-type weather around the time of the old seasonal boundaries. Without a calendar, sometimes you wouldn't know what season it was.

[Jabe Adaks]

I've noticed the winters in Chicago starting to wuss-out over the past few years myself. Mind you its hasn't spared us from the occasional good snow storm, but overall winters since 1999 have been quite mild in my opinion.

Jabe

[Dwilah]

Being in the South, I tend to joke with people that we only have two weeks of winter anyway, and they're not consecutive days. But it does bother me, and sadden me that despite warnings and what little research some people are doing, there is a lot of sensationalism/extremism in the people that are really committed to changing things...and that turns the general populace away from making small changes, I think, that could help. I think what really makes an impact on us all and will change our minds, sadly, are things like gas prices and when some foods eventually become unavailable. Like tuna. (And crows.)

[Jerrel]

I took a class once where the instructor informed us that the Earth goes through periods of ice ages and dry ages, meaning that the earth heats up and dry land begin to turn into deserts. The fact that we've never seen an ice age in modertime nore a dry age I think its hard to say how much is from polution and how much is part of the natural cycle. Conservationist want us to cut down on our use of fosil fuels so thay tell us what ever they can to get us to conserve and those who want us to use up as much of said fuels will dismiss every thing that may give us pause to consume. With every one having a reason to lie to the public its hard to disearn the truth espesially when no one knows what that is.

[X'an Shin]

I don't know if it's El Nino or global warming, but whatever it is, I'm not a fan.

I want my mild summers back, and I'd really love a spring or fall that lasted more than 3 days.

[E-bo Obi]

I dunno man. I remember as a kid in the 80's we had one "blizzard" in PA (Harrisburg Area) that dropped 2 feet of snow on us. Since 94-95 we have had at least 4 coming as late as the end of March. Yes we have also had our share of mild winters and hot summers but it seems to be in some kind of cycle. I personally don't subscribe to the doom and gloom naysayers in the scientific world's theories. Hell wasn't it just two years ago or so that they were saying volcanic eruptions were going to send us into another ice age?

I am reminded of the old joke about the scientist arguing with God that he could create worlds. The scientist challenged God's power and told him that he could create a world through modern science. God began to create a world and the scientist starting working with a pile of dirt that he had in his lab. Just then God says, "Make your own dirt."

I just think the scientific community puts too much stock in human's being able to destroy a world. I have no doubt we could wipe out every human being on this planet. But I seriously doubt we would ever be able to destroy this planet. To think that we could is just arrogance.

Don't get me wrong. I am a hunter and an outdoorsman. I don't approve of polution and destroying of the environment. But I also don't expect everyone to be driving fusion powered cars in the next ten years. I think our government should promote cleaner power sources to include the building of nuclear power plants. Ever since the Three Mile Island incident everyone thinks that nuclear power will destroy the world. And doesn't anyone find it odd that the same people who complain in congess about polution are also driving SUV's and fighting wind energy? Its all good and well to drive electric cars and use wind power as long as its not in my back yard?

Sorry got a little off topic there but sometimes I think politics plays a large role in science and I am very skeptical of doom and gloom reports because of this. The hypocracy at times is just too hard to look past.

[Hashum]

Not to offend anyone but I think global warming is a little over blown. If you disagree go live a few winters in Vermont and you'll see what I mean.

[Keer]

I have no doubt we could wipe out every human being on this planet. But I seriously doubt we would ever be able to destroy this planet. To think that we could is just arrogance.

I agree 100% here. It's the first sentence's focus that's important. I always laugh to myself when I see the "Save the Planet" slogan. Earth is over 4 billion years old. I doubt that we could kill "it" per se. It's our place in it that some people are concerned with. We surely could make this world unlivable for the human race.

I also believe that the "weather cycle theory" may explain some of the changes in climate (or perceived changes). However, keep in mind that this is the first time in Earth's history (industrialization) that one of it's inhabitant lifeforms had the power to affect climate on a global scale. No other animal can do that.

[E-bo Obi]

Thanks to the power of Google:

http://www.clearlight.com/~mhieb/WVFoss ... _ages.html

An interesting read on the facts and myth's of global warming.

[Jaminos]

In my opinion Global warming means absolutley nothing but a bunch of trype put on TV to give people somthing to talk about the water cooler. But that is just me. I am not trying force my thoughts to any f you just my two cents.

[X'an Shin]

Not to offend anyone but I think global warming is a little over blown. If you disagree go live a few winters in Vermont and you'll see what I mean.

Dude, you're in VERMONT.

This is like complaining it's hot in Jamaica.

[X'an Shin]

However, keep in mind that this is the first time in Earth's history (industrialization) that one of it's inhabitant lifeforms had the power to affect climate on a global scale. No other animal can do that.

Hey, you don't know that the dinosaurs didn't produce a crap-ton of methane or something ;)

[Skorixor]

Dude, you're in VERMONT.

This is like complaining it's hot in Jamaica.

what about Arizona? Man it's hot in AZ in the summer...

[E-bo Obi]

All I have to say is read the report I put the link to. It gives some interesting information about the factor industrialization has played in global warming.

[Jabe Adaks]

Not to offend anyone but I think global warming is a little over blown. If you disagree go live a few winters in Vermont and you'll see what I mean.

Yeah I do think its exaggerated. I don't completely buy in to it but I do think the seasons have changed since I was a kid. Or maybe my perception of them has...

Jabe