What do you think about Global Warming?

Answer 1

I think that the Earth has a cycle. We have only been around for a very short time in the Earth's time-line and I think that global warming is just part of the cycle of the Earth. Fossil records and rock layers have indicated that this is not the first time that the Earth has warmed up. It probably won't be the last time either.

Now having said that, I think that we as humans need to take it upon ourselves to care for the Earth and make sure we are not damaging our home. I already know that we are, but if we can pull together to take responsibility for our actions, then we can do something. Will it ever happen? Maybe, but if we don't start learning from our mistakes, global warming will be the least of our problems.

Answer 2

I've answered this question a few times, but let me try again!

The idea behind global warming is that human-produced (anthropogenic) CO2 is capturing reradiated heat from the earth. This heat cannot escape and it is heating the earth. That's the general idea.

Most proponents of Global Warming point to two things: The IPCC's finding that the Earth has warmed roughly 1 degree C over the last 100 years and the CO2 monitoring station on Mauna Loa. The CO2 station has shown that CO2 has increased steadily since the 1950s. This has caused many scientists (and many more media outlets) to state that there is a direct correlation between CO2 and temperature increases.

Other information, such as the infamous "hockey stick" graph has been shown that since the industrial revolution earth temperatures have spiked upward. This is based on various geologic data (as well as an estimation using very large error bands).

Now, I believe that Global Warming is a media-hyped alarmist theory. Here's why:

1) We have geologic data showing CO2 levels much higher than today when temperatures were much lower than today.

2) Most scientists agree that the Milankovic Cycles play a much, much greater role in the Earth's temperature than CO2 ever could. This is explicitly shown when we have ultra-high CO2 levels during known ice ages.

3) The medieval warm period. We have significant evidence that during 1100-1250 (or so, I don't have the data right in front of me) the earth experienced a large increase in average global temperature. This was well before the industrial revolution. We did not see a matching CO2 spike during this time...so what caused the warm up? Certainly not humans.

Now, one might ask, well if CO2 is a potential problem, isn't it better to play it safe and try and reduce CO2 levels?

That's a noble assertion but I think nearly every for-profit industry will fight you every step of the way. Forcing industries to try and reduce their CO2 production based on a "maybe" or "what if" theory is pretty much fighting an uphill battle. It's the reason we (rightfully) did not sign off on Kyoto.

As much as I hate the current administration's environmental stance, they have the global warming thing right. Without any sort of conclusive evidence, how can we force arbitrary environmental limits on businesses?

Answer 3

You global warming naysayers need to recognize that the earth is not flat. Your constant denials of the accepted and obvious are so out of whack.

First a couple of basic points:

1) Atmospheric CO2 is at a higher rate than at any time in the last 650K years. Scientists have done the work and know that atmospheric CO2 has been in a range of 130 ppm - 260 ppm for the last 650K years. The current atmospheric CO2 levels are well above 300 ppm or higher than at any time in the last 650K years.

2) There is virtually 100% agreement that global warming and climate change caused by human activity is serious and must be addressed now.

You can make arguments that the earth has its cycles blah blah, but this does not address the very rapid changes that are being caused by human greenhouse gas emission. The average U.S. household family of 3 emits an average of about 30 tons of CO2 per annum.

I have seen predictions that up to 40% of all species face extinction within the next 50-100 years if this process continues.

I have also read that if the Siberian permafrost melts, it will release an additional 500 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. This is against the 750 billion tons that are in the atmosphere now. Just this one "feedback loop" would nearly double atmospheric CO2 levels.

Global warming is the most critical and dangerous threat to civilized man ever. We have no choice but to change our habits and lifestyle choices starting today.

If you want to offset your personal CO2 emissions, you can buy CO2 credits through a variety of different web sites. The costs range from $5-10 per ton.

When the Ross Ice shelf in Antarctica melts, and the vast ice fields in Greenland slip into the Atlantic and New York City and virtually all of Florida are under 50 feet of ocean then maybe all of the naysayers will finally admit that something is amiss.

Answer 4

The global warming depends a lot on gas such as CO2 and others in much less amounts. We the world generate billions of cf. of CO2 and like the environmentalist say it increased XX% well measure it what u get??? u will get 1 to 2 parts per million where did it all go??? Well our system here has the other part of the cycle. The green plants use the CO2 and convert to OX, and the cycle starts over again. With no CO2 to speak of there can be no global warming.

Answer 5

I agree with many of the other answers: global warming is a cyclical event that can't be prevented. However, in the past 150 years our "industrial revolution" had accelerated that cycle, and may be causing things to happen too quickly and not as Nature intended.
Smoke-belching factories and vehicle emissions have polluted our air and water. If the polar ice caps continue to melt at such alarming speeds, cities on both coasts of both major oceans will find themselves flooded, victims of horrendous hurricanes, and other 'natural' disasters that have been impetuously precipitated by human interference of the cycles.
I think we need to listen to the scientific community who have been warning us about the consequences of global warming for years. If we don't start to do something collectively - meaning every nation and population on Earth - we won't be able to reverse or diminish the damage. Most scientists believe we have a ten-year window of opportunity to change things, or it will be lost forever. -RKO-

Answer 6

I think its very real, the earth seems to be burning up everywhere unless this has always been happening and we just never seen it because they werent putting it on T.V. I don t know, but anyway I think the stupidist thing Ive ever heard is those people trying to motivate other people that they need to do something to change the climate of the planet. Can you imagine that people actually believe they can change the weather. How crazy is that.

Answer 7

I THINK ITS GOING TO KILL US ALL IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT OZONE DEPLETION. WE KNOW THE PROBLEM IS THERE BUT WE DON'T REACT TO IT. WERE TO BUSY FIGHTING A WAR WHICH SHOULD'NT EVEN BE FOUGHT. IF THE WAR DOESN'T KILL US IN THE END GLOBAL WARMING WILL. SLOWLY.

Answer 8

I think it is real but it will not be as extreme or happen as fast as some people on this forum think.

Answer 9

I live in Vermont , so I am always looking for a little extra heat.

Answer 10

I think if we do'nt do something about it soon it will kill off our species.