How can we cut through ignorance and denial about Global Warming?

Question

Some think colder winters mean that global warming isn't happening when such extremes are actually evidence it is in full swing. Others are trying to blame sunspots, of all things, while ignoring the steady increase in the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere that has occurred since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. What will it take to educate these people and convince them of the inconvenient truth?

Why can't people understand that more CO2 in the atmosphere means higher average temperatures, more energy in the atmosphere, and more weather extremes as a result?

ringocox: Of course there is a natural cycle. The measurements we are seeing now lie well outside that natural cycle. What explanation is there for this anomaly other than the CO2 we are putting into the air?

Lindsay: This is not a repeat of Al Gore's question, which asks how we can reverse global warming. I think before we can ask how to reverse it, a better question is how to get people to believe it's happening in the first place. People are putting up mental roadblocks (natural cycles, sunspots, etc.) without considering the evidence. How do we get around these mental roadblocks?

I would love to debate some of you, but I can't if you don't have your contact form enabled. Please allow me to contact you if you want to discuss evidence that something other than CO2 is responsible. BUT I learned in science class that CO2 is responsible for why Venus is superheated compared to the Earth. Why don't we think the same thing would happen to us if we don't stop putting out so much CO2?

Answer 1

Education, Education, Education ... that will solve any ignorance and make people face what they've been in denial about.
;-)

Ecucation also fights Misinformed and The Miseducated, the false spread of information is the main reason why people are so confused...
it's like with anything, once there was COINTELPRO which spread false education/acusations (it tried to hurt the Civli Rights Movement), but people/groups/causes (for the most part) over came such lies and got the real scoop on things, which lead them not to give up on Educating the people.

Answer 2

Some of you have said that we need to present evidence. Some have said that it's all baloney and no respectable scientist really supports it. I'm really disheartened by the political BS that's being heaped on a serious scientific problem.

Global warming is real. The National Academy of Sciences and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration agree that global temperature change in the past 100 years is faster than ever in known history, and that this is the result of human intervention. See the sources for details.

Answer 3

GLOBAL WARMING/THE ENVIRONMENT IN GENERAL

Any and I mean any environmental cause or approach must be grassroots in nature. Having PhD's talk about global warming and having those representing industry interests debunk these present theories is a high level and almost an entirely futile effort. Don't get me wrong, it is great that someone with Al Gore's connections and exposure is getting the word out. However, people are people they want to see results.

Yes, the expression is now trite but still true, "Thing Globally, Act Locally". Watching the sky over a city, town or even a more rural area become darkened by smog has local impact, people take note and actually see A PROBLEM. A problem that can measured in terms of air quality or perhaps an AIR QUALITY HEALTH INDEX like the one that the provincial government in Ontario, Canada is in the process of implementing. You can measure results (however small) in terms of air quality and the affect it has on the health care system (those with breathing problems, doctor's visits, etc). It certainly speaks to the advantage of a UNIVERSAL health care system (however, actually implemented) as it actually makes sense to improve the environment as it keeps people healthy (a humanitarian cause) and when health care it publicly funded it affects the public coffers when people become ill therefore it even makes better financial sense to keep the environment a top priority.

Plus any approach must be entire with a complete overall plan (the big picture). Including recycling initiatives, energy solutions (alternatives/renewables can now present a real potential financial threat to the big oil companies and even power companies...), government involvement at all levels, public transit, greener vehicles in general (Hybrid, Hydrogen, Conventional electric, bio-diesel, ethanol), conservation in all energy arenas, ETC!

Economic viability is the real sell as many of these solutions are just that economically sensible (ensuring we look at the entire picture). Yes as more people use solar, wind and other renewable energy sources the cheaper the technology will get. Two of the newest billionaires have earned a large portion through renewables Solar (India I believe) and Wind (China I believe). Yes in many ways developing nations and economies will be the first and early adopters of such renewable tech as they are just building much of their infrastructure.

So what do we all need to do? GET INVOLVED ! Contact your local government about improving your recycling program, contact provincial/state/federal government about the adopting of these new technologies (renewables such as solar/wind), buy gas with ethanol in it and demand it, use and demand bio diesel, buy products with less packaging and demand manufacturers to reduce packaging and to offer a price break as a result. More ECONOMIC VIABILITY! After all energy diversity just like economic diversity is the safest and best bet for good long term results and return on investment.

Joe...


KEEP IT UP MR. GORE THE POLAR BEARS NEED YOU FIRST **GRIN**.

Answer 4

You stand a better chance of seeing Jesus Christ in a brothel in Las Vagas.
Congress collectively is incapable of thinking. Each and everyone of them are representatives of a greedy special interest group.....airlines,automobiles, power plants, ad infinitum.

Not one of those greedy bastards give two shits about future generations. They are more interested in a (strike) price of a Futures option.

Anybody familiar with a bio feedback device knows that body stress is measured instantly. It peaks almost instantly. But the recovery time is long in duration before it returns to the normal state.
The same thing happens to the Earth when it is stressed. We have been stressing our home ever since the industrial revolution. We were aware of the damage for decades but did nothing about it.
Now that it is apparent and upon us, the morons want to put a bandage on the problem.
Let me say this: If it were possible to eliminate all the pollutions of the world overnight, it would not reverse anything.
Like the recovery time in the example above, it must run it's course; and I doubt anyone alive on this planet will see the return of bio normalcy.

Answer 5

prove to me its a human contribution. trick question, you cant

the only denial and youre outreach to educate the heathen masses just makes you sound more shrill

there are actually plenty of educated people who dont go along with this. CO2 doesnt equate directly to a higher temperature, there are more factors, the earth is more complex.

read bjorn lomborgs, a skeptical environmentalist.

stop being gores cheerleader, instead of asking others to blindly follow, maybe you could do some research into what others object to... you know, so you arent a hypocrite or anything... if that bothers you at all....

Answer 6

I think a big culprit on this is the dumb idiot president, GWBush. On behalf of his murderous oil buddies, he has claimed that the science of global warming is still up for debate. This, despite the fact if you read even a general science magazine like Scientific American, all the scientists are discussing it as fact.

How could we cut through the denial? By having a massive coalition of scientists step forward and say something like "We're not advocating any particular policy, but we just want to say global warming is a fact."

That would be a good start. Rock on, my friend.

Answer 7

outlaw live volcanoes, people and all other organisms that insist on converting the carbon they metabolize with oxygen to carbon dioxide. Now that is enough work to keep everyone occupied for a long, long time. Good luck!
The questioner should study the history of the earth's atmosphere. Surprising changes way before the advent of the Indust. Rev.

Answer 8

If you want to convince me, come up with a climate model that actually works. The neat thing about climate models is that you can run them backwards as well as forwards. Not one generates an accurate picture of the known past.

As for CO2 levels, it has been shown that one of the COLDEST periods in Earth's history had high CO2 levels. CO2 is not a pollutant, it's plant food.

Answer 9

We need to somehow separate it from politics and convince people that it's a real issue, not just a political one. George W. Bush appears to have a below-average IQ and a questionable academic background, and he made most of his money in the oil business, yet many people trust his highly biased and self-serving views over those of scientists with PhD's in geology and climatology! What is this world coming to? People need to stop blindly swallowing what politicians say and ask themselves if it makes sense.

Answer 10

Is Al Gore ignorant enough for you? Some scientists still hold out that it is a cycle of so many years of warming and cold