global warming (should i care?)?

Question

my girl friend is trying to convince me that i should be worried about global warming and how i should help her to influance others to stop global warming.
if your answer to this is to "belive her, she is your girlfriend after all" dont answer. i want serious answers.

Answer 1

Im still trying to figure that out myself. I have heard both sides of the argument such as:
Our hydro carbons are making a hole in the ozone layer whic leads to global warming.

But at the same time, any eruption of a volcano gives off about the same amount that we have in the past.

Is either one right or wrong? I am more concerned with polution which is a real threat that you can see and taste and breath. So if I can help to decrease polution which will also decrease global warming,---great. But shoudl you be scared? Naa, I really doubt that it is as horible as the moview play it out to be.

We have enough things to worry about....

Answer 2

I'm an engineer and a scientist, and I have been skeptical about global warming for years. I got very tired hearing people say, "it's those bad chemical companies polluting the world, etc, etc..." But, I will tell you that even though, those "bad" U.S. chemical companies have straightened up their acts a WHOLE lot in the past couple of decades, there are many other sources of greenhouse gases and many other causes for global warming. Should you be concerned? OH YES.

About 1/2 the cause of global warming is "man-made", while the other 1/2 comes from a normal (yet very long) heating and cooling cycle that the Earth has gone through for many, many centuries. (The second, or "normal" 1/2, doesn't get much attention because it doesn't sell newspapers like the "man-made" crisis parts does.)

Right now, the natural warming cycle the Earth undergoes is overlappng with "man-made" factors. As a result, we are seeing an acceleration in the observable effects of global warming. Greenland, for example, (previously almost entirely ice covered), is losing it's ice at rates 5 to 10 times faster than scientists predicted, based on normal heating/cooling alone. So, you can see that the two major influences -- when combined -- are having a very serious (and, scarily, non-linear) effect.

Why do you care about Greenland? Well, maybe you don't, but the impact on you personally will be felt. The climate change is happening everywhere. Greenland provides a "far off" illustration, but view it as an early warning. Populated areas are already breaking records (year after year) and will continue to do so. Agriculturally productive areas will suffer drought, and we will all be affected.

We all need to be concerned.

Answer 3

From the range of responses above, we are all going to (1) die horrible torrid deaths or (2) continue as is. That's what happens when hypesters abscond with scientific peer review and reason. (The hypothesis of global warming was released to the general public prior to peer review by other climatological experts.)

What is clear is that the Earth is warming, no one knows how much of it is humankind's doing and how bad the problem really is. What's distressing is that the global population, through this idiotic rancor, is missing the real message that it's not a good thing to spew stuff into the atmosphere for any reason. Instead of a coordinated, deliberate effort to reduce all emmissions, we have special interests and politicos yelling at each other.

Maybe if nobody listens to the hotheads, the rest of us can quietly go about doing the right things? In my experience, that's how most major good gets done anyway.

Personally, I don't believe the doomsayers because (1) they all have a vested interest and (2) the models aren't validated and are showing some weaknesses lately. Don't be scared but do what good you can.

Tell your gf to explain to you why the Earth is not warming as quickly as the models predicted and, if she can't, to cool the rhetoric until she can explain it to you. This is an interesting topic and a good opportunity to experience the disillusion of politics meddling with science.

Answer 4

Until recently, whether global warming existed or not was still being debated. But, it is becoming increasingly more convincing that it does.

The forecast is that the average temperature will increase by seven degrees within the next 100 years. That is enough to melt enough of the polar icecaps to flood a portion of the world's landmass. It would also affect the weather patterns globally, and possibly cause many species to become extinct.

There is still the possibility that it is simply a natural cycle in Earth's weather, since we only have about 125 years of climate data. But, I suppose it can't hurt to do what we can to help prevent it.

Answer 5

well if you believe the people who aren't educated enough to know just because its called "Global Warming", doesn't mean everywhere is going to get warmer, then you should find a girlfriend that is more on your level, and let the one you have find someone smarter and more on her level.

In reality, everything that is being pointed out as causes of global warming(whether it is causing it or not), are all things that have ill effects on the environment, that you should be concerned about anyway.
whether or not the climate is going to change or get worse, shoudln't mater, because the things that are claimed to cause GW or GCC are things that still effect you adversly.

Mr. beazly, volcanoes do not give off as much CO(x) or No(x) as humans create yearly.
http://cdiac.ornl.gov/by_new/bysubjec.html#carbon

oops gave the wrong link
here is the correct info:
Scientists have calculated that volcanoes emit between about 130-230 million tonnes (145-255 million tons) of CO2 into the atmosphere every year (Gerlach, 1999, 1992). This estimate includes both subaerial and submarine volcanoes, about in equal amounts. Emissions of CO2 by human activities, including fossil fuel burning, cement production, and gas flaring, amount to about 22 billion tonnes per year (24 billion tons) [ ( Marland, et al., 1998) Human activities release more than 150 times the amount of CO2 emitted by volcanoes--the equivalent of nearly 17,000 additional volcanoes like Kilauea (Kilauea emits about 13.2 million tonnes/year)!
http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Hazards/What/VolGas/volgas.html

Answer 6

Global warming will never cease. Even if man does all that it can not to pollute the environment nature will still run it's course. There's no question that we have definitely helped expedite the affects but we're not the sole cause of global warming. Whether you choose to change is your choice. If you were a listener of the Professor he might tell you to DTB. I would have to agree.

Answer 7

Yes,you should,if you enjoy living.It has nothing to do with her,really.It's there no matter what she says.The evidence is all around us,no matter what the naysayers wish to believe.It all boils down to the fact that most people don't want to change their lifestyles.The thing is,it really wouldn't have to be a dramatic change.At least,not to get the ball rolling.No matter what,we should all be responsible for the garbage and pollution we create.There is such a thing as landfill space running out and air pollution.That leads to the conclusion that all of that will eventually affect our entire environment.Just think about it that way.It shouldn't take a great amount of sacrifice from one person,but a little from everyone.

Answer 8

Yes every one should care and we need to take some action urgently. Global warming is a natural phenomena but we humans have induced it and increased its rate substantially. Looking to present rate of temperature rise I am sure we are going to face lot of climatic problems and harsh conditions soon.

We need to understand and follow the principals of sustainable living and see to it that we do not waste energy, fuel, natural resources and see to it that we not harm our environment any further.

Answer 9

I personally think god is going to end the world, before the effects take place...affects??...eh

But otherwise if you do'nt think that, its important for the future of the planet. Some of the effects already ar ehappening, but nothing crazy in our life time

Answer 10

Sure we should all care if we want this universe to continue! That depends on you how far you will get involved! I mean buy products that are earth friendly, recycle, and so on!