Global Warming: In a 1997 book, "Billions and Billions" Carl Sagan warned about global warming. Was he right?

Question

Chapter 11, specifically titled "Ambush: The Warming of the World", concludes, "In the U.S., as the evidence for the seriousness of global warming mounts, the political will to do something about it seems to be shriveling". Around the same time, Rush Limbaugh was fond of saying, "There is nothing that we can do to change the planet's climate, why we couldn't change it if we tried - the Earth has an unlimited ability to heal itself." Now, who turns out to have been more correct? (The book is copyrighted 1997 by the Estate of Carl Sagan)

Answer 1

There's a lot of evidence for Global Warming. The oceans are warming, the polar ice caps are melting, the greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane and water vapor) are increasing. The eath's ability to protect itself is declining as we destroy existing vegetation. The world leaders who could sound the alarm are reluctant to do so.
I think we have not reached the critical stage (of no return) yet, but we'd better stop arguing about it and start taking some steps to reverse the process.
Limbaugh is a super conservative who is blind to the facts and the warnings of the world's leading scientists.

Answer 2

Carl Sagan was one of my favorites. I read his book "Pale Blue Dot" which was fascinating. It's one of those books where you can't put it down. Yes he was right. Rush is an expert in character assassination and the neocon movement. He is not a scientist and yet his audience blindly follows every word he says. Our country should be about more than making a profit at any cost. Our current leadership has sent us backward in the effort to reduce the threat of rapid climate change. The fact of the matter is we have already changed the earth's climate. Just look at the heat island affect in every major city. Look at the pollution the obscures the view of the stars from major cities. Maybe Rush is not smart enough to figure it out but the ocean's reefs are as they are being damaged by warming. It will be comical to see the neocons homes washed away by rising tides in the years to come.

Answer 3

Our climate is definitely screwed up.We can do something about it-maybe-if we ALL try,but it's getting everyone that's too used to their conveniences to compromise a little that's the problem.A little from everyone would be enough to at least stave off total destruction of our atmosphere for a while,perhaps long enough to figure out how to either adjust or make it better.There are some people willing to do anything it takes,but I'd say that's probably one in a million.Not enough.We're doomed.

Answer 4

Without a doubt, I'd believe Sagan's word for gospel over Limbaugh.

Look at all the natural disasters that have befallen us. That's due to man's lack of taking care of what's not theirs and using it up. The Earth can only go so far in healing, it's our responsibility as inhabitants that we do the rest.

Limbaugh hasn't uttered anything cohesive and sensible since he learned to say mama.

Answer 5

Absolutely. Carl was the MAN !!!! We're screwing our planet up, and the quicker Washington wakes up, the better. Everyone on Earth needs to see Al Gores documentary "An Inconvenient Truth"

Answer 6

There is no global warming, there is no global cooling.
Treerings and the geologic record are quite clear on this. So no Carl was wrong.

Answer 7

We can't say that we were not warned.